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The SaGa series has undergone something of a revival in recent years. It's gotten a new game, a lovely mobile gacha game, and two of its more well-like entries, Romancing SaGa 2 & 3, have gotten enhanced rereleases. But their predecessor, the original Romancing SaGa, also received an enhanced remake that made it to the West, and it's one I dearly love. This lovely, low-res image was the best I could find. It's really underappreciated. Unlike the rereleased of RS 2 & 3, Romancing SaGa got a full remake on the PS2, complete with 3D graphics, new content, and full voice acting. Known as Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song in Japan and just Romancing SaGa in the West, it has a lot of features that should be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the series. Eight playable main characters? Check. A huge, open world? Check. Obtuse, inscrutable mechanics that can hurt one's play experience as much as enhance it? Wouldn't be a SaGa game without them. And yet, despite that last element, I feel that the game is a lot more accessible than many others in the series. The most basic mechanics are relatively simple to understand, and the game has a lot of little tutorial messages to explain, in general terms, how things like learning combat techniques and character health and death work. This, I think, was a big part of why I got so into it, yet bounced so hard off of most of the other games in the series. The graphics are pretty hit or miss. I love them: they have a unique watercolor aesthetic that you don't see often in games, especially titles from big-name developers like Square Enix. Unfortunately, the PS2 doesn't seem to have been powerful enough to do what the designer really seems to have wanted, because it often comes out looking blurry or unnatural. The voice acting is mostly fine. Most of the voice actors are pretty recognizable veterans who've been in a lot of games and anime, and while I wouldn't call their work stellar, there's nothing really egregious. The game's writing is likewise fine, and I have to give the writers a lot of credit for fleshing out the game world. Although what's here is mostly standard fantasy stock, there was clearly considerable work put into giving the world an interesting history, and then letting that history show in the game world. Most quests in the game are optional, and many of them provide a peek into the world's history, mythology, and politics, making it feel more alive. But if I'm going to rave about anything in the game, it's the music. I still hold Romancing SaGa as the standard by which I judge video game soundtracks - the songs are numerous, memorable, and just plain excellent - especially where the battle music is concerned. Naturally, I feel compelled to provide a few examples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlEMWnT51rM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBqvopxjKHE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJtitQo2slQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k1OsApDSIw I love this game. I love the world. I love the music. I love the characters. I love the battle system, the voice acting, and even the esoteric bullshit. It's not my favorite game, nor a perfect one, but I played it enough to finish it with all eight protagonists and get the bonus ending, and I still go back from time to time. It's criminally underappreciated and worth a look for anyone who likes JRPGs and wants something different out of them.
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Jan 30, 2021 06:45
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 06:17 |
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My love for Romancing SaGa has apparently been vindicated, since Square has announced a remaster! 
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Jun 9, 2022 20:17
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