Home » RPG Games » Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Review
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, developed by Square Enix, is an RPG masterpiece that has stood the test of time. Originally released for the Super Famicom in 1993, it has since been remastered and ported to modern platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, and mobile devices. What sets this game apart is its groundbreaking gameplay mechanics, compelling narrative structure, and an emphasis on player freedom.
This in-depth review explores every aspect of the game, including its story, gameplay, art style, soundtrack, and legacy. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a curious newcomer, this comprehensive analysis will reveal why Romancing SaGa 2 is an enduring classic. With over 3,000 words of detailed insights, this review leaves no stone unturned.
The Story: A Tale of Legacy and Sacrifice
At the heart of Romancing SaGa 2 lies an ambitious narrative that spans centuries. The game centers on the Avalon Empire, where players take on the role of a succession of rulers tasked with defeating the Seven Heroes. These legendary figures, once hailed as saviors of the world, have returned as corrupted villains, spreading chaos across the land.
Generational Storytelling
A standout feature of the game is its generational storytelling. As rulers age, abdicate, or die, their successors take up the mantle, creating a continuous sense of progression. Decisions made by one emperor can ripple across future generations, shaping the empire and the world itself. This mechanic not only enhances immersion but also raises the stakes of every choice.
Themes of Morality and Legacy
The story explores themes of morality, ambition, and the cost of power. The Seven Heroes—once revered—become a cautionary tale of hubris. Players must grapple with the burden of leadership, ensuring the survival of their empire while confronting the darkness that threatens to consume it.
Branching Paths
The non-linear nature of the story allows players to tackle the Seven Heroes in any order. Each hero has their own backstory and domain, adding layers of depth to the world-building. Side quests and optional events further enrich the narrative, rewarding exploration and curiosity.
Gameplay: A Revolution in RPG Design
The gameplay of Romancing SaGa 2 is a masterclass in innovation. It deviates from traditional RPG norms, offering players a sandbox-like experience where experimentation and strategy are paramount.
Freeform Exploration
Unlike most RPGs of its time, Romancing SaGa 2 grants players an open world to explore. The game’s map expands as the story progresses, revealing new regions, dungeons, and cities. Players can prioritize objectives based on their preferences, creating a personalized experience.
Imperial Succession System
The generational progression system is one of the game’s most iconic features. When a ruler dies or steps down, a successor is chosen from a pool of candidates. These successors inherit skills, magic, and equipment, maintaining continuity while allowing players to adapt their strategy.
Benefits: This mechanic adds a layer of strategy, as players must consider long-term planning.
Challenges: Losing a ruler unexpectedly can disrupt plans, forcing players to adapt on the fly.
Combat Mechanics
Combat in Romancing SaGa 2 is turn-based, but it incorporates several unique elements:
Formations: Players can assign characters to specific formations, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. For example, some formations enhance defense, while others prioritize offense.
Skill Sparks: Characters can learn new skills mid-battle, adding an element of unpredictability and rewarding persistence.
Resource Management: Managing HP, SP (Skill Points), and LP (Life Points) is crucial. LP is especially critical, as a character with depleted LP cannot be revived.
Progression and Customization
Character growth is tied to the weapons and abilities they use. Magic is learned through research conducted in the empire’s capital, while weapons and armor can be upgraded by investing resources.
Graphics and Art Style
The original 16-bit art of Romancing SaGa 2 remains iconic. The remastered editions retain this charm while incorporating modern enhancements.
Pixel Art Excellence
The game’s pixel art is detailed and vibrant, with each region boasting its own distinct aesthetic. From lush forests to desolate ruins, the environments feel alive and immersive.
Modern Improvements
The remastered versions feature high-resolution graphics, improved animations, and a refined user interface. These updates make the game more accessible without sacrificing its retro appeal.
Character Design
The character sprites are expressive, and each hero and villain is meticulously designed to reflect their personality and role in the story. The Seven Heroes, in particular, are visually striking, with designs that evoke both awe and dread.
Soundtrack: A Symphony of Adventure
Composed by Kenji Ito, the soundtrack of Romancing SaGa 2 is a masterpiece. Its music perfectly complements the game’s epic scope and emotional depth.
