Interview: Shinichi Tatsuke on Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, Steam Deck Hands-On

Many longtime fans discovered the SaGa series through past console releases. For me, the iOS version of Romancing SaGa 2 was my introduction almost a decade ago. Initially, I struggled, approaching it like a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a devoted SaGa enthusiast (as evidenced by the photo below), so I was thrilled to see Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake of Romancing SaGa 2, announced for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

For this dual feature, I played the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck demo and interviewed its producer, Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed the game, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee, and more. This interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for conciseness.

TouchArcade (TA): Having remade the beloved Trials of Mana, and now Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, another classic, how does it feel?

Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger—they're legendary Squaresoft titles. Remaking them is an incredible honor. Both games, originally released nearly 30 years ago, offered significant room for improvement. It was a rewarding experience.

Romancing SaGa 2 is uniquely designed, with systems that remain innovative today. Even after 30 years, its unique qualities made it an excellent candidate for a remake, ensuring its appeal to modern gamers.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I nearly game-overed in the first ten minutes! The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering the SaGa series for the first time with its updated visuals?

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, particularly among its dedicated fanbase in Japan and globally. Many consider its difficulty integral to the SaGa experience. However, others find the high barrier to entry daunting. Many know of the SaGa series but haven't played due to perceived difficulty.

Therefore, we aimed to please both groups—veterans and newcomers. The solution? Multiple difficulty settings: normal and casual. Normal mode caters to standard RPG players, while casual mode prioritizes narrative experience. Our development team included core SaGa fans, making this a collective decision. It's like adding honey to spicy curry—the original Romancing SaGa 2 is the spicy curry, and the casual mode is the honey, making it more palatable.

TA: How did you balance preserving the original experience for veterans while adding quality-of-life improvements? How did you choose which features to modernize while maintaining the challenge for longtime fans?

ST: The SaGa series isn't solely about difficulty; it's also about understanding the game. The original lacked visible information, like enemy weaknesses, forcing players to figure things out. This also applied to defense stats. We felt this was unfair, not challenging. The remake displays weaknesses and other stats, making it fairer and more enjoyable. We've also adjusted other excessively difficult areas for modern players.

TA: The Steam Deck demo ran exceptionally well. Considering my experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms (PS4, Switch, mobile), I wondered if the team optimized specifically for the Steam Deck.

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

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

ST: I can't provide specifics, but main development began in late 2021.

TA: What did you learn from the Trials of Mana remake that you applied to Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: Trials of Mana taught us player preferences for remakes. For example, regarding soundtracks, players generally prefer arrangements close to the originals. However, technological advancements allowed for higher-quality sound. We maintained the original direction while improving the quality. We also learned that players appreciate the option to choose between original and rearranged soundtracks, a feature we included in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.

Other aspects were unique to the SaGa remake. For example, character proportions differ between the Mana and SaGa series. SaGa characters are taller. We used lighting effects in SaGa to create realism, unlike the texture-based shadows in Trials of Mana. We leveraged past experiences and incorporated new techniques.

I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the English-language "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.

TA: Trials of Mana eventually came to 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.

Thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti for their time.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven demo filled me with excitement and apprehension. The trailer looked amazing, but I was unsure about the Steam Deck experience. Thankfully, the game is excellent on the Steam Deck OLED, making me question the need for PS5 or Switch versions. The few hours I played convinced me.

The visuals and sound are stunning on the Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, etc. Existing fans will appreciate quality-of-life improvements, refined combat flow, and new audio options. Newcomers will find it an excellent entry point into the SaGa series. The visuals enhance accessibility, but it remains true to the Romancing SaGa 2 spirit. Playing on the original difficulty setting remains challenging.

The remake surpasses expectations. While I loved Trials of Mana's remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be superior (though my preference for the original game may influence this). The PC port on the Steam Deck is surprisingly good. Audio and visual options are extensive, including soundtrack choices (original or remake), language options (English or Japanese), and various graphics settings.

The PC port offers adjustments for screen mode, resolution (720p supported on Steam Deck), frame rate (30 to unlimited), 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 game successfully blends modern elements while preserving its SaGa identity.

I eagerly await the full release and plan to try the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. Hopefully, this will encourage more players 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. A demo is available on all platforms.