I wish I played the original Romancing Saga 2 before its misguided remake

I’ve played a batch of video crippled remakes successful nan past fewer years, but it’s amazingly uncommon that I play 1 without having played nan original type first. Usually, my opinions connected these projects are shaped by what came before. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Resident Evil 4, and Silent Hill 2 are each arsenic absorbing to prosecute pinch arsenic they are because I understand nan speech betwixt past and present. I don’t often dive into a remake without that adjuvant starting point, but Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of nan Seven felt for illustration a cleanable spot for maine to effort thing new.

Square Enix’s latest remake breathes caller life into its 1993 SNES classic, bringing its pixelated world into vibrant 3D alternatively of giving it nan HD-2D curen for illustration Dragon Quest 3. It’s much eager than a batch of projects for illustration it, wholly rebuilding nan original from nan crushed up alternatively than giving it a fresher overgarment of paint. On paper, that makes for a modern reimagining that tin amended recognize a once-limited world.

So, why do I wish I had played nan original instead?

Revisiting a classical (for nan first time)

I decided to commencement Romancing Saga 2’s remake connected a whim aft a reappraisal codification for it landed successful my inbox. The Saga series is 1 of my RPG unsighted spots and a remake for illustration this felt for illustration it was designed for group for illustration me. It makes a analyzable crippled much approachable by making it look and consciousness much for illustration a crippled released successful 2024. I ideate nan thought present is that it tin beryllium an easier introduction constituent for newcomers and hopefully person them to different Saga games, while still school them nan series’ roots. I’d beryllium nan cleanable trial case.

If you’re successful nan aforesaid vessel arsenic me, you’ll find a batch to excavation into erstwhile diving successful headfirst. Romancing Saga 2 is simply a classical imagination RPG pinch a beardown setup. The world erstwhile had 7 heroes who were sworn to protect it. Those heroes mysteriously vanished 1 day, though, only to reemerge a millennium later arsenic corrupted villains. That kicks disconnected a deed database premise wherever nan king of Avalon and his retainers group retired to slay them, 1 by one.

While its opening dungeons aren’t arsenic thrilling arsenic that premise sounds, Romancing Saga 2 quickly reveals what makes it special. When nan king is unexpectedly killed, my characteristic inherits their powers and becomes Avalon’s caller leader. That isn’t an quiet daze scene; decease is simply a existent threat here. Each of my statement members, including my main character, has a group magnitude of life points. Every clip their wellness is reduced to zero, they suffer one. Once their antagonistic hits 0, they permanently dice and I request to prosecute a caller retainer to subordinate my party. It’s a high-stakes premise that makes each azygous determination successful conflict consciousness important. To skimp connected treatment magic aliases protect maneuvers is to consequence losing a statement personnel for good.

Though its combat strategy employs a reasonably modular turn-based attack that’s each astir exploiting weaknesses, Romancing Saga is simply a deceptively heavy and systems-heavy RPG. I person tons of cogwheel slots to activity pinch connected each character, letting maine get into nan nitty-gritty pinch my builds. There’s a imaginative move learning strategy successful which characters occasionally summation a bolt of inspiration mid-battle and study a caller onslaught aliases protect maneuver connected nan fly. There’s besides a statement strategy that gives my statement different benefits depending connected really I align them. All of those ideas get their hooks successful maine aft a fewer hours arsenic I research pinch my statement composition.

Nearly 30 years aft its release, Romancing Saga 2 holds beardown arsenic an RPG for hardcore RPG fans. It’s a reliable escapade filled pinch punishing deaths and impactful decision-making. I genuinely do consciousness for illustration a leader of an service successful ways that a batch of games for illustration this neglect to hit. When my warriors die, it’s because I’ve fto them down by putting them successful a bad situation. Each action has existent weight.

What’s successful a remake?

While I was capable to unearth those strengths aft a spot of play, I almost bounced disconnected nan remake earlier I could. Revenge of nan Seven puts its worst ft guardant from nan jump. Right away, I’m subjected to grating sound acting that melodramatically sounds retired SNES-style penning that was ne'er intended to beryllium acted out. Its visuals disappoint retired nan gate, arsenic it has nan level artistic of a mobile gacha game.

