Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge Of The Seven is a ground-up remake and standalone story will feature modern visuals, reworked strategic gameplay and various other enhancements that will delight longtime SaGa fans and newcomers alike.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is an expansive new RPG that spans generations. You don’t just play as one protagonist - you follow a lineage of emperors in their ongoing battle against the Seven Heroes of ancient myth.

The game is a remake of 1993’s Romancing SaGa 2. Originally released solely in Japan for the Super Famicon, it eventually came to the West through a remastered edition in 2017. This new version is a full remake of that original game - it retains the elements that make it so acclaimed, such as the lineage system, but updates and reimagines things to make the game feel fresh and modern.

For example, the once 2D pixel art world has been fully reimagined in with 3D graphics, the battle system has been completely reworked and features such as new difficulty options have been added to make the game more fun and accessible. It’s also available with English and Japanese voiceover, and French, German and Spanish subtitles.

It is an age of unending war. Terrifying fiends plague the land and various nations struggle to contend with both this incursion and their own internal conflicts. The people wait in hope for the fulfillment of an ancient legend: the return of seven great heroes who once rose to save their ravaged kingdoms.

One fated day, Avalon, the capital of the Varennes Empire, sis suddenly attacked. The people are crushed underfoot and Prince Victor, the brave and noble heir to the throne, is brutally slain. The aggressor is none other than Kzinssie - one of the seven heroes of legend!

While the people weep in despair that the legends were false, Emperor Leon swears his vengeance on the Seven and their mighty powers. He uses the fabled ‘inheritance magic’ bestowed by a seeress to pass his powers onto his surviving son, Gerard, trading his own life for a chance to strike back.

Thus begins an epoch-spanning struggle between the imperial line of Varennes and the Seven Heroes.

The story of the game spans many generations, with the power of the Emperor passing on to new emperors throughout the ages. There are more than 30 different character classes in the game, covering a wide range of races and professions. Each class has its own unique characteristics, with different proficiencies for weapons and spells.

Today, Square Enix launched Nintendo Switch pre-orders for their upcoming RPG Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. You can pre-order the Nintendo Switch version on the Nintendo eShop or at major online retailers. If you preorder before the game’s October 24 release, you’ll even get some in-game items as a preorder bonus: Shiyuan’s Tactical Primer and Cat’s Amulet

Character Classes

There are more than 30 different character classes in the game, covering a wide range of races and professions. Each class has its own unique characteristics, with different proficiencies for weapons and spells.

Allow us to introduce some more of the characters you’ll meet in the game and their respective classes.

• Nomad: Altan and Fatima - Altan is a nomad hailing from the beautiful Steppe, he boasts strength and dexterity in equal measure. He also specializes in bringing out the full force of axes to bear. Fatima's a nomad who hails from the beautiful Steppe. She not only has high dexterity and speed, but shows great potential for magic as well.
• Crusader: Sophia and Georg - Sophia is a holy knight with great talent in the magical arts. She wields a wide variety of spells with power and precision in lieu of weapons.Georg is a holy knight with great strength. He excels in close-quarters combat while seamlessly weaving spells in his defense.
• Martial Artist: Karl - Having spent years honing his skills in the Dragon Lair, Karl's innate strength makes him a natural martial artist. As the Master Dragon, he leads the Dragon Lair and is responsible for the protection of the people of Nibel.
• Corsair: Henrique - This corsair was raised upon the rough waves of the Longit Sea. Though he and magic are like water and oil, his agility makes him ideal for melee combat.
• Saigo Clansman: Eirik - Eirik is a powerful member of the Saigo Clan with a strengthened and hardened body. He is a strong fighter who excels in heavy weapons. The Saigo live and travel with the mu, a bovine species that make annual migrations across the frozen Nazelle Strait.
• Salamander: Kelud - A Salamander hailing from Mt. Comroon, wielding pyrology as easily as they breathe. Their physical prowess is likewise not to be underestimated. They make their home at the base of the volcano, loyal to their land despite the perils of the coming Wrathfount.
• Amazon: Jeanne - Jeanne is a fearless warrior nurtured by the ruthless wilds of Salamat. Her greatest weapon in combat is her dexterity. The Amazons used to live in Eirunep before the men of their tribe were lured away by Rocbouquet of the Seven Heroes, leaving only the women who formed their own unique community.

