When you’ve heard one factor about SaGa Frontier 2 by means of the years, it’d nicely be that it’s a messy RPG. I encountered that sentiment aplenty once I was rising up, and over the previous week or so, I’ve seen it stated not less than ten instances as of us hop again right into a sport that they vividly bear in mind being equal elements formidable and bewildering. Does SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered resolve this identification disaster? Not completely, however to an admirable diploma. And that dedication to fixing what might be mounted has helped this remaster to shine far brighter than its turn-of-the-century unique model ever may.
SaGa Frontier 2 tells the dual tales of Gustave XIII, the exiled inheritor to an imperial throne, and Wil Knights, a “digger” whose job it’s to unearth historic artifacts often known as Quells. While Gustave XIII’s royal bloodline affords him nice consolation in his youngest years, he’s introduced earlier than a flaming sword often known as Firebrand on the tender age of seven to show to his realm – and to his father most of all – that he possesses the identical interior power as his ancestors. That power is named anima, and it’s basically SaGa Frontier 2’s phrase for magic.
Issues go terribly flawed, nevertheless, when poor Gustave is unable to wield Firebrand. That is seen as an ailing omen throughout his household’s realm, and his livid father instantly disowns him. Even homicide is on the desk right here, however Gustave’s mom runs away with the boy to guard his life; from right here, Gustave’s chapters take his story by means of the years as he grows up in a world that will simply as quickly see him useless.
It’s a heck of a hook, however none of it could work so nicely with out Wil Knights. Initially of SaGa Frontier 2, Wil is a fresh-faced adolescent adventurer whose Quell-seeking exploits slowly draw him into the sport’s grander course; it’s by means of Wil’s eyes that this setting is made to seem extra well-rounded. Wil’s travels take him down avenues extra acquainted to commoners, at the same time as we be taught extra concerning the anima-infused Quells and their hyperlinks to an enigmatic historic civilization.
I want I may let you know that SaGa Frontier 2’s narrative utterly lives as much as this spectacular dualistic setup, however not less than it does an honest job with the considerably restricted time which it’s been given. You see, Gustave’s and Wil’s tales are chopped into chapters – and very similar to Gustave, Wil is depicted at varied factors in his life – which lends an sadly truncated vibe to the overarching, nicely, saga. There’s a ghost of a sport in right here which may have rivaled the works of Yasumi Matsuno, had SaGa Frontier 2 been supplied with the identical moment-to-moment element present in video games like Closing Fantasy Ways and Ways Ogre, however the expertise is all a bit too breathless to utterly click on.
Don’t take that to imply that none of this works for what it’s, nevertheless. Akitoshi Kawazu, the SaGa sequence’ longtime producer, will not be Yasumi Matsuno, and nor ought to he be. Kawazu thrives extra on presenting equally memorable settings, however performing comparatively surface-level examinations of them, fixating the lion’s share of his inventive power on exceedingly intricate sub-systems, at-times boggling mechanics, and an total sense of experimentation that has made SaGa as fascinating to its diehard followers as it’s confounding to all those that peer at it from afar, nervous that they’ll be hopelessly misplaced within the shuffle.
Suffice it to say, SaGa Frontier 2 didn’t break from this pattern in 1999. A mess of elemental properties, a SaGa-centric and skill-learning system often known as glimmering that didn’t clarify itself within the slightest, a secondary battle system of kinds known as Duel, by which gamers choose one get together member to face off in opposition to a foe in a one-on-one showdown with its personal set of rhythmic guidelines and conditions… a tertiary battle system with sweeping army-versus-army scuffles… maybe I should have reserved the phrase “breathless” for the gameplay?
Compounding issues, the character of the narrative as a decades-spanning story meant that, by necessity, many characters would be part of the get together solely to depart at some future level. The folks you’ve labored to strengthen by means of difficult-to-parse fight would, thus, depart with all that effort down the drain, and all their probably very-shiny gear now not in your stock.
If all of this sounds alarmingly off-putting, let me emphasize earlier than shifting on to SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered’s record of enhancements that the unique sport continues to be good regardless of its myriad eccentricities. The energetic sprites and delightful backgrounds add inventive weight to the sport’s each scene, whereas Masashi Mamauzu’s attractive soundtrack lends lush element.
