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

Many long-time fans discovered the SaGa series through past console releases. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS was my introduction almost a decade ago, and I initially struggled, mistaking it for 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, announced for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

For this dual feature, I played the early access demo of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on Steam Deck 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 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): Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger—they're legendary Squaresoft titles. Remaking them is a huge honor. Both games originally launched nearly 30 years ago, offering significant room for improvement. It was a rewarding experience.

Romancing SaGa 2 boasts unique systems, then and now. Its distinctive gameplay made it a perfect candidate for a modern remake, ensuring its appeal to contemporary players.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging (I got a game over in the first ten minutes!). The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with improved accessibility, especially for newcomers experiencing the SaGa series for the first time with its updated visuals?

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, with dedicated fans worldwide who often cite it as a core element. However, many potential players are intimidated by its reputation. Many know about SaGa but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.

To address this, we introduced difficulty options: Normal and Casual. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while Casual prioritizes story and narrative. This decision involved the development team's core SaGa fans. It's like adding honey to spicy curry—the original's difficulty is the spice, and Casual mode is the honey, making it more approachable.

TA: How did you balance the original experience for veterans with quality-of-life improvements? How did you decide which features to modernize while maintaining the challenge?

ST: SaGa isn't just about difficulty; it's about accessibility. The original game hid crucial information, such as enemy weaknesses and defenses. This wasn't necessarily difficult, but unfair. For a modern audience, we made weaknesses visible and addressed other areas that were overly challenging, creating a fairer, more enjoyable experience.

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

Editor’s Note: This question predates the official Steam Deck compatibility rating.

ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on Steam Deck, as your demo experience demonstrates.

TA: How long was the development process?

ST: I can't give specifics, but major 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 prefer arrangements close to the originals. While we improved quality using modern technology, we maintained the original feel. Like Trials of Mana, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven lets players choose between original and rearranged soundtracks.

Visually, Trials of Mana had more adorable characters, while SaGa needed a more serious, realistic aesthetic. We used lighting effects in SaGa, unlike the texture shadows in Trials of Mana. We leveraged previous experiences but also innovated.

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

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 and beer.

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

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the pre-release demo was exciting and nerve-wracking. The trailer looked fantastic, but I wasn't sure about Steam Deck compatibility. Thankfully, it's excellent, exceeding my expectations to the point where I don't even need the PS5 or Switch versions.

The game looks and sounds amazing on the Steam Deck OLED. It gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, etc. Returning players will appreciate quality-of-life improvements and new audio options. For newcomers, it's a fantastic entry point into the SaGa series. The visuals are more approachable, but it's still classic Romancing SaGa 2 with modern enhancements. Even the "original" difficulty setting remains challenging.

Visually, the remake is better than expected. I loved Trials of Mana's remake, but Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might surpass it (though my preference for the original SaGa game may influence that). The PC port, especially on Steam Deck, is impressive. The game offers extensive customization options for screen mode, resolution, frame rate, v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering resolution. I achieved a near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED with mostly high settings.

I used the English voice acting, which was good, but I'll likely play through with Japanese audio later. The game successfully balances modernization with its SaGa identity.

I eagerly anticipate the full game and its console versions. 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—and Square Enix should release SaGa Frontier 2 next!

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4. A free demo is available on all platforms.