Memorable Themes
Each region, battle, and pivotal moment is accompanied by a unique track. The overworld theme inspires exploration, while the battle music energizes players during intense encounters.
Adaptive Soundtrack
The music evolves with the story, reflecting the player’s progress and the shifting tone of the narrative. This dynamic approach enhances immersion and keeps the experience fresh.
Legacy and Influence
Romancing SaGa 2 has left an indelible mark on the RPG genre. Its innovative systems and bold design choices have influenced countless games, from Final Fantasy Tactics to modern open-world RPGs.
Critical Reception
While the game was initially overshadowed by more mainstream titles, its re-releases have garnered widespread acclaim. Critics and players alike praise its originality and depth, though its difficulty remains a point of contention.
Cultural Impact
The game’s themes of legacy and sacrifice resonate with players, making it a timeless classic. Its generational storytelling has inspired similar mechanics in titles like Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Innovative Gameplay: The generational system and freeform exploration set it apart from traditional RPGs.
Deep Strategy: Combat and resource management require careful planning and adaptation.
Rich Storytelling: A narrative that spans centuries, with meaningful choices and consequences.
Timeless Presentation: Gorgeous pixel art and a phenomenal soundtrack.
Replayability: Multiple paths and outcomes encourage repeat playthroughs.
Cons:
Steep Learning Curve: The game’s mechanics can be overwhelming for newcomers.
Punishing Difficulty: Mistakes can have lasting consequences, which may frustrate casual players.
Sparse Guidance: Limited tutorials and hints can leave players feeling lost.
Final Thoughts
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a triumph of design and storytelling. Its ambitious mechanics, compelling narrative, and timeless presentation make it a must-play for fans of the RPG genre. While its challenges may deter some, those who embrace its complexities will be rewarded with an unforgettable experience.
Whether you’re revisiting it on modern platforms or discovering it for the first time, Romancing SaGa 2 is a game that deserves your attention. Its legacy as a bold and innovative RPG is well-earned, and it continues to inspire new generations of players and developers alike.
Customer reviews for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven
Really really fun!!
The world/story/characters are all really cool and you get to learn about all of this through a mix of actually playing and progressing but also finding flashbacks (memories of the seven) so you understand more about them
I really like how non-linear this game is, there's no set path for you to follow, you just go where you want in whatever order you want and everything will fall in to place - this does mean you can miss some classes or magic but I think that's fine
Party building is really fun, you can build to cover such a wide array of options with a bunch of physical weapons and various magic classes and the way you learn skills (glimmer) feels fresh and is a lot of fun (though fishing for a glimmer can be a bit rough sometimes lool)
The emperor system is really fun as you end up building your own unique emperor who you can have specialize in what you're lacking (and they just become a general powerhouse, which I enjoy) and part of being emperor comes with the territories and building up the capital, while not groundbreaking I think it's just a nice touch to build your forge and build your magic institution and craft/learn at those and then progress them to progress your magic/items. Not novel by any means but a lot cooler than just throwing everything in a vendor
Overall it's just a really fun RPG and I would highly recommend it - My only complaints would be the limited/lacking animations and while the OST is great and fits perfectly I do wish there was more variation.Also - Mr. S is so unbelievably cute I love him
Overall: 9/10
The Good: Combat, world building, unique gameplay loop.The Mid: some VA work, only a couple banger tracks.The Bad: Not much if at all, maybe I wish that there was more post game content or character development.Minor Spoilers:This is the best turn-based JRPG I have played in a very long time. To preface, I played the entire game on classic (hard) completely blind. The story isn't a 10/10, but the world building along with your own actions as Emperor feel impactful. You get to build facilities and control territories that open up new doors for you in every aspect of the game. This game rewards you for building a team that can handle regular enemies or bosses, and hands your ass back on a silver platter to you when your strategy is not going to work. Status effects matter, and chests matter. Most RPGs I have played, are too easy where you can just spam physical attack and magic to win, which makes status effects redundant (and usually have too little effect when you do use them, or everything resisting them in the first place), as well as being able to over-level