Romancing SaGa Complete Series Retrospective
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- Опубліковано 9 чер 2024
- My complete series retrospective for the Romancing SaGa games. New to the channel? Subscribe here: ua-cam.com/users/subscription_c...
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00:00 - Introduction
00:07 - Romancing SaGa
08:33 - Romancing SaGa 2
17:05 - Romancing SaGa 3
26:02 - Conclusion
#RomancingSaga #SquareEnix #XygorGaming - Ігри
How would you rank the three Romancing SaGa games? Which one do you think was best, and why?
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One thing that wasn't mentioned about the New Game Plus in RS2 is that you dont actually have to beat the game and o unlock it. You can take any savegame into NG+.
This actually helps to alleviate some of the trouble spots in the game, where you may be too outclassed to continue, and have no reasonable way to upgrade your characters. It is also an escape hatch for the very real possibility that you end up making the final generation unwinnable.
True, good points, thanks for mentioning this!
I can't get enough of the animation where those tiny sprites perform a cute spin and then throw a kind of kick!! 😂
I played the mobile game SaGa ReUniverse for a good few years before taking a break a few months ago, i been wanting a history lesson on the history of the games for years. this is why you are the GOAT
Thanks a ton, glad you liked the video!
I would rank them 2>1>3, but I love them all. I like Romancing SaGa 2 the best because of its unique succession system, soundtrack, character designs, and overall premise. Fighting against the Seven Heroes is such an epic experience that hasn't been replicated in another game for me.
First experience with the series was SaGa Frontier, i LOVED that game. One thing i do wish more games would've adopted was the progression system, it just makes sense that a character's strength would go up the more physical attacks he did, or more mp the more you used it, etc. I think it's a brilliant idea that doesn't get used much these days.
Saga Frontier is great! I need to cover that one soon.
But it’s bad as a game design because you can break it by just grinding. Making the bosses worthless
@@guywithdreads you can break literally any game that rewards progression by grinding though. Even games that don't directly reward progression, grind enough and YOU (the person with the controller in his hands) will get better, to the point where the challenge becomes less. Grinding is a good thing though, because honestly if I put the time and effort in, I should be rewarded with an easier time.
With the SquareEnix summer sale going on I was contemplating trying this series out.. Kinda looking for something unique.. Would you recommend Frontier or Minstrel to break in?
@@Mintcar923 it's definitely something unique. I haven't played minstrel song yet, so I'm biased, but ultimately I think it comes down to preference. Frontier is a newer game, so the graphics are more of a 2D/3D hybrid, whereas minstrel is an old school 2D hybrid. If you've played Octopath Traveler, you'd feel right at home with Frontier. I'm playing OT2 and it's giving me STRONG Saga frontier vibes, combat system aside.
I would like to watch a SaGa Frontier review. I really apreciate your insights in retrogaming JRPGs.
Thanks! I will definitely cover Saga Frontier soon.
Thanks for making a video on the SaGa series, they are hugely underrated and I wish more people gave it a chance. I feel playing a SaGa game is similar to Dark Souls, confusing mechanics, challenging gameplay, frustration, but once you get past it, you realise it is something special
Glad you enjoyed it!
There’s nothing like a SaGa game…easily my favorite series. No question. Edit…I truly believe that the modern perception of this series would be vastly different had the RS portion been released to the SNES. Akitoshi Kawazu has recently said that it was his call whether or not to bring them here and he really regrets not doing so.
You may be the only one who has it as their favorite series, but I can totally understand its charm! I will cover the Saga Frontier games soon.
I don't think it was necessarily a bad call. Console RPGs, let alone JRPGs, were fairly niche in the West until Final Fantasy VII. Square tried and failed multiple times in the late 80s and early to mid 90s to get Western gamers to take to the genre like Japanese gamers had.
Also, it's not like SaGa Frontier or Minstrel Song was a hit in the West. Even today, I think the SaGa series is a bit of a tough recommendation, since it's so niche. I don't know of anything else quite like it.
