Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven PC Preview
Romancing SaGa 2, originally released in 1993 for the Super Famicom, is one of the most celebrated titles in the franchise. Over three decades later, Square Enix has chosen to release a remake of the title for modern fans through Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, which includes new features and enhancements. I had a chance to play a preview of the title that provides access to the game’s prologue, and introduces several critical characters and limited access to all the new features.
In Romancing Saga 2, players control multiple generations of emperors and empresses in the Avalon Empire, tasked with defeating the Seven Heroes, once great warriors who have become powerful villains. Rather than focusing on a single character’s journey, the game focuses on the rise and fall of empires over several generations and the stories between them. Each ruler inherits the legacy of the last, and while you start with Emperor Leon, his successors take over whenever they die or step down.
The prologue sees players controlling Leon and occasionally his son Gerard until Leon and Gerard’s brother fall in combat to a powerful and evil monster called Kzinssie. The prologue ends with Gerard taking the throne and inheriting all of Leon’s gameplay and combat elements. After playing through the prologue, it’s easy to tell the narrative has great potential, but this isn’t shown much in the first two hours. However, the narrative structure is unlike many JRPGs as players see generations come and go, leading to a unique experience, but one that isn’t without some sad moments. Characters are also likable, albeit tropey and one dimensional.
The combat system in Romancing SaGa 2 blends traditional and modern turn-based JRPG elements. Players form a party composed of different characters, each representing various classes like knights, mages, or martial artists. Characters can spontaneously learn new abilities during combat, adding an element of unpredictability and reward for experimentation. This random chance to learn techniques keeps battles engaging, encouraging players to mix up their strategies and try new combinations.
Unlike many standard JRPGs, there is no leveling system in Romancing SaGa 2. Instead, characters grow through mastering techniques and improving specific stats, and as new rulers take the throne, their strength is influenced by their predecessors. Aside from that, players can gain an advantage in combat through clever strategic positioning and formations that grant buffs and allow special attacks. As players heal after every battle, the only element they’ll mostly have to worry about is Battle Points, BP, which essentially serves as both stamina and magic points that allow characters to perform advanced moves and magic. As BP can only be refilled outside combat, it is vital to conserve it. Actions like escaping some battles are instantaneous but cost BP every time, so players must pick and choose when to use it.
The game’s in-depth system makes each battle feel meaningful, especially since characters who die in combat don’t return for the rest of the playthrough, adding weight to your decisions. Despite this, combat is still engaging, as the difficulty, specifically in normal mode, is incredibly balanced so far, allowing players to learn without being overwhelmed.
Outside combat, players can fully explore several locations, including towns, forests, dungeons, and more. However, there isn’t much to explore outside occupied towns, at least in the preview demo, as other locations only serve as dungeons to fight its unique set of monsters. Other than that, players can talk to NPCs, go on side quests, buy consumable items, and more. In terms of visuals, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven features overhauled models, beautifully picturesque art direction, significantly more vibrant colors, lush environments, and more. The character models, while similar to many modern JRPGs, still sport unique character designs. Performance-wise, the game offers several new settings on PC, including full controller support, unlimited framerate, dual audio languages for both English and Japanese, visual and texture settings, and more.
Overall, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven has great potential and several well-crafted features that hardcore JRPG fans will especially appreciate. While the preview build only allowed for about two hours of content, the gameplay and unique narrative show potential and prove that players can be excited for the full release.
About the Author
Abdul Saad Abdul Saad is a seasoned entertainment journalist and critic, and has been writing for five years on multiple gaming sites. When he isn't writing or playing the latest JRPG, he can be found coding games of his own or tinkering with something electrical.
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