while doing so. Your characters level specific areas, like a type of weapon or a element with a spell, and you also learn new ones while doing so! You do need to do some grinding for sure, but not South Park World of Warcraft-type grind like some JRPGs. There are some low drop rates for a couple best in slot equips, that only drop from enemies. So sometimes you will feel like that, but these things are not going to make or break a playthrough even on Classic(hard) difficulty with good strategies. It's very difficult to grind to the point where you can cheese a boss (I will say endgame lets you have some fun for the work you put in, but you need to try it for yourself). Once you level enough, or get to a point where you can't learn new abilities; I felt that your gains plateau, letting you know you are ready for whatever comes next. Your equipment, specific character/s strengths, abilities, and genuine strategy with the variety of formations in battle are the core of combat, not levels entirely. This game has plenty of tools (classes/equipment) for you to find and expand your abilities, and this game pushes you to think outside the box for certain encounters, and I have definitely gone back to the drawing board multiple times to rethink (especially for a stronger form of a certain boss). There was a point where I could not learn any more abilities/formations until the next time skip (usually occurs after major boss fights), and my levels were as high as they could get realistically, and my equipment was as good as it could get. I was about 1/3rd into the game. It took me a good number of attempts but I managed to overcome a stronger boss that powered up (the main bosses can have different forms which is also super cool). Even then, I had to perfectly execute my strategy with a bit of luck to finally beat it. You can fight most of the main bosses in any order, so if you do encounter a stronger form and can't beat it, most of the time, you are able to go do something else. However, I will warn you that there are some circumstances that may prevent you from doing so. The chests' spells/equipment (often having the only source of certain equipment and spells) and rare drops from enemies in this game are also great, and sometimes integral for your builds, but it also rewards exploration. You are almost always in the presence of enemies that can drops those goods in areas where you should grind a bit before a major boss, for example, I got very lucky and got the best helm for magic uses which gave me a slight edge against the boss I mentioned earlier. This game never felt exhausting to me except for one painful class quest (If you played Paper Mario TTYD, with the part with general white, you will know this pain). The collectible Mr S, is also extremely important to seek out and fun to do so. You can get all 50 Mr. S locations by the end of the game. I mention that because there's not a ton of missables, but some chests containing certain important equips/spells are, a handful of bosses also have unique drops that are very good. There is also a quest chain that goes two different routes that lock you in for that playthrough, and you must do another playthrough if you want the other part (last 2/3rd's of the game I'd say). I have not started new game+ yet, but that unlocks two higher difficulties with their own rewards that the very end. This game was an absolute treat from start to finish, learning new abilities and seeing the badass animations play out never get old. Get Martial Artist's and Crusader's formations, and learn Gyuanyin (learned from Dual Gunner) ASAP, thank me later.
The system and combat in this game are incredibly fun, offering high freedom in exploration and story progression. The overall experience feels super epic, which makes it a standout in its genre.However, there are some downsides. Due to the limited budget, character animations are repetitive, with all characters sharing the same movements. The main character and companions lack speech and emotional expression, which impacts the storytelling. Additionally, the enemy placements feel chaotic—there are too many unnecessary enemies in the same area, which can become more frustrating than challenging.Overall, it's still a great JRPG that's worth playing despite its shortcomings.
Instantly addicted to the game the moment I played it, easily one of my top favorite RPG games of all time. Got a UE4 error right after I beat the final boss, though. I cried a little inside.
A true Jrpg like studios seem to struggle to do anymore !
The combat design is very well thought, it has to be played classic mode I guess to fully enjoy it.
The campaign is truely epic, albeit a very basic story. But the narration system is a gem, we really believe to be part of the world and modeling its future.
Enjoying the game. Though I was a little sad at how soon it seemed the first time jump happened, but do like the inheritance system. I am enjoying the glimmer system even if sometimes it seems like they just don't want to learn the skill forever after they have the light bulb. Overall seems like a solid rpg that I am glad I can play.