I bought romancing saga 1,2, and 3 on the Xbox about a month ago. This was the encouragement i needed to go ahead and finally start this journey 😆
Fuck yes - there’s so little out there about this. Some of these games were so unique. Pain in the ass on the difficulty - but games in their own league
Thanks, glad you liked the video. You're right - these games are so underappreciated!
This came at the right time. I’m currently 200+ hours, and my 7th playthru of Romancing Saga Minstrel Song. Tbh, RSMS was one of my fave jrpgs on the PS2, and the remaster is just amazing. I love it. I need to play the others, but selfishly I would love to see them get the Minstrel Song treatment or an HD2D remaster like Live A Live.
Glad you like that one more than me!
I'm really happy to see how much love SquareEnix is giving the SaGa games with these remasters (AND that they're getting officially localized and released in the west), it's so cool to be able to finally play these games and experience them!
I love these games so much, thanks for the vid. I think Romancing SaGa 2 is on that top tier with Chrono Trigger, FF6 etc.
Glad you enjoyed!
Love the SaGa series! Some of the best music by Kenji Ito, who had been a protégé of Nobuo Uematsu!!
Right on, great music for sure!
There was no remastering of the soundtracks in the RS2 or 3 remakes….that’s the beauty of the SNES sound chip.
SaGa Frontier!
SaGa Frontier 2!
Especially saga frontier 2! Loved it!
I'm a big fan of SaGa Frontier 1 and 2, but was never able to get into Romancing 1-3 unless it was the remake on the PS2. That one I did a playthrough with Gray and loved it. Great video Xygor.
Thank you!
Same. I just started Minstrel Song (PS2) recently after bouncing off Romancing SaGa. Minstrel Song feels so much more refined, and has a surprising amount of built in guidance to help you understand the game's systems. Also, the soundtrack is great.
I'd like to try out the WonderSwan Color remake of Romancing SaGa, but copies are expensive.
You forgot to mention the command battle system variant for Romancing SaGa 3! One of the most overlooked but useful (and cool) concepts it introduced, in my opinion. Having the protagonist sit out and give special, otherwise unavailable commands to the rest of the party, enabling ridiculously powerful techniques and fusion magic...that's pretty damn cool!
I love the entire SaGa franchise, and I would argue it's as good as, if not better than, Final Fantasy, depending on what you're looking for. I had some issues back in the day getting into the series, though. I played the Gameboy titles (aka Final Fantasy Legend in the West) not knowing they were a series called SaGa, and while I enjoyed them, they were a bit hard to get used to, with all the odd (and very hidden) battle mechanics and such. When I first played SaGa Frontier, I hated it...but that's probably because I rented it, so I had no manual to see how the game even functioned, didn't know online FAQs existed (this was like 1998 after all) and most of all, because I chose Lute as my first protagonist (lol). After deciding to give it a second try, I loved it...and noticed it was basically a revival of the SaGa games from Gameboy. Pretty much been a total fanboy of the series ever since.
RS3 is, without any doubt, my favorite game of all times
Nice, that's some high praise!
All 3, among many others, have been on my backlog since I was a kid messing with emulators in the 90s. One day. Maybe if/when I retire!
Romancing saga 3 for iOS is on sale right now. Get it!
Final Fantasy Legend 2 (SaGa 2) was my very first RPG ever, and was my entry into loving this Genre
Great! I need to cover those ones eventually
@@Xygor you could really start on any of them, but if you want a stronger story 2 or 3 hold much better story. I still like 2 best after beating them all? But I could be bias
Absolutely love the SaGa series (RS3, SaGa Frontier and SaGa Scarlet Grace specially), delighted to see you cover them.
A few small corrections about RS3: the Death Eclipse (the Rise of Morastrum) doesn't destroy all life on the planet, just all newborn life on the year it occurs. If it did destroy all life, there wouldn't be anyone alive on that world at all. The "holy King" is actually female, and is called the Matriarch, and Mikhail is not a king at the start of the story, he's a Marquis.
Thanks, glad you liked the video - and I appreciate these corrections.
The bit about the "Matriarch" is something that SE changed