Romance is unquestionably within the air with my favourite recreation from PAX West 2024.
I at all times anticipate finding my favourite recreation of the present after I come to PAX West, and this 12 months not one of the indies and different video games within the expo corridor had been grabbing me. Happily, I had a reserving with Sq. Enix to check out a couple of of their upcoming RPGs, and the one I went into the appointment considering the least about, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, not solely stunned me; it blew my expectations out of the water.
Having performed each Romancing SaGa video games on Change at their respective launches, I used to be accustomed to their model of turn-based goodness, however for a mess of causes, the newer SaGa entries like Scarlet Grace and Emerald Past simply did not hit for me. Earlier than really getting arms on with Revenge of the Seven, a top-to-bottom remake of Romancing SaGa 2, even the quick presentation we had been proven received me enthusiastic about all of the adjustments coming to this up to date model. My constructive emotions on the sport solely grew as I sat down and relished simply over half-hour of demo time on Change in handheld mode.
The demo situates you as the subsequent in line for the throne after your father (the king) has handed away. Romancing SaGa 2 employs a lineage system the place offspring obtain bonuses and buffs from their departed forebearers, and it’s with these handed down advantages you can finally change into robust sufficient to defeat the titular Seven. There’s even a second close to the tip of the demo that showcases this technique in a particularly cool method, however extra on that later.
Inside the recreation’s hub city, you’ll be able to change up your occasion members and buy new tools. Your typical courses are current right here–knight, archer, mage–and there are over 30 courses within the full recreation, with the protagonist apparently capable of study expertise from all of them. Whereas we solely received a style of the occasion composition and lineage mechanics, I am wanting to see extra and experiment with totally different paths and choices.
The demo supplied a couple of totally different aims to tackle, together with defending the fort and surrounding city from an orc assault. After sprinting across the metropolis to repel the invasion, I confronted an orc captain mini-boss, who put up a stable struggle. I also needs to observe that I used to be taking part in on the traditional problem, of the three obtainable, with the “Exhausting/Basic” representing the problem of the unique 1993 launch. After efficiently defending my fort, a ceremony was held and one of many not-yet-convinced companions ended up becoming a member of my ranks. From there, I had the choice of heading to the orc’s hideout for retribution or in search of out one of many Seven, Kzinssie, who was holed up in a mansion throughout the continent. Finishing all of those duties offered an awesome sense of how fight and development work, and it’s exhausting to not see the evolution on this remake as a superb method of modernizing the sequence.
The turn-based fight of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven was an apparent standout from my time with the demo. A very noteworthy function was a lightweight bulb icon that seems beside your assaults, indicating strikes which have an opportunity of “glimmering,” which unlocks a brand new transfer and is likely one of the main development strategies. Greater than that, each profitable battle awards approach factors in the direction of your weapon proficiency rank and meters that increase your HP and BP (battle factors). United assaults and formations add one other layer of depth to the fight, too. All of that is to say that development and progress are far more clear than possibly they’ve ever been, and so Sq. Enix appears centered on making these video games extra approachable for a wider viewers.
Regardless that the hand-held visuals left one thing to be desired, efficiency was stable over the course of my playtime. This can be a type of RPGs the place you’ll need to dock your Change to higher benefit from the look of the remake, however in the event you’re okay with a softer, much less sharp look, there didn’t seem like any main drawbacks in how the sport ran portably. Battles particularly had been snappy and fast to load, which was a welcome sight for a combat-heavy expertise.
What actually solidified Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven as my recreation of PAX West 2024 was when my hero, Gerard, starring sure doom within the face, introduced that he had inherited the reminiscences and talents of his father, permitting him to evade Kzinssie’s deathblow. It was a poignant reminder of the lineage mechanic at play, and it made me consider cartoons and anime the place the hero is lastly in a position to make use of all they’ve acquired of their journey to defeat the ultimate boss. To place a superb level on it, I’ve dabbled a good bit within the SaGa sequence, way back to The Last Fantasy Legend, however I’m anticipating this remake of Romancing SaGa 2 to make me a devoted believer. Whereas I’ve already circled October 24 on my calendar, it’s going to be powerful seeing the leaves begin to fall with Revenge of the Seven firmly imprinted on my thoughts. Akitoshi Kawazu, it seems to be such as you received me once more!