SaGa 2 does a lot of interesting things. The standout features are definitely the open world and quest progression: exploration feels genuinely rewarding, with many quests that you'll only get if you venture outside the starting routes.The combat system is easy to grasp but offers decent strategic depth. Core mechanics (weaknesses, ley lines, etc.) are very intuitive and easy to understand.The story is straightforward, but has some unconventional elements that make you want to learn more about the so-called "Seven Heroes."Visually, the game is quite appealing. The art style works great here, and the environments are well-designed.There are few downsides to the game that probably come down to personal preferences, so I'd recommend anyone into JRPGs to give it a try.
This is such a beautiful love letter to the original Super Famicom RomaSaGa2. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been happier with a remake. Happy SaGa 2025
The first commercial RPG I've seen its ending in over 10 years.
This is a masterful remake of a masterpiece RPG that many players have been playing for over 30 years.
People who don't like this game can go back and play whatever they want.
But how many of these games will be played in 2055?
Girl's fashions in this game are superb.
The effects and impact of skills are great.
The models, animation and scenery are all impressive.
Never thought I'd enjoy a turn base game this much.
It feels good.
I am not really a classic grind options being present - monster respawn, but that's how the genre is.
Still a lot to do and to flip my head around. Takes some mental calculations to get rough idea on how to build party ( unless you're google user ), but feels rewarding.
Hope there'll be more like these and with even more classes/design differences in single one.
Story mode could also get some quality of life improvements in a form of getting proper understanding on what might get triggered if something happens to be showcased in game journal, but even with current state it's pretty good
If you're looking for an old school JPRG with a fresh coat of paint then this is a good one. It retains a lot of the same systems and style of the original SNES version while still adding a few quality of life like knowing when your characters can glimmer a technique. It also adds a couple of extra classes on top of the classes added in the remaster.It does still also retain some of that old school jank. The plot and characters that do exist are paper thin, so you're playing for the gameplay and generational vibe which is old school goodness.
I knew I wasn't supposed to expect some kind of masterpiece story for a JRPG game but god damn, this game is written for a 5 years old or was written by a 5 years old. it's just BAD.
It's not great, but I see why it was so popular in the past. It lacks polish of some current games, but the formula is addictive for a few hours. The battle gameplay/mechanics are okay. The legacy system is cool. Characters are written like there was a content maximum I haven't seen since the 90s. - oh wait... So I'm not super-endorsing it, but it isn't bad. This is barely a vote for it. You'd better love JRPGs and their mechanics.
Rating: 9 out of 10This game is an unbelievable mix of jrpg and wester crpg. Also shows that turn-based combat can still be very appealing. The way character progression works in this game is also refreshingly unique and kept delivering new things right till the end. On Classic (Hard) mode this game can be really challenging, especially in the early mid part of the game, characters can basically get oneshot easily if you don't wall up with a speedy unit right away. So it's important to stack up on BP refreshing consumables regularly for when you hit bigger stretches, but the game provides a full healing node before every boss fight too. In the end losing characters was meant to be part of the game, but the LP system makes it atleast avoidable in a way, where you really can't lose people randomly off one bad fight.Overall this game gives huge Breath of the Wild vibes in terms of how parts of the story are told and how there is so much going on everywhere in the wolrd that just keeps sidetracking you (in a good way ofc). When you are left clueless on how to go forward within a certain scenario, the door will open eventually if you just hang around elsewhere, there is plenty to do and explore. With the time/generation skip system I always had the feeling to potentially miss out on stuff that I couldn't quite finish up yet, but to my knowledge that never was the case. So if you are afraid to trigger stuff randomly and get screwed, don't worry about it and just enjoy the game. One thing that is important tho is to switch your emperor's class and gender frequently as certain backgrounds are required for specific quests, but the game let's you know in a subtle way.The final boss and post game content is really challenging and broke me out of some lazy patterns or rather got me to min max up at the end. That late in the game your party scales so well, that everything else is quite easy to overcome, so it was great to see that the finale spiked up again in difficulty. Overall it felt like a great finish to this fantastic game. ~50 hours well spent and probably my favorite game 2024.Some minor gripes/things to point out:
1. Offensive type magic felt a bit one-note after the midgame point. Certain spells were just completely overperforming, rendering others quite pointless. Umbro. magic felt dissapointing specifically. Magic carries you through most of the dungeons easily with basically relying on the same 1-2 spells and if the encounter is resistant against that you rather go for a phys. AoE tech, because the other schools of magic just won't pack the same oomph.
