Featuring music from iconic series composer Kenji Ito and artwork from acclaimed illustrator Satoshi Kuramochi, SaGa Emerald Beyond brings together the core combat and free-form scenario elements of the beloved RPG franchise to deliver the ultimate SaGa experience to fans and newcomers alike. 

SaGa Emerald Beyond is an all-new fully standalone RPG that brings together the very best elements of the beloved SaGa franchise. This latest entry is set across 17 unique worlds, each with their own aesthetic and culture and where you can meet a diverse cast of races including humans, mechs, and vampires.

You have a choice of five protagonists (well, technically six because one of the choices is a duo) who, guided by mysterious emerald waves, embark on their journeys over these strikingly beautiful worlds – all very different from the ones they live in.

You’ll visit the interconnected 17 worlds via the Beyond, a hub of the emerald waves, either through your own will or by chance. As for what that story you’ll experience… it’s in your hands.

With the freeform scenario system, the story branches in many different ways depending on your choices and actions. Every time you visit a world, the story will evolve, allowing protagonist and player alike to discover new possibilities.

As the story unfolds, it becomes a tale all your own, not only affecting the path you walk but also the multiple potential endings that await each protagonist.

Of course, regardless of your decisions, sooner or later you’ll have to fight. SaGa Emerald Beyond features a turn-based combat system that’s easy to understand yet offers plenty of depth. You’ll have to make smart use of your party’s weapons and skills to overcome the many monsters and bosses that stand in your way, in what may be the best battles in the SaGa franchise yet!

In short, it takes SaGa into the new generation… and is a perfect entry point for RPG fans yet to experience the franchise.

Square Enix revealed more details about SaGa Emerald Beyond, learn more about Siugnas’s Story, the game’s three worlds and additional combat details.

As revealed in the trailer, players will experience a tale of conspiracy and intrigue through Siugnas’ adventures in the Brighthome realm and meet new characters to add to their party, including a former battle machine from another world, a sentient observation mecha and a mysterious Scarecrow.

The team also shared details on three of the game’s realms, Yomi, Brighthome and Crownrealm, each of which hosts stories and characters that are essential SaGa Emerald Beyond’s story.

The team also detailed the Vampire race, special Sanguine Arts and new Roles that drastically change the way a character fights thanks to new effects not found in other equipment or techs. 

Siugnas’s Story

The Dismal King, forced from his throne An immortal vampire and the Dismal King who rules Yomi, a world shrouded in darkness.

After being removed from his throne by someone or something's betrayal, he awakes to find himself in Brighthome , a world where fallen warriors gather. He is recruited into the king’s band of warriors called the Generals and sent to fight in a chaotic battle against invaders. But how did he, an immortal, end up in a world where only the dead can go? Together with fellow members of the generals, he begins a journey to regain his abilities as the Dismal King.

Generals

• Philosopher: People call him “Philosopher,” but he says he isn't one. He speaks his mind and is able to express his opinions to the "General" in a straightforward manner. The "General" listens to what he says, to some extent. He is the type who has no qualms with speaking the truth and his words tend to be harsh. He is always right, so his opponents are never able to argue with him and their hostility grows.
• General: He looks like a boy, but he is a genius military commander. He excels in all aspects of his job, including battlefield analysis, operational planning, and command and control. He is at such a high level of intelligence that all other beings look foolish to him. He is bored. Those who meet him are fooled by his appearance and underestimate him, but they soon realize that they were wrong and are deeply impressed by the certainty of his analysis and the simplicity of his orders. They are captivated by the words he says to them when they accomplish a task, and from then on, they are absolutely committed to his orders.
• Warrior: He was a warrior who protected his village from wild animals and wily thieves. He has a strong sense of responsibility and lives for protecting others. He is kind to all people and is always calm. In the end he could not protect his village. He then came to Brighthome . His heart is full of sorrow. Only when learning the harshness of reality could he truly be kind to anyone but himself.
• Hero: A loyal and compassionate man. A hero who helps the weak and crushes the strong. Still, he has a tendency to disrespect those of a higher status, resulting in his arrival at Brighthome
• Lifetaker: He used to slay demons. One day, a demon in human form appeared and approached his young niece. He summarily slayed the humanesque demon. Slaying someone made him famous, and many sought to use his penchant for murder for their own benefit. Though he began by slaying only demons, he eventually moved to evil individuals and then to the innocent. His actions begin to weigh heavily upon him and a darker mood envelopes him. He has a weakness for being praised, being depended upon, and being ordered around.
• Champion: A former champion in some kind of competitive sport. He is tough on others and even tougher on himself. His well trained body shows no sign of decline. His words and actions are flashy and do not give the impression of being stoic at all, but he makes tremendous efforts in places where people cannot see. He demands the same from others, which is why he is disliked.

Characters Who Can Join the Party

• Simon: He used to be a battle machine in some other world. He was fighting for pride and freedom with his friends but was ultimately destroyed.
• Dolores: She follows the protagonist, mistaking him for the resurrected form of her dead master. Although she appears to be an obedient maid, she bears the mark of death upon her, and sings death metal songs with glee.
• Sarab: An observation mecha made in the Crowrealm . It expresses emotions with four kinds of mechanical sounds. Whether the purpose of observation is for military, scientific, or daily life, we do not know now. What we do know for certain is that the scarecrow did not create it.
• Scarecrow: A species that has existed since the times when there were many crows in the Crowrealm . But they have long forgotten that they are associated with crows, or what crows even are in the first place. People have no idea what exactly they are either.
• Professor: She says she is researching the history of the Crowrealm . Since there is no institution of higher education or research like a university in the Crowrealm , it seems that "professor" is a self proclaimed title, but both the amount of knowledge and the level of intellect she possesses make her worthy of being called a professor.

