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Shinichi Tatsuke, Producer: To debate the timeline of occasions on how the remake of Romancing SaGa 2 occurred … As you already know, again in 2020 I used to be concerned with the remake of the Trials of Mana. After that, the workforce and I had been contemplating which title we must always work on subsequent. That was when the SaGa workforce approached me and requested me if I wished to hitch the workforce for Romancing SaGa 2 remake. And that is how I acquired concerned with the challenge.

So, to reply your query on ‘why’ we selected Romancing SaGa 2 out of all of the SaGa titles.. the SaGa workforce has a objective of increasing the collection to to wider audiences across the globe, not simply in Japan. We wished to make the collection larger, and we wished to make a remake, similar to we did for Trials of Mana, which is mostly the background as to how this challenge occurred. The rationale why we selected Romancing SaGa 2 is that we already created a remake of Romancing SaGa 1 known as Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Tune, which was initially launched in 2006 and acquired a latest remaster. Nevertheless, we hadn’t accomplished any remakes since then, so we figured that it was a very good time to choose up on that once more and make one other remake for the SaGa collection. 

Tatsuke: As you talked about, the emperor/inheritance system within the authentic Romancing SaGa 2 is without doubt one of the most original methods within the recreation. Because the producer of the event workforce, we imagine that this isn’t solely thought of distinctive for its time, however even by fashionable requirements, we nonetheless really feel that this inheritance system could be very distinctive. So, the core part of the inheritance system is taken as is from the unique model. Nevertheless, we did make some fine-tuning and a few changes to the extra granular elements of the system.

One of many examples is that within the authentic title, gamers weren’t in a position to willingly have the Emperor abdicate the throne on the time that gamers wished. So, within the authentic model, what gamers did as an alternative was that they might lose a battle on objective to have the Emperor transfer on to the following one. On this remake, we now have a brand new system the place gamers can get to decide on if they need the Emperor to abdicate on their very own. So, you are able to do that as an alternative of shedding battles on objective. One other adjustment that we made is that if you transfer on to the following emperor or subsequent technology, within the authentic model, gamers had 4 characters to select from. Within the remake that is expanded into six, so that they have six totally different choices after they transfer on to the following emperor.

Tatsuke: With a purpose to enchantment this remake to the newcomers of the collection, or individuals who haven’t had the chance but to play the SaGa collection, we recognized challenges to attain that. One in every of our massive targets was to have extra newcomers play this remake in Revenge of the Seven. However to be able to do this, there are two challenges that we noticed: a type of challenges being the barrier of entry, after which the opposite one being how we talk the strengths of the collection.

Beginning with the primary level, the barrier of entry, our understanding was that a number of gamers had this impression that the SaGa collection was a troublesome title to play, or it was very onerous due to these difficult guidelines and methods that SaGa titles had. So, we anticipated that that is what a number of the gamers had imagined for the Saga collection. So due to that, on this remake, we took a few of these slightly difficult guidelines or methods and tried to ease that up a bit and make it extra delicate. One instance of that is that, within the authentic launch of Romancing SaGa 2, enemy weaknesses *had been* there. It was within the system. It is simply that it was not seen to the gamers, so the gamers had to determine on their very own the best way to strike weaknesses for every of the enemies as a result of it wasn’t displayed within the recreation. On this remake that is going to be really displayed within the recreation, so it is simpler for the gamers to grasp what sort of assaults they should do to hit these weak spots. Then there are the added problem choices, the place we now have three totally different ranges of problem. We’ve got an informal mode, which is catered in direction of the gamers who simply need to expertise the narrative. So, these are a number of the examples of the efforts that we made to make sure that the newcomers get to have an pleasing time experiencing this recreation.

As for the second problem, once more as you talked about, the emperor inheritance system is a really distinctive system the place gamers get to expertise not solely only one protagonist.  It as an alternative spans into a number of generations and a number of totally different protagonists. In most video games, you’ll solely have one single protagonist, and you’ll observe that protagonist’s life. However in Romancing SaGa 2, it is not likely that approach. We’ve got a number of protagonists and a number of lives, and we ultimately get to witness the historical past of 1 whole nation. We get to expertise the complete piece of historical past of that nation and a number of generations of protagonists. With a purpose to talk that energy for Romancing SaGa 2, we wished to ensure we take away that barrier and ensure that it is simpler and extra intuitive for the gamers to play. This was one of many foremost parts we wished to speak to newcomers, ensuring that perceive that Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is an ideal entry level for collection of the collection.

Tatsuke: To reply your query, relating to the primary storyline, that is going to remain principally the identical. Nevertheless, as a part of the changes in turning a 2D recreation right into a 3D recreation, there have been a number of character dialogs that had been simply too easy for contemporary video games. So there, we did fill the hole there and tried to excellent the dialogs on this approach. There are a number of adjustments in dialogue, however when it comes to the primary storyline itself, that is going to remain principally the identical. That being mentioned, there are some additions and newly added components to the story. Sadly, I am unable to actually speak concerning the particulars of that but. So we hope you sit up for our future bulletins on that.

Tatsuke: By way of whether or not Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven goes to have New Sport Plus or not.. apologies, that is one thing I am unable to reply presently. So once more, we hope you sit up for future bulletins.

You talked about in your query that gamers could use the New Sport Plus function to get themselves out of unwinnable conditions. So there are different methods and this remake for gamers to get out of these robust, troublesome conditions. One in every of these is the added problem possibility, which you’ll change within the recreation, so gamers can get themselves out of these conditions. That is one thing that we added for the gamers’ profit.

Within the authentic launch, the sport could make it unfavorable for the gamers in the event that they, for instance, run away from battle too many instances and so they would possibly get caught in an ‘unwinnable’ state of affairs. So on this recreation, we attempt to ensure that the gamers can progress the sport easily with out encountering these kinds of conditions.

Tatsuke: (Laughs) This can be a robust alternative, and it is also robust to enter the small print of why I picked this character with out going up too deep into the small print with out spoiling something. I must say Wagnas. With a purpose to absolutely perceive why I actually like this character, you must know the total story behind this character. Wagnas led the Seven Heroes, and at one level they had been very revered among the many folks. Nevertheless, the Seven Heroes are again for revenge. Part of what makes his character attractive is the participant questioning why that occurred.

Tatsuke: Truly, Ichikawa was the one who invited me to the SaGa workforce. So there’s that connection there. The one and solely factor that Ichikawa requested me to do after I took on the function because the producer of Revenge of the Seven was that he wished to make this recreation into one thing that lots of people would play … extra individuals who have not performed the SaGa collection but. That was actually the one path that I acquired from him, and he did not actually present every other particular particulars on how he wished this recreation to be. So when it comes to the precise gameplay components, he did not have any particular orders.

By way of Kawazu, he really did give me free rein and he was comfy with me taking this recreation within the path that I wished to. That being mentioned, there have been some components of the worldview of Romancing SaGa that I wasn’t very clear on. So, there have been instances that I might seek the advice of him and ask for his recommendation on how we must always do sure issues, which he did present enter on.

Tatsuke: (Laughs) Kenji Ito, as you could already know, has been lively for the previous 30-plus years, composing tracks all the best way again within the Tremendous Famicom period. For this remake, we requested him to compose new preparations and new songs as effectively. I suppose my impression of him is that he is really nonetheless in his prime. That is simply actually spectacular when you think about that he is been lively for greater than 30 years, and it seems like he nonetheless retains all of the vitality that he had in his youthful years. He is nonetheless studying new issues about music, which is basically admirable to see all that from somebody in his realm.