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

A deep dive into the SaGa series often begins with its extensive history across various consoles. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS served as my introduction nearly a decade ago. Initially, I struggled, mistaking it for a standard JRPG. Today, my fondness for the SaGa franchise is evident (see the image below), making the recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation, particularly exciting.

This dual-article feature covers my experience with an early demo code of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on Steam Deck, alongside an interview with Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). Our conversation touched on the remake, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee preferences, and more. The interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for brevity.

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

Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the Romancing SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger, originating from the Squaresoft era. They're legendary Square titles, and remaking them is a huge honor. Both games, originally released nearly 30 years ago, presented significant opportunities for improvement. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains distinctive even today, making it a compelling remake candidate.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I experienced a game over within ten minutes! The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with improved accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering the SaGa series for the first time with modern visuals?

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, attracting dedicated fans worldwide. Some consider difficulty essential to the SaGa experience, while others find it a barrier to entry. Many are aware of the series but haven't played due to perceived difficulty.

To address this, we introduced a difficulty system: normal and casual modes. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while casual prioritizes narrative experience. Our development team included core SaGa fans, making this a collaborative decision. It's like adding honey to spicy curry—the original game's difficulty is the spice, and the 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 preserving the challenge?

ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's also about understanding the game's mechanics. The original lacked visible information, such as enemy weaknesses and defense stats. This wasn't necessarily difficult, but unfair. In the remake, weaknesses are clearly displayed, addressing this issue. We adjusted other overly challenging aspects to create a fairer, more enjoyable experience for modern players.

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

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

TA: How long was the development process for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: I cannot provide specific details, but main development began toward the end of 2021.

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

ST: Trials of Mana taught us about player preferences for remakes. For example, regarding soundtracks, players generally prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality due to modern technology. We offered a choice between original and rearranged tracks, a feature carried over to Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. We also adjusted the graphics style, opting for taller characters and lighting effects instead of texture shadows, to better suit the SaGa aesthetic.

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

ST: Currently, there are no plans for those platforms.

TA: Finally, what's your coffee preference?

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

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the pre-release demo was exciting yet slightly concerning. The trailer looked fantastic, but Steam Deck compatibility was unknown. Thankfully, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven not only runs exceptionally well on the Steam Deck OLED but made me reconsider playing it on PS5 or Switch. The quality is that impressive.

The game looks and sounds superb on Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, and more. Returning players will appreciate quality-of-life improvements, smoother combat, and new audio options. Newcomers will find it a welcoming entry point into the SaGa series. The visuals enhance accessibility, while retaining the core Romancing SaGa 2 experience. Even on the original-difficulty setting, the challenge remains.

Visually, the remake surpasses expectations. While I enjoyed Trials of Mana's remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be superior, possibly due to my greater appreciation for the original. The Steam Deck port is surprisingly excellent. Audio and language options include original and new soundtracks, English and Japanese audio, and various graphical settings.

The PC port allows extensive customization: screen mode, resolution (720p support on Steam Deck), frame rate, v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering resolution. Even with high settings, I achieved near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED.

I used English audio for my initial playthrough. The voice acting is good, but I'll likely try Japanese later. The remake successfully modernizes Romancing SaGa 2 while preserving its unique essence.

I eagerly await the full game's release and plan to explore the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. Hopefully, this will encourage others to explore 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 worldwide. A free demo is available on all platforms.