The fight is enjoyable when you’ve lastly gotten the dangle of it. The aspect system is properly fleshed-out; there are differing weapon varieties to contemplate; an tools sturdiness mechanic is built-in properly with out ever feeling overly harsh; enemies are able to taking ample hits to maintain you in your toes, however are seldom “HP sponges” that overstay their welcome. Duels are fairly cool, as you’ve acquired to string collectively your assaults, buffs, and debuffs thoughtfully.
There’s quite a bit to like in SaGa Frontier 2. It’s merely that for each two nifty ideas, it’s all the time been held again as a result of certainly one of them is inevitably a convoluted affair. So, what does SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered do to rectify all this? To start with, there are methods to port over a lot of your character improvement to new get together members because the plot’s clock ticks ahead in subsequent chapters. This alone improves the sport significantly, because it now not appears like a lot of that progress is in the end for naught. There may be an considerable motive now to construct of us up in service to the longer term.
And it’ll all come simpler to you, too, because of the addition of a sorely-needed tutorial part that’s chock-full of important info. Make no mistake: you will wish to seek the advice of this sub-menu on a routine foundation till all of it comes collectively naturally in your mind. If that is your first time taking part in SaGa Frontier 2 in any style, you may by no means notice simply how good you’ve acquired it by means of the sheer capacity to make sense of all of it. Really, I’ve by no means earlier than felt the necessity to dedicate a full paragraph in a assessment to shining a lightweight on tutorials, however that is that massive of a deal.
Two varieties of further story content material have been crafted for Remastered, and so they’re equally appreciated. The primary is a sequence of recent occasions interspersed inside the present framework. With them comes a considerably deeper appreciation for the forged, as there’s a bit extra for the core characters to chew on, and one thing extra carefully resembling a full arc for a number of of the much less central figures. Whenever you’ve acquired a setting as rad as SaGa Frontier 2’s, it’s good to spend extra time soaking all of it in, and since plenty of these occasions contain full-fledged, dungeon-diving escapades, what’s to not love?
Past the interwoven sections is a few appreciated post-game fare, together with entertaining new super-bosses that basically examined my mettle at instances. I’m undecided I cherished these elements fairly as a lot because the main-game add-ons, nevertheless it’s nonetheless strong stuff.
There’s a little bit of an unlucky distinction between the sharp sprites and the softer backgrounds on this remaster, which may result in assorted perplexing moments when a battle erupts to make heads or tails of the panorama. That is by no means enjoyable, however simply the identical, I do assume the inventive imaginative and prescient in these backdrops shines by means of the minor setback.
For many who might have performed the recently-released SaGa Emerald Past, and/or the sensible remake Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, it should be emphasised that you need to count on one thing wildly totally different with SaGa Fronter 2 Remastered. Whereas SaGa Emerald Past thrives on a plethora of branching narrative paths, and Romancing SaGa 2 blends a level of path-splitting with a generation-spanning deal with the trials and triumphs of a single beleaguered kingdom, SaGa Frontier 2 largely eschews a lot of what’s on faucet with both entry; it’s extra of a “conventional” JRPG – to the restricted extent {that a} SaGa title ever actually can.
They’re all value taking part in in their very own proper. And also you will encounter some connections; the glimmer system, for example, is one thing of a SaGa staple, and there’s an ironic sense of familiarity in Kawazu’s dedication to persistent unfamiliarity. You by no means fairly know what you’re going to get going into certainly one of these video games, and so their particular person spirits of individuality makes them as inviting as they’re intimidating. It’s the responsibility of remasters equivalent to SaGa Frontier 2 and Romancing SaGa 2 to make clear these intimidations the place they will, and so they each carry out adequately, if not spectacularly, on this regard.
Accessible for the primary time exterior of Japan is the Dig! Dig! Digger mini-game, now constructed immediately into the menu somewhat than necessitating a tool which by no means launched worldwide. As with the PocketStation mini-games seen in Closing Fantasy VIII and The Legend of Mana – thanks for bringing each of these into their respective remasters as nicely, Sq. Enix! – this dig-centric facet content material generally is a prime supply of things, and it’s a cute little shindig besides.
Toss within the speed-up possibility and fast save performance, and SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered has the whole lot it wanted with the intention to lend a intelligent but overly sophisticated RPG a brand new lease on life. I don’t know the way Akitoshi Kawazu retains discovering the funding to make new SaGa video games and revitalize outdated classics, however his group has continued to ship the products with this excellent journey down reminiscence lane.
Model Performed: PlayStation 5
Disclaimer: Overview code offered to Nova Crystallis by the writer Sq. Enix.