Romancing SaGa 2 Demo Offers A Tantalizing Peek At A Larger, Remade Epic

Ahead of its release at the end of October, Square Enix is calling all adventurers to try out Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven with a new demo version on PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Not to be confused with the 2D remaster back in 2018 , Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a full 3D remake of the formerly Japan-exclusive Super Famicom title, produced by the same team behind the 2020 Trials of Mana remake.

For the uninitiated, the SaGa series is among the most overlooked of Square Enix’s many RPG dynasties, mostly due to the fact that English gamers didn’t hear the name until 1997’s SaGa Frontier . The first three games released on Game Boy under the name of Final Fantasy Legend , while their Super Famicom successors, the Romancing SaGa “trilogy,” stayed in Japan.

Original series director Akitoshi Kawazu spun out this series of the misunderstood Final Fantasy II , where he had pioneered a system of character development that proved too advanced to be appreciated on the Famicom/NES. Romancing SaGa 2 and its brethren kept the seed of that system at their core—as characters use a particular skill, like magic or a certain weapon type, they will grow more proficient with it.

This system is front-and-center in the new Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven demo. Throughout the 2-hour preview, players command a small party (or royal retinue) to explore a couple of dungeons, getting the ropes of how the remake expands to a new dimension.

“From what the demo shows, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven manages to retain that unique 2D spirit in its new 3D models…”

Previous iterations have had a slower input system in battle, where the player inputs the commands for their entire party, and then actions play out. Romancing SaGa 2 ‘s remake retains the turn-based formula but has characters taking individual turns intermingled with the enemies. (To compare it to another Square Enix franchise, previous versions play out like Final Fantasy I-III , while Revenge of the Seven opts for the Final Fantasy X approach.)

Other systems have been imported faithfully into 3D, like Formations. The party’s positioning helps determine factors like how often characters get targeted or stat changes. For instance, the demo makes a big deal of the “Imperial Cross” formation, which puts Emperor Leon and Prince Gerard farther from harm’s way and buffs the defences of Bear, the tanky knight (though this costs Gerard some of his speed).

The only other option in the demo is Free For All, which puts the party in a flat line with no benefits, but plenty more will be found in the full version.

Of course, the star of combat in Romancing SaGa 2 ‘s new demo is the character development. Characters earn Technique Points after battle for the abilities which they used in that fight—so if you want to improve Gerard’s skills with a sword, you need to make sure he uses it and gains the experience.

This goes a bit further with the series’ Glimmer mechanic, where characters can learn new skills from use as well. A signature lightbulb icon appears beside a basic attack to indicate that the character can potentially learn a new technique if they use that command. Similarly, casting a spell can lead to a new one—have the archer Therese heal allies with the water-elemental spell Life Water, and she may learn Physic Water, which removes status ailments.

In traditional JRPG style, each enemy has vulnerabilities to certain elements and weapons, so it pays to pack as much variety into your party as you can. Be sure to equip second weapons to Gerard and Bear, for instance, as they start the demo with only a single attack style. With a moderate encounter rate, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get a feel for the system through the demo.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven ‘s environments have been revitalized with a sharp 3D visual style, respecting the original 2D vision while fleshing out the world. Within the confines of the demo, there are a handful of different environs, from the imperial capital to dank caves and the haunted mansion vibes of the boss’ manor. All the basic exploration one might expect from a 3D JPRG is here, and hopefully, the full version will make a bigger splash.

One of the original Romancing SaGa trilogy’s greatest assets was its dynamic enemy sprites, particularly the dramatic bosses who held a candle to big brother Final Fantasy VI . From what the demo shows, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven manages to retain that unique 2D spirit in its new 3D models, while the menus are just an all-around improvement over the 2018 remaster.

Similarly, the remastered score by original composer Kenji Ito has been revitalized with modern audio technology. Ito has chosen some excellent instrumentation to bring out the power of his original compositions. You can compare in the demo for yourself by switching between the original and remastered soundtracks in the options menu.

What the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven demo does not show, however, is the depth of its “free-form” system. As producer Shinichi Tatsuke puts it, the struggle against the Seven is not one that can be won within a single generation—making its Inheritance system “the most important feature of this game.”

We only get a taste of this at the demo’s conclusion, as Leon passes on his experience to Gerard. The final game, however, has over 30 characters who can become the Emperor of Varennes and continue the millennia-long struggle. Players will be essentially free to progress through the game in the order they see fit, with Enemy Strength scaled to suit how many battles they’ve fought in total, and can develop their nation along the way.

After experimenting with the demo for a couple of hours before its release, we’re intrigued to see the rest of this epic saga retold. Play the demo for yourself, and you can carry over your cleared save file to the full version when Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.