Overview
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is the remake of Romancing SaGa 2, a JRPG released in 1993 on Super Famicom. Developed and published by Square Enix, this remake came out in 2024. It is a remake that finally makes a famously cryptic game readable.
Story and world
You play the emperor of Avalon, who has to face the return of the Seven Heroes, former legendary saviours who have become a threat to the world. The through line is the succession of generations of emperors: when an emperor dies or steps down, you choose their successor, who inherits what their predecessors learned. The story thus spans several generations.
Gameplay
Fights are turn-based, and the system of learning techniques in the middle of a fight is very rewarding: by using a weapon, a character can have a sudden flash of inspiration and learn a new technique on the spot.
The structure is non-linear: you choose for yourself which regions to explore and which quests to follow, without being guided step by step. It is demanding, but fascinating once you accept getting lost.
The one downside: like in a lot of JRPGs, some choices can end up locked (soft lock) if you did not make them at the right time.
Verdict
A remake that makes a cryptic game readable, with a very rewarding technique system and a demanding but fascinating structure, despite a few choices you can miss for good.