The Worlds of SaGa Emerald Beyond

• Yomi, a world ruled by the Dismal King: A dark world ruled by a dark king. Suffering, anger, all of it exists for the Dismal King. Will the darkness last forever?
• Brighthome, an eternal battlefield: Heroes! An eternal battle awaits you! Only battle can make you shine as heroes! Now is the time to gather at the House of Joy!
• The Crowrealm, where sand covers everything: No flying birds in the sky, no running beasts on the ground. How did the endless deserts create these gigantic machines? How did the scarecrows come into being?

A Combat System That Includes a Wide Variety of Races, Weapons, Techs and Spells

A Wide Variety of Races: Vampires

Siugnas is the only one of the Vampire race in existence. Like humans, he can use most equipment and learns techs/spells via glimmers, and he also has access to special Sanguine Arts that consume LP. By draining the blood of party members, he can als o increase his maximum LP and learn additional Sanguine Arts. In addition, the player can acquire the ability to use an ability ca lled "Sanguine Roles" by using special equipment called "Sanguine

Thrall and Knight

The maximum LP of party members who have their blood drained will decrease, putting them in a "Thrall" state. In addition, giving Thrall mode party members Sanguine Gear can turn them into a Knight. Characters who become a Knight will have an increased maximum LP and will be able to use Sanguine Roles and Sanguine Arts.

However, Sanguine Gear given to a Knight cannot be used by other party members, and if a Knight is “stripped” of their Sanguine Gear in o rder to use it, they become a “Wastrel.” When characters become a Wastrel, their LP is reduced to 1, and they can no longer use Sanguine Arts, Sanguine Roles, or learn new Sanguine Tech. As there is no way to retore a party member who has become a Wastrel, strategy is required in deciding who to knight and when.

Sanguine Arts

Sanguine Arts can only be used by Vampires and Knights, and many of them have powerful effects that are worth the LP they cost. Unlike normal techs and spells, the Sanguine Arts you possess is shared by all members of the group, and the same Sanguine Arts cannot be equipped and used by more than one person at a time.

Roles

Each character can be equipped with "Roles" in addition to equipment, techs and spells. Many of them have effects that equipment does not have, and they are elements that change the way a character fights. Roles are not only acquired through learned techs, spells, and fighting styles, but there are also those unique to each character as well. There are also "Souls" wh ich only Kugutsu can equip, and "Blood Roles" which can be utilized by Vampires and Knights.

Souls contain techs, and if a Kugutsu equips one, they will be able to use soul techs.

In addition to all-rounder roles, there are also specialised roles, such as Tsunanori’s Kugutsu Master role, and sanguine roles, which are housed in sanguine gear.

Weapon Type: One handed Gun

The one handed gun is a highly responsive weapon with an abundance of Conditional Techs. Many techs have characteristics that are effective against flying enemies. Also, when equipped with two one handed guns and a special role, the Guns Akimbo Tech can be used, and when equipped with a one handed sword, a one handed gun, and a special role, the S word and G un T ech can be used.

Ranking Up Techs

Characters become more proficient in a tech with repeated use, causing the tech to rank up. As techs rank up, they become more powerful and, potentially, their BP costs decrease.

Players can choose to begin their story as one of the following protagonists. Each possesses the rare ability to see emerald waves that present choices of their destinies:

• Tsunanori Mido – A man who can manipulate kugutsu, or animated puppets, which protect the barrier around his home, Miyako City. When the city is plagued by all kinds of supernatural phenomena, Tsunanori embarks on a journey to other worlds to find four elemental spirits in order to restore order to the spiritual realm.
• Ameya – A witch-in-training who visits Miyako City and lives in secret as a schoolgirl as a part of her graduation exam. After Ameya is attacked by an unknown man, she loses practically all of her magical power and must find a way to regain what was lost and pass her final exam.
• Siugnas – An immortal vampire who rules over Yomi, a world shrouded in darkness, as the Dismal King. However, after being betrayed and driven from his throne, Siugnas finds himself in Brighthome—the gathering place of dead warriors—and must set out on a journey to recover his powers alongside the other warriors in his squadron.
• Diva No.5 – A songstress mech designed to sing and dance from the world of Avalon. After singing a forbidden song, however, Diva’s memory and singing functionality are sealed away, causing her to lose her livelihood and music itself. In her despair, Diva discards her “human” body and, going with the flow, accepts an invitation from a secret society, leaving Avalon behind.
• Bonnie and Formina – Two new recruits and partners on the Capitol City police force who are investigating an assassination attempt on the President. With a key person of interest’s claim that the president is a traitor and a mysterious triangle piece as their only clues, they set off on a journey through other worlds to uncover the hidden truth behind the incident.

SaGa Emerald Beyond is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, mobile (iOS/ Android) and PC (Steam) on April 25, 2024.