Battle

Next up, let’s talk about battles - and the abilities your retinue has.

Abilities

Each character class has a unique ability, offering the player a variety of advantages specific to each character. Boons offered by abilities include increased HP, enhanced magic damage, enhanced attributes, increased item drop rates, and more.

Abilities can be unlocked by having that character class participate in and win a certain number of enemy encounters.

After an ability has been learned, it can then be mastered by winning even more battles. Mastered abilities can then be equipped onto other character classes instead of being tied to its original class.

Pre-emptive Strikes

Approaching enemies unnoticed will prompt you to launch a surprise attack. Upon launching a successful pre-emptive strike, the encounter will begin with the enemy taking a small amount of damage and having their action speed reduced in the first turn. Furthermore, your retinue will gain some charge for the Overdrive gauge.

Making use of pre-emptive strikes will put the Emperor’s retinue in an advantageous position at the start of battle.

You can receive surprise attacks as well! Should the Emperor’s retinue be ambushed, the retinue’s formation will be thrown into disarray and they will be unable to flee from battle for a set amount of turns

United Attack Chains

As the game progresses, the number of retinue members that can act together for a United Attack can increase. It begins with a minimum of two characters and can be upgraded up to a five-chain United Attack. Encounters ending with a United Attack dealing the final blow will grant a TP (EXP) bonus to the entire retinue.

The Overdrive gauge, which is required to launch a United Attack, carries over between encounters. Once longer United Attack chains are unlocked, they can be used in battle by repeatedly building up the Overdrive gauge. Once a United Attack has been launched during an encounter, the next United Attack used within the same encounter will include more retinue members.

Techniques and Spells

Characters can spend Battle Points (BP) to use powerful techniques and spells in their repertoire. BP does not restore automatically between encounters; instead, it can be recovered by staying at inns, using consumables, or interacting with BP Recovery Zones.

• Sword Technique: Fillet - Rapidly slice your foe into shreds.
• Terrology Spell: Stone Shower - Rain stones down upon the enemy to deal damage.
• Axe Technique: Treecleaver - Bring down your axe like one would split a mighty log. Deals critical damage to flora enemies.
• Spear Technique: Petrify Rush - Aim directly for the pressure points on your foe, piercing them with great precision. Has a chance of inflicting Petrification on the target.

The Avalon Smithy

Once the Smithy has been established in the capital, the player will be able spend materials and crowns (the in-universe currency) to develop new weapons, shields, and armor, as well as reforge existing ones into a stronger form.

Once the sufficient materials and crowns have been spent, development or reforging can begin. A certain amount of time will need to pass before the equipment can be collected, which can be achieved either through winning battles or by triggering a time skip through progression of the story.

Materials needed to develop or reforge equipment can be obtained from treasure chests, throughout the overworld indicated by an interactable glow, or dropped by enemies in combat.

Retinue Composition

New character classes can be discovered and become recruitable by progressing through the various free-form scenario episodes that take place across the world.

Allies of recruited classes can be added into the Emperor’s retinue at any time by visiting a tavern.

World Map

Previously visited or unlocked locations can be seen on the world map screen. Quick travel is possible by selecting the location you wish to travel to on the world map.

Some areas have further sub-locations that can be selected for ease, such as being able to teleport directly into Castle Avalon’s throne room.

Free-form Scenario System

Your actions affect how the story progresses. For example, the order you visit locations and the things you do there can change how the narrative plays out.

Here’s an example:

The Dragon’s Lair

The Dragon Lair is the training grounds for the martial artists of South Varennes who were formerly known as the protectors of the region, although their reputation has been suffering as of late.

The people of the nearby town of Nibel have asked the martial artists to rid of some fiends that threaten their livelihood. However, physical techniques have little effect on the pudgy, amorphous bodies of the fiends in question, leaving the martial artists unable to do anything. As a result, the townsfolk have been losing faith in their abilities and reliability.

The leader of the Dragon Lair, the Master Dragon Karl, requests the Emperor to help clear the caves of fiends in their stead, but to leave the final fiend to him so that he may restore the honor of the martial artists and regain Nibel’s trust. The player can then choose whether to act only in the name of the Varennes Empire, or agree to collaborate and help the Dragon Lair save face.

