SaGa Producer Tatsuke Shares 'Revenge of the Seven' Intel, Steam Deck Game Play

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 devoted SaGa fan (as the photo below shows!), 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 its producer, Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed the remake, 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 (the Squaresoft era). They're legendary Square titles. It's an honor to remake them, especially given they're nearly 30 years old. The remakes offered significant improvement opportunities. Romancing SaGa 2 is exceptionally unique, with systems that remain innovative today. Its uniqueness made it a compelling remake candidate, even after 30 years.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I got a game over in the first ten minutes! The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with accessibility? This might be many players' first SaGa experience.

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, with a dedicated fanbase. Some consider difficulty essential to the SaGa experience, but others find it a barrier to entry. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.

We aimed to please both groups by introducing difficulty options: Normal and Casual. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while Casual prioritizes story and narrative. Our team included core SaGa fans, ensuring a balanced approach. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry – the original's difficulty is the spice, and Casual mode is the honey, making it more accessible.

TA: How did you balance the original experience for veterans with quality-of-life improvements? How did you choose which features to modernize while maintaining the challenge?

ST: SaGa isn't just about difficulty; it's also about understanding the game. The original hid crucial information, like enemy weaknesses and defense stats. This wasn't difficult, but unfair. For the remake, we made it fair and enjoyable. Weaknesses are now visible, and other unnecessarily challenging aspects have been adjusted.

TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on Steam Deck. Considering my experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms, was the game specifically optimized for Steam Deck?

ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on Steam Deck.

TA: How long was the development process?

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

TA: What lessons from Trials of Mana informed Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: Trials of Mana taught us what players want in remakes. For example, regarding soundtracks, players prefer arrangements close to the originals. However, modern platforms allow for higher quality. We maintained the original feel while improving the sound quality. We also learned that players appreciate the option to choose between original and rearranged tracks, a feature included in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.

Graphics differed. Mana's characters are smaller and more adorable, while SaGa's are taller and more serious. We used lighting effects for SaGa's realism, unlike the texture shadows in Mana. We leveraged past experience while innovating in new areas.

(I thanked him for the "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.)

TA: Trials of Mana reached mobile. Any plans for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?

ST: No current plans.

TA: Finally, what's your coffee preference?

ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks. I don't drink beer either.

(Thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti.)

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the demo was exciting but also slightly concerning. The trailer looked amazing, but Steam Deck compatibility was uncertain. Fortunately, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is fantastic on the Steam Deck OLED. The demo convinced me to skip PS5 and Switch versions.

The game looks and sounds great. The remake smoothly introduces battle mechanics and stats. Quality-of-life improvements enhance combat flow and information presentation. New audio options are a nice touch. For newcomers, it's a great entry point. The visuals enhance accessibility, but it retains the core Romancing SaGa 2 experience. Even the original difficulty setting remains challenging.

The visuals exceeded expectations. While I loved Trials of Mana's remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be superior (though my preference for the original game might influence this). The PC port on Steam Deck is surprisingly excellent. Extensive audio and graphics options are available, including original/remake soundtracks, English/Japanese audio, and various graphical settings. I achieved near-locked 90fps at 720p with mostly maxed-out settings.

I used English audio for my first playthrough. The voice acting is good, but I'll likely try Japanese later. The remake successfully modernizes the game while preserving its SaGa essence.

I eagerly anticipate the full release and the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-try RPG. Hopefully, this will encourage more players to explore the SaGa series. Square Enix, please give us SaGa Frontier 2 next!

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