The move to 3D sounds for illustration a slam dunk connected paper, but it comes pinch immoderate clumsy creation decisions. When I spot an force wandering astir successful nan open, I tin tally up to them and onslaught first to initiate an onslaught of opportunity. It’s a modern characteristic that you find successful RPGs like Metaphor: ReFantazio, truthful it’s nary astonishment to spot it here, too. It’s awkwardly implemented, though, arsenic I only person nan action to slash erstwhile I’m virtually connected apical of an force already. It’s difficult to propulsion it disconnected unless I’m stepping into a room explicitly laid retired to fto maine astonishment foes.

Square Enix

The original game’s statement strategy is wholly mislaid successful nan changeover, too. In nan 1993 version, players are looking down astatine their statement and enemies from a top-down perspective. That intends it’s ever easy to spot precisely really nan statement is laid out. The remake changes that to put nan camera down each characteristic erstwhile it’s their turn. I ne'er really spot really they’re lined up, truthful it takes maine a spot earlier I recognize that’s a strategy astatine all. It’s a modern small heart that flat-out doesn’t make consciousness for a crippled built astir very circumstantial ideas.

The much I played, nan much underwhelmed I felt. I could consciousness nan bones of a awesome game, but thing wasn’t clicking. I couldn’t put my digit connected it astatine first, but a infinitesimal of destiny gave maine clarity. I started my playthrough connected Nintendo Switch while I was distant for a weekend. When I came home, my woman was playing connected nan Steam Deck connected nan couch. By complete coincidence, she told maine she’d picked up nan original Romancing Saga 3 connected a whim, wholly unaware that I’d started nan 2nd game’s remake astatine virtually nan aforesaid time.

I decided to watch complete her enarthrosis for a bit. That’s erstwhile my intangible problems pinch Revenge of nan Seven crystallized. I was instantly drawn successful by nan SNES game’s rich | pixel art. I saw enemies akin to those I’d been fighting successful my game, but they were importantly much expressive arsenic level images. The remake’s 3D creation style looks interchangeable pinch immoderate number of RPGs and lacks overmuch item astatine all. The combat successful our games wasn’t very different connected a basal level, but it was easier to spot nan strategical extent successful her crippled arsenic I looked down connected nan battle. Even nan “ye olde” penning felt much earthy successful matter form. I could spot nan amended type of Romancing Saga 2 that I was astir apt missing retired connected by jumping consecutive into an inferior remake.

I’ve been haunted by a mobility since that moment: Why do publishers deliberation I really want remakes for illustration this? Throughout nan gaming industry, location seems to beryllium a faulty small heart correct now that gamers request their games to look and consciousness a definite way. It’s thing that’s popped up successful moreover successful remakes for illustration Silent Hill 2, a lovingly made task that’s still much of a supplementary acquisition to its PS2 predecessor. Square Enix seems to judge that personification for illustration me, who has ne'er played Romancing Saga 2, won’t want to acquisition it unless it’s turned into a 3D RPG pinch arsenic galore modern fixings arsenic possible.

That small heart is wrong. In trying to bring Romancing Saga 2 up to velocity pinch modern times, nan remake wholly loses show of why nan original is considered a cult classic. As was nan lawsuit pinch Nintendo’s fine, but unnecessary Super Mario RPG remake, I don’t want aliases request to play a type of it that paves complete its dark, gritty pixel creation pinch soft lines and agleam colors. An HD-2D makeover aliases immoderate value of life improvements are each I could really usage successful an update, but you could moreover conscionable make nan original type playable connected a work for illustration Nintendo Switch Online and I’d beryllium happy. A reimagined remake is nary substitute for easy entree to nan original.

Square Enix

And if you do want to play that original version, bully luck. Once I saw what I was missing, I popped complete to Steam. A larboard of nan original crippled had its ain page, but it has mixed reviews. The personification reappraisal conception is filled pinch gripes, arsenic nan PC type is simply a shoddy larboard of its mobile version. It’s a transcript of a copy. There’s nary easy measurement for maine to play a clean, localized type of nan original moreover if I wanted to get immoderate overmuch needed discourse earlier playing a remake that’s apt to beryllium champion enjoyed by longtime fans who will find it caller to acquisition a communicative they’ve played to decease from a caller perspective.

If you’re not successful that group, I’d counsel against doing what I did here. Revenge of nan Seven is not nan champion preamble to Romancing Saga 2; if anything, it makes a heavy RPG consciousness a full batch little chopped than it really is. Treat this arsenic an appendix page meant to beryllium publication aft playing nan original, not a caller pressing.

Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of nan Seven launches connected October 24 for PlayStation 4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.