2. The passive ability system felt also pretty underwhelming during my playthrough. That might also have been due to me not rotating enough, but once I've had a bit of a core group going it really didn't feel worthwhile doing so for what the abilities offer. Once you clear one of the postgame challenges you receive extremely strong ones that felt like a game changer fighting the super boss, but by then the game is ofc over. It carries into newgame+ tho, which comes with two more difficulty options.
3. Characters don't really interact with eachother, as they are just pretty much purely used as combat units. That might turn people off, but I felt it really wasn't neccessary as the game tells it's story elsewhere and I wasn't missing it for this game.
4. University Exams!!! They start quite easy and eventually you have to answer 18 out of 20 questions correctly, each question being on a ten second timer. That in itself is alright, but I personally always got thrown by questions like "if you go from town x to town y, what other place can you reach by docks?". You also get asked questions which you have no way of answering, as you went for different routes in the game. So you never witnessed what the questions is asking about. So when you've already failed, you still have to go through all 20 questions, which felt annoying by the sheer amount of exams to take. It really should be skippable or offer a re-do option right away. But ofc exams aren't a main aspect of the game, they just offer nice rewards and are worthwhile to do.
This is different to most other JRPG's I've played. It's mostly non-linear and open ended. The draw is the multi-generational switching you'll do, and I love this mechanic. I recommend this game for any open-minded RPG fan after something different, but definitely if you like making up your own mini-narratives when playing games, because I'm having a field day with that.
Super fun JRPG very unique party building had a lot of fun with it. The start is kinda slow but trust me it gets a lot faster once the game opens up and you can craft team comps
Excellent re-make of a JRPG classic! The story is easy to follow but this game shines in the combat mechanics with the different classes and the sheer amount of abilities that they can all learn. The game does not lock you into learning a specific skill tree by any specific character (though they all start at a higher level with a pre-set weapon/spells) but you can teach a martial artist how to be a fire-wielding magician! With that being said, where I think the game does fall short is how resource-deprived you feel like you are throughout most of the game until you move into the second-half of the game limiting you to feeling powerful until the very end of the game. The hack around this is discovering that martial artist as a weapon and spell-casting can become OP pretty early on.End-game is non-existent and the only real appeal to re-playing is to make a different choice 3/4 into the game on which class you want to unlock (diviner vs salamander class). Great game, 9/10!
I played and beat this game in three days. I couldn't put it down until I beat it. I initially wasn't sure what to think of the game, but once I got through the opening hours and the game opened up, I loved it.The story isn't anything extraordinary, but where this game stands out above all else is in its game play and accompanying music.The succession system was such a neat twist and added a heightened sense of urgency to everything I did, while also offering cool moments of discovery with each iteration of emperors. Having the ability to level every single weapon, magic ability, etc on each character also opened so many different more possibilities for parties.Turn based combat, the expansive classes you recruit, the ability to explore and decide your next path forward, and having a non-linear path made this bar none, not only one of the best JRPGs I played this year, but all-time. The game was nice, compact, and didn't overstay its welcome for those who want to get in and out. While also offering more for others who want to explore and test more of the game.If you love turn based RPGs and trying something new I would fully recommend this game. Don't wait months to play this like I did.
Exciting but hard game (on classic at least). Story is engaging and the pokemon hunt for and leveling of the various classes is very fun. Nice touch that after finishing the game there is more than a simple ending screen.
Might be one of my favorite games.Progression reminds me of XCOM.
Enemies scale with your power/gear and you are inclined to try to take them out before their turn because there is no certain way to make sure your tank is targeted and croud control is unreliable.
