Romancing SaGa 2
- December 15, 2017
- ArtePiazza
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Romancing SaGa 2" is a remastered game with an English translation for the first time, originally released in Japan in 199
iPad
iPhone
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Playstation 4
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Android
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Super Nintendo
Tablet
Wii
Xbox
Reviews
- Romancing SaGa 2 offers a unique and challenging gameplay experience with a non-linear structure that encourages exploration and experimentation.
- The game features a rich and intricate combat system where character growth is based on actions taken in battle, making each encounter feel significant.
- The remastered version retains the original soundtrack and sprite work, providing a nostalgic experience for fans of classic JRPGs.
- The port suffers from a lack of quality-of-life features, such as no fullscreen option and poor controller support, making it frustrating for players.
- Many mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion and difficulty for newcomers, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- The game can be excessively punishing, with permadeath mechanics and scaling enemies that can make progress feel unfair at times.
- story43 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in Romancing Saga 2 is often described as light and simplistic, serving primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a central focus. Players appreciate the freedom to explore the world and tackle quests in various orders, which leads to unique narrative experiences based on their choices and actions. While the overarching plot may not be deeply engaging, the individual stories and character interactions provide a charming and enjoyable experience for those who invest time in exploring the game's lore.
“While in most JRPGs you are simply an observer of unfolding story and there is little you can change about it except grind a few levels or equip certain gear to make fights easier or harder, Romancing Saga 2 gives a massive amount of choice on how and when to handle quests, quests that might change with the passage of time, quests that might change based on completing or not completing certain previous quests, and an open world to explore and tackle these quests and bosses in any order you please.”
“The overarching story isn't bad, but it's the individual little stories in different towns that I love.”
“Though the story may be considered 'light' by some due to the open world freedom of choice gameplay, it still provides an interesting lore and backstory of the seven heroes for you to explore and discover.”
“The story is okay, nothing special, but the journey is what matters in this game.”
“Very light on story and very heavy on grinding.”
“In Romancing Saga 2, the game (and series as a whole) makes the story take a back seat in favor of a heavy focus on gameplay.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Romancing Saga 2" is a unique blend of linear JRPG elements and nonlinear WRPG mechanics, offering a compelling experience that rewards players who invest time in understanding its complex systems. While the game features challenging turn-based combat, permadeath, and kingdom management, it is criticized for its lack of clear explanations for mechanics, which can lead to a steep learning curve. Overall, players who appreciate depth and exploration in gameplay, rather than a strong narrative focus, will find it highly engaging.
“Essentially, this game is a mix between your typical linear, narrative-centered JRPG gameplay and the more nonlinear, customizable WRPG gameplay, and it pulls that mixture off beautifully.”
“Interesting and addictive gameplay systems, brutal difficulty that will make you think and plan, and a charming world to explore.”
“The game is fairly light on story with a much bigger focus on gameplay.”
“Doesn't actually explain mechanics ahead of time.”
“If you enjoy games that don't bother trying to explain any of their mechanics, while also having every single mechanic so heavily buried in RNG and obscure invisible triggers that the literal only way to understand the game at all is to read a detailed but outdated guide that uses 'translated' Japanese names for everything or to spend hundreds of hours pouring through the game's code, this is a game for you.”
“Main con: this series is infamous for telling you absolutely nothing about any mechanics, and what little the game tells you (ex: stats on weapons) may be misleading.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many noting that the user interface resembles a mobile port and lacks aesthetic appeal, leading to a jarring art style when combined with pixelated character sprites. While some players appreciate the vibrant artwork and enhanced visuals that pay homage to the original, others criticize the backgrounds and animations as subpar, likening them to RPG Maker quality. Overall, the graphics are seen as a step up from previous mobile ports, but still fall short of modern standards.
“It does justice to Tomomi Kobayashi's vibrant artwork, which really gives it and the franchise as a whole its own unique identity.”
“The HD visuals look great, the sound is top notch, and the use of a controller is so comfortable in a game where enemies appear on the field.”
