Back before the Final Fantasy and Square Enix developers fused together to become Square Enix, series creator Square (as they were at the time) also brought us another essential JRPG series, the most popular of which was 1993’s Romancing SaGa 2. A fundamental early pillar of the genre, its nonlinear structure and broad class selection made it a key influence on the industry, but it didn’t make it to a worldwide launch until 2016. Now, its full-scale remake has finally arrived, modernizing it for a 2024 audience, and it’s already proving a hit on Steam.
Back in 2018, we hailed Romancing SaGa 2’s influence on the medium, and noted that it isn’t given enough credit for helping to shape the best JPRGs of today. “Romancing SaGa 2 does not faff around when it comes to turning what were – even back then, in the early ‘90s – well-worn JRPG tropes on their head,” Jeremy writes. Given the freedom to explore without linear direction, it bears much closer resemblance to the likes of Final Fantasy 6, inviting you to find your own way through the world and tackle events in any order you wish.
Even in its remastered form, Romancing SaGa 2 doesn’t mess around. Its gorgeous new designs and flashy animations bring it in line with the likes of the modern Dragon Quest games, but select the Classic difficulty setting and you’ll be presented with the “brutal but satisfying challenge of the original 1993 version.” If that sounds a bit too much, however, there are also easy and normal options.
The remake upgrades the battle system with additional strategic options and more ways to grow your party members, a key highlight of the original. With more than 30 classes and weapons (which your squad grows more proficient in using after every fight) there’s ample room for experimentation. Mess up and characters can die permanently, however, and even in the early hours the remake doesn’t shy away from giving your decisions real impact upon the world, so be careful at all times. If your chosen emperor falls, you’ll just have to elect a new heir.
Having just launched on Steam, the Romancing SaGa 2 remake is already making a big splash, reaching a day-one peak of 11,531 players. With the weekend ahead, that number is likely to rise even higher – so if it’s a gap in your JRPG history book that you’ve always wanted to fill in, now is the time. And just in case you’re wondering, no, you don’t need to have played the first Romancing SaGa to enjoy this one, as it tells its own story.
Romancing SaGa 2 Revenge of the Seven is out now. It’s priced at $49.99 / £44.99, but you can try it first with a free demo that allows you to carry your story progress across to the main game once you buy it. Head here to take a closer look.
Alternatively, we’ve rounded up even more of the best RPGs on PC in 2024, or you could reminisce on the past with the best old PC games you can still play today.
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