The martial artists ask that the Emperor leave the final fiend in the caves to them so that they may restore their reputation with the nearby townsfolk.

Will you let them take credit for your work so that they may restore their honor...

...or will you simply take the final fiend for yourself? The decision you make will greatly affect your relationship with the Dragon Lair.

The story of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven spans many eras, with new emperors taking up the fight throughout the ages. As for who those new leaders are… that’s up to you. The Inheritance System lets you select the next Emperor and pass down the powers of the previous generation to them. Inheritance takes place when the current emperor is reduced to zero LP (life points), when the party is wiped out, when time moves on to the next era, or when the current ruler abdicates.

You can make one emperor abdicate and move onto the next ruler in the imperial line at a time of your choosing. However, you can’t have two emperors abdicate in a row. You’re not stuck with a single option or bloodline when choosing the next leader. Any playable character can become an emperor and inherit the skills of their predecessor.

Turn-based battles have evolved to a timeline system in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, where (as the name implies) the turn order for every ally and enemy is shown on a timeline. When a character’s turn comes around, they can act immediately.

You’ll fight all kinds of dangerous foes in the game. Enemies are weak against certain weapons and spells and choosing attacks to exploit these vulnerabilities can give you a real edge in combat. Of course, your foes will hit back. All characters have Life Points (LP), in addition to the RPG staples of HP and MP. If a character is incapacitated, their Life Points (LP) will reduce. If that value reaches zero, that character will die.

There are eight weapon types to wield in the game, and each opens up different abilities. You can fight with swords, greatswords, shortswords, spears, axes, clubs, and martial arts. Mages can also use six magical disciplines, each with unique characteristics. You can try to master pyrology, hydrology, aerology, terrology, cosmology and umbrology.

In Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you learn new skills through in the heat of battle - a process known as ‘glimmering.’

If you use an ability with a lightbulb icon next to it, it can sometimes trigger a ‘glimmer’ and activate an entirely new technique. You’ll then be able to use this new ability whenever you like. The icon means you’ll be able to see which skills can spark new techniques and work them into your battle strategy accordingly! It’s easier to learn new skills when facing powerful foes, so bear that in mind too!

You also have a chance to evade enemy attacks and avoid damage completely. An ability that has been evaded once can be automatically evaded in the future!

Whenever you use a spell or target an enemy’s weakness, the overdrive gauge will fill. Once it’s at maximum capacity, you can unleash a powerful United Attack!

Before a battle, you can arrange your fighters into formations to enhance them with advantageous effects and status boosts. Different formations offer different benefits and new ones can be learned depending on the class of the character who becomes the Emperor.

The Free-form Scenario system offers a vast array of story experiences in response to your choices, and with the Imperial Succession system, you can select your main character from many playable protagonists to cultivate and expand your legacy, passing down powers, skills, and secrets to the next generation.

The world of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is comprised of many different regions. Your goal: unite all the lands under your banner as the Emperor of Varennes! Each region is beset by its own problems and solving these crises allows you to win over the local forces and bring them under your influence. You’re free to visit regions in any order you please - and as mentioned, the story can play out very differently depending on the order chosen.

There are three difficulty levels in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, making it accessible for SaGa newcomers and the most experienced of fans alike.

• ‘Casual’ is an easier and more accessible option. It’s perfect for newcomers to the SaGa franchise or RPG genre.
• ‘Normal’ is for players who are familiar with RPGs.
• ‘Hard (classic)’ offers more of a challenge, based on the difficulty of the original Romancing SaGa 2.

If you know anything about the SaGa franchise, you’ll know that the games have some of the best soundtracks out there. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is no exception. The game features a new, fully rearranged soundtrack as well as newly composed tracks for this version of the game by the original composer Kenji Ito. But if you’re feeling nostalgic for that classic 16-bit sound, you can also switch to the original score from the options menu.

In anticipation of the game’s release this fall, pre-orders are available today across PS4, PS5 and PC (Steam), followed by Nintendo Switch version at a later date.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge Of The Seven is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC (Steam) on Oct. 24, 2024.