As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must say that Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven has truly captured my heart. This game is like a fine wine, it only gets better with age and each sip takes me back to the golden days of RPGs.
SaGa, developed by Square Enix, is one of their longest-running series, yet it hasn’t gained as much popularity outside Japan due to its unique approach. If you play a typical SaGa game, you might find it different from what you’d expect in JRPGs overseas. Instead of following the usual path, SaGa games emphasize intricate combat, character progression, and quest systems that aren’t commonly found. The storyline in these games serves more as a thread connecting locations and objectives, rather than the detailed, character-focused narratives we associate with the genre. Navigating through a SaGa game can be fascinating yet challenging, as you explore and figure out what to do and how things operate. Some titles in the series lean towards being frustratingly difficult, but games like Romancing SaGa 2 are more engaging than frustrating. However, its earlier versions still required a certain taste to appreciate them.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven represents a complete overhaul of a game often regarded as the peak of the series – perhaps even among the best RPGs ever made. This particular game in the series has the potential to appeal to a new fanbase like no other SaGa game has, making it a strong contender for achieving this feat.
The narrative of Romancing SaGa 2 unfolds centuries before the present era, as seven heroes valiantly battled malevolent forces to save their realm. Their heroic feats have since been immortalized in folklore, and as strife intensifies, there’s a growing longing for their reappearance. More recently, Emperor Leon and his two sons receive whispers of the heroes’ resurrection, but soon discover a grim reality: The heroes themselves have transformed into instruments of darkness, annihilating both Leon and his son Victor in a brutal assault. However, there remains a glimmer of hope: Inheritance Magic, a power that enables an Emperor to impart memories, talents, and might upon a chosen heir, commences with young prince Gerard.
In Romancing SaGa 2, one standout feature is the unique inheritance system embedded within its gameplay. Conquering the evil seven heroes isn’t something that can be done swiftly; rather, it requires numerous generations and hundreds of in-game years. Each new Emperor, who you frequently have the option to select, continues the work left unfinished by their predecessor. If your party is wiped out (a common game over condition in many other RPGs), you simply choose a new Emperor, rebuild your party, and continue your quest.
Due to the long span of your mission across centuries, you have some leeway in deciding how to tackle the objective of overcoming the heroes. One of the remake’s standout aspects comes into play here: It provides useful hints about where quests and points of interest lie, addressing the common issue in SaGa games about not knowing what can be done next. Most locations in the game can be accessed through exploration, information from NPCs, or dialogue options during storylines. However, you’re not required to complete most of the game’s quests beyond the initial and final events. Completing them can result in benefits such as unlocking new character classes, gaining access to new areas, or expanding the Avalon Empire’s territory, resulting in more income for your treasury. Some questlines can be permanently closed off by making certain choices or running out of time. Remember, you won’t see everything Romancing SaGa 2 has to offer in a single playthrough, so it’s better not to focus on optimization but rather to follow the questlines that seem interesting and enjoyable to you.
In this remake of Romancing SaGa 2, you’ll find yourself immersed in combat for a significant part of your gaming time. Unlike the original version where all commands for a turn were entered simultaneously, the remake offers a timeline that shows when enemies and your party members will act. Each action chosen is executed immediately before moving on to the next character. Additionally, the original game’s Weapon and Spell Points have been combined into Battle Points, which are used for both spells and weapon skills during combat, streamlining resource management.
As a fan, I’m thrilled about the new addition – the Overdrive Gauge! It reminds me of Octopath Traveler, where enemies have specific weaknesses in their weapons and elements. When you successfully land an attack on these weak spots, the Overdrive Gauge fills up. Once it’s full, you can unleash a chain of special attacks from multiple party members, all without incurring Battle Points cost. Plus, these skills become incredibly potent when used this way!
To truly excel in combat within this remake, it’s essential to grasp the unique mechanics differentiating it from familiar systems. Rather than leveling up characters, their abilities and expertise develop through actions taken during battles. For instance, frequently employing spears in combat will boost your proficiency with that weapon significantly, enhancing your damage output. The process of stat growth is also less convoluted compared to other SaGa games, as you can easily determine how near you are to earning improvements at the end of each battle.
Mastering assault strategies follows a unique approach. Aside from honing your abilities with weapons and spells, you can unexpectedly acquire new talents amidst battles, a phenomenon referred to as “glimmering”. These skills are particular to specific weapons and possess their own development paths. When you’re on the brink of discovering a fresh technique, an icon resembling a light bulb will show up beside one of your existing abilities, suggesting the potential for glimmering a new skill if you employ it. This method is more streamlined compared to certain earlier SaGa iterations, where you essentially had to persistently use skills, hoping for something to activate eventually. The talents acquired by one character can be documented and passed on to subsequent generations, as long as they have the necessary expertise levels to wield them.
As you advance, you’ll pick up new formations, with each new Emperor introducing a new one. The placement of your Emperor and allies can greatly influence the battlefield, offering various status boosts/penalties and affecting Area of Effect techniques. It’s crucial to strategize as much as possible because there’s a significant aspect of SaGa yet to discuss: permadeath. Each character has a set number of Life Points when they join your party, and these deplete whenever they are knocked out in combat. Once their Life Points are exhausted, they are permanently eliminated, even if you’re currently using them as your Emperor (though you can select a new Emperor to continue). While it’s less harsh here compared to other series, the prospect of having to re-draft party members because one met an untimely end in the middle of a dungeon is still daunting. Given that Life Point restoration is exceptionally scarce, avoiding character knockouts as much as possible infuses both regular battles and boss fights with an exhilarating tension.
This unique blend of game systems is quite intriguing, isn’t it? At first, they may seem rough, but once a SaGa game hooks you, letting go becomes challenging. The enhanced presentation and user-friendly features in Romancing SaGa 2 make it more inviting for newcomers to the series (or those who might have struggled with previous games). Even the narrative has been expanded substantially; while it may not be as prominent as you’re accustomed to, you’ll discover a captivating story that follows the Seven Heroes as they lose their way, recovering memories and piecing together fragments throughout your campaign.
As I delve deeper into this game, I’m finding that the battles are becoming longer and tougher. The enemies seem to grow stronger as my party does, making even routine foes a formidable challenge. They pack quite a punch too, leaving me drained after many fights. Although I regain full health post-battle, I often find myself exhausted towards the end of dungeons, having used numerous high-BP abilities just to deal decent damage. Restorative items are scarce and hard to come by, so a lot of my time in these dungeons is spent dodging encounters, which can be frustrating when precise movement is required.
As a gamer, I’ve found there’s another challenge that keeps me on my toes – the mysterious timer system in this remake. It seems like a mix of hidden factors, such as the number of battles and completed events, influence when a new Emperor ascends and how many years pass between them. This can be quite disruptive, cutting off ongoing questlines and forcing a lengthy overhaul of my party setup. It would be really helpful if the developers could shed some light on this aspect, giving us players more insight to make our gaming experience smoother.
Despite its relatively low global recognition, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is an exceptional remake of a timeless classic game, especially appreciated within Japan. It offers engaging systems to delve into and master, along with a distinct core gameplay concept that sets it apart from other RPGs. If you’re seeking a fresh spin on JRPGs or simply a unique role-playing experience in general, this lengthy adventure is well worth the substantial time investment you’ll put into it.
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2024-11-05 23:39