Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Interview With Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke and Steam Deck Hands-On Preview

Many long-time gamers discovered the SaGa series through its numerous releases on past consoles. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS was my introduction almost a decade ago. I initially struggled, playing it like a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a huge SaGa fan (see the photo below!), so I was thrilled to see Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake, announced for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

For this review, I played the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck demo and interviewed producer Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed the game, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee, and more. This interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for brevity.

TouchArcade (TA): What's it like remaking beloved games like Trials of Mana and now Romancing SaGa 2?

Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger – they're legendary Squaresoft titles. It's an honor to remake them, nearly 30 years after their original releases. The remakes offered significant improvement opportunities. Romancing SaGa 2 is unique, with systems that remain distinctive today. Its uniqueness made it a compelling candidate for a modern remake.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I almost quit in the first ten minutes! The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance staying true to the original while enhancing accessibility?

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is legendary, attracting hardcore fans. However, many potential players are intimidated. We aimed to please both groups. The "normal" mode caters to standard RPG players, while "casual" mode prioritizes narrative enjoyment. Our team included core SaGa fans, ensuring a balance. It's like adding honey to spicy curry – the original is intensely difficult, so casual mode offers a gentler experience.

TA: How did you modernize the game while preserving the experience for veterans?

ST: SaGa isn't just about difficulty; it's about understanding the game. The original lacked visible enemy weaknesses and other stats, creating unfair challenges. We addressed this in the remake by displaying weaknesses and other relevant information, creating a fairer, more enjoyable experience for modern players. We focused on removing unfair elements while maintaining the core challenge.

TA: The Steam Deck version runs exceptionally well. Considering your work on Trials of Mana across multiple platforms (including mobile), was the game specifically optimized for Steam Deck?

Editor’s Note: This question was asked before the official Steam Deck compatibility rating.

ST: Yes, the full release will be compatible and playable on the Steam Deck, as your demo experience shows.

TA: How long did Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven's development take?

ST: I can't give specifics, but major development began in late 2021.

TA: What did you learn from Trials of Mana that you applied to this remake?

ST: Trials of Mana taught us player preferences. For example, regarding soundtracks, players prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality thanks to modern technology. We offered a choice between original and rearranged tracks in Trials of Mana, a feature we've included here. Visually, Mana's characters are more adorable, while SaGa's aesthetic is more serious. We used lighting instead of textures for shadows to maintain realism in the SaGa world. We leveraged past experience while innovating.

I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the English "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.

TA: Trials of Mana went to mobile. Are there plans for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?

ST: No current plans for those platforms.

TA: Finally, what's your coffee preference?

ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks. Beer, too.

Thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti for their time.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the demo filled me with excitement and apprehension. The trailer looked fantastic, but I worried about the Steam Deck experience. Thankfully, it's excellent. The few hours I spent with the demo made me question the need for PS5 or Switch versions. It's that good.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven looks and sounds amazing on the Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, etc. Returning players will appreciate quality-of-life improvements, smoother combat, and new audio options. Newcomers will find this an excellent introduction to the SaGa series. The visuals enhance accessibility, but this is still very much Romancing SaGa 2 with a fresh coat of paint. The "classic" difficulty remains challenging.

The visuals exceed expectations. While I loved the Trials of Mana remake, this might be the better one overall (though my preference for the original Romancing SaGa 2 influences this). The Steam Deck PC port is surprisingly well-optimized. You can adjust screen mode, resolution (720p supported on Steam Deck), frame rate (30 to unlimited), v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering resolution. I maxed most settings, keeping shadows at medium, and achieved a near-locked 90fps at 720p.

I used English audio initially, but might try Japanese later. The voice acting is good. Significant effort has been put into modernizing Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven while preserving its unique identity.

I eagerly anticipate the full game and the console demo. If you enjoy RPGs, this game deserves your attention. I hope this leads to more people exploring the SaGa series. Square Enix, please give us SaGa Frontier 2 next!

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4. A free demo is available on all platforms.