TL;DR- If you like JRPGs that aren't like Atlas JRPGs, GET THIS GAME. If you just like JRPGs in general, GET THIS GAME. If you like JRPG remakes with lots of passion & Quality of Life features; GET THIS GAME.Added Note about NG+: This mode falls completely flat for me, it offers more difficulty settings as in "Do you want your party 1 or 2 shot frequently?" is what it boils down to, granted there are strategies, team building, abilities & most important factor are Evasions to help survival, however the stuff that DOES carry over is practically worthless, I don't need 90% of the items that carry over, your classes don't carry over, your learned techniques don't carry over, NOTHING of actual value carries over into NG+, so you have to re-collect all the classes again, make hard choices between getting one thing or another again, but it doesn't feel good to do & i honestly didn't feel powerful aside from I was getting more TP & my stats were growing quicker, but that got boring pretty fast so I just called it there. The initial NG playthrough & Post game were fantastic * I thoroughly enjoyed it, but NG+ just doesn't feel good to me.Okay so maybe if you found yourself here & are wondering if you should get this game, just GET THIS GAME & enjoy experiencing the open ended world exploration & story yourself, it's fun, not super grindy at all, & was clearly made with FUN in mind. Can't recommend highly enough like many other reviews out there.The reviews don't lie, this is one good flippin JRPG Videogame, I like this SO much more than any Atlus JRPG honestly, much more my style & it never really hit me that I actually have a "style" & that JRPG's actually do have very different feels, I guess more oldschool is my style, but with so many modern quality of life additions at no point during my current playthrough(which is close to the end but not there yet) I have yet to be left wanting for a feature aside from maybe a warning or heads up that certain actions are going to cause a time jump, tho it's not a big deal & it is a major mechanic of the game so you're not really punished at all when it does happen so I can forgive that.All in all I am enjoying myself so much more than I have with any other game in quite a while, last time I enjoyed a video game so much was when Trials of Mana got it's remake & that game sits in my top 5 games of all time. This is definitely a JRPG I am lookin forward to post game & potentially NG+ stuffs.
One of the biggest surprises as I had never heard about this before. Gameplay is hard yet manageable. Although at a glance the time skis look like gimmick, the more you play the more sense it makes. I'm gonna say it, please forgive me, but this is the Dark Souls of jrpgs.
This game reminds me of my terrible life.
Even save data couldn't help me to undo some mistakes I made in early stage.
I missed the mermaid mission and Ice Ruins dungeon, but I have to take all these and go on.
Just like my shít life...damn I feel so powerless...
This review comes from someone who never played the original game as a child.TLDR:
Gameplay is one dimensional and basic as all hell
Feels mass produced in a way only this studio does
Music is incredible and yet poorly used
Story is OK at best and the good parts are drip fed ever so slowlyThe gameplay is incredibly fking basic, they keep you stringed along with pokemon-esc mechanics (Training abilities, unlocking new classes, sparking techs) But ultimately the gameplay is so so so one dimensional (You get more dmg, or hp!) This is the core problem with this game. The gameplay would have been mindblowing to me as a child in 1994. Today it's incredibly dated and scales no where.Square has does this thing where they have created their own RPG MAKER in unreal and all their games now are made with this and they all come out looking so sloppy and cheap. It makes me feel gross, If you ever played Dragon Quest Monsters or any of their other recent titles you know it's all just like mass produced slop.The Music is amazing! And then you are forced to listen to the same 3 tracks for 80 hours.. COME ON.It just feels like mass produced garbage to prey upon the nostolgia of people who played this game a long time ago. It might be a faithful remake... but that doesnt make it a good game.
A competent, if by-the-numbers, fantasy story told in a fascinating way. The content of the narrative matters less than the manner in which it's told, which is a non-linear, thousand-year epic to save the world, fearlessly willing to lock you out of important opportunities if you don't grasp them when they appear. Sometimes, saving one region comes at the cost of neglecting another, and the world will dynamically reflect your decisions. Sometimes, the immortal villains will win and your siblings will inherit the throne to continue the quest. You are the emperor, and more; you are the imperial line of Varennes, and you have a dynasty to run, you can't be everywhere at once. But through persistence and action, over hundreds of years you and your heirs will unite the land under Varennes' benevolent banner and push back the forces of darkness forever.Non-standard level progression, skill acquisition, lite city-management, and party formation make this game relentlessly interesting. I recommend it to any fan of JRPGs old and new.
