We recently had the opportunity to ask Shinichi Tatsuke, the lead producer of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a few questions about the game. As our review of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven review shows, the game itself is an incredible experience! How did the team manage to bring this classic title so successfully into the modern era?
A big thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke for taking time out of his business schedule to grant us this interview.
Q1. (Scott Adams): When remaking an older game from the Romancing SaGa series, what is the design philosophy you held for the game to not lose the original’s splendor?
Shinichi Tatsuke: Early on we defined what parts of the game were important to the identity of Romancing SaGa 2 and made the decision not to make major changes to those parts. Specifically, these were the worldview, the general framework of the story, and systems such as the Inheritance system, Glimmers, and Formations. Meanwhile, we made a series of modifications to the parts of the game that felt challenging to play as a modern RPG. The battle system and growth system both underwent major overhauls, and we also added dialogue to cutscenes to make them feel more natural. As a result, I believe this has become a game suited for the current era while still building on the great qualities of the original title.
Q2. (Scott Adams): What is the hardest part of creating a Romancing SaGa title in the modern video game industry landscape?
Shinichi Tatsuke: Romancing SaGa 2 is a very unique game, so it was hard to think of how best to convey it to today’s players in a way that can be easily understood. That said, being unique means it has many qualities that no other game has. In particular, the Inheritance mechanic was unique for the original game back then, and still is today. While a standard RPG allows players to experience a portion of one protagonist’s life, this game is about succeeding the throne to the next Emperor over several thousand years to defeat their sworn enemies, the Seven Heroes, so we made sure to emphasize this point in Revenge of the Seven and make it one of the game’s most defining features.
Q3. (Scott Adams): What is your favorite part of balancing the difficulty in a SaGa game?
Shinichi Tatsuke: I think adjusting the difficulties of the bosses so that the players can just barely beat them is the most fun and challenging part. (Writer’s Note: Some of these bosses are tough. If you die once, learn the enemy moves, and get your party ready for the next encounter.)
Q4. (Scott Adams): Which of the Seven Heroes is your favorite character?
Shinichi Tatsuke: My favorite is Wagnas because I think how he served as the leader of the Seven Heroes in the past is very cool and admirable.
Q5. (Scott Adams): Which Romancing SaGa game is your favorite in the series and why?
Shinichi Tatsuke: Romancing SaGa 2 is my favorite. As I mentioned before, the extremely unique Inheritance mechanic is the number one reason why, but besides that, I also love that one is able to freely play as various compelling characters, such as Gerard, and how the Seven Heroes are appealing despite them being enemy characters.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is available for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam.