“Of all the mobile remakes SE has published on Steam, this is easily the least offensive to the source material from an aesthetic standpoint.”
“The porting job itself is okay, but the background graphics and UI are of ugly mobile-port quality that clash with pixel character sprites, giving this game a rather jarring art style.”
“Graphics wise, the improvements are not stellar: some of the backgrounds look like they came from an RPG Maker game and the new animation in some of the bosses is jarring.”
“You have no graphics options to choose from and have to force fullscreen if that's what you prefer to use.”
- music16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for retaining Kenji Ito's original 1993 soundtrack, which is described as phenomenal, powerful, and emotionally resonant. Reviewers appreciate the nostalgic value of the unaltered tracks, noting that they enhance the game's atmosphere and complement its storytelling effectively. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, embodying the quality expected from classic JRPGs.
“Plus, it retains Kenji Ito's original soundtrack as it was composed back in 1993 instead of just giving an orchestral upgrade.”
“The music is nothing short of masterful; from the laid-back town music to the intense battle themes, every piece is a pleasure to listen to, and I'm so glad they stuck to the original OST instead of opting for a more updated one.”
“It is a phenomenal soundtrack with a mixture of powerful, beautiful, and sometimes even emotional music.”
“The game has the exact same music you'll find in the SNES version.”
“Music is okay.”
“The soundtrack is the original soundtrack from the game, and this is the original game with enhanced graphics and sprites.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be tedious and often feels unnecessary, as it doesn't lead to significant character progression and can even make encounters more challenging. While some players find the grind compelling once they understand the mechanics, the game discourages mindless grinding in favor of strategic asset management. Overall, it presents a challenging experience that rewards thoughtful play rather than traditional leveling up.
“Grinding doesn't really do anything anyway since characters only get stronger as generations pass, and the only stat that you can level up is HP and your spells, which you need to use almost exclusively for the entire game to unlock the ones you actually need, if you knew about them a few generations in advance.”
“Very light on story and very heavy on grinding.”
“Grinding will get you nowhere; it even makes everything worse.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its nonlinearity, branching choices, and numerous missable content, encouraging players to explore different paths and scenarios. Players can experiment with various strategies and magic combinations, enhancing the overall experience and challenge. Additionally, the presence of new game plus (NG+) further contributes to its replay value.
“Lots of room for experimentation and high replay value.”
“Nonlinearity and branching choices absolutely make this game wonderfully replayable.”
“There's a fantastic amount of replay value due to not having a set order in which to do things, experimenting with magic combinations, and events potentially having multiple outcomes.”
“It has a lot of missable content, so it does have a lot of replayability as well.”
“Once you complete the game, there’s little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an adventure.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly on the deck, with good performance and visuals. However, some players have experienced bugs, particularly towards the end of the game, which may affect stability.
“It looks great and runs smoothly on the deck.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a seamless experience.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay experience.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized as subpar, particularly due to its origins as a mobile port, resulting in a lack of proper adjustments for PC gameplay. Users have noted the presence of touchscreen buttons in the menus, highlighting a lack of effort in adapting the user interface for a desktop experience.
“Especially since it is not optimized for Steam and is a mobile port.”
“This is a very lazy port, made clear by the lack of UI optimization for PC (the menus still have touchscreen buttons, for heaven's sake).”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its phenomenal soundtrack, which features a blend of powerful and beautiful music that evokes strong feelings at various moments.
“It is a phenomenal soundtrack with a mixture of powerful, beautiful, and sometimes even emotional music.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is significantly enhanced by its music, which effectively conveys the mood during events and creates a compelling ambiance, even in simple dungeon settings.
“The music during events perfectly captures the mood, and even the simple dungeon themes create a powerful atmosphere at times.”
“The immersive sound design and ambient music really enhance the overall atmosphere, making every moment feel alive.”
“The game's visuals combined with the haunting soundtrack create an unforgettable atmosphere that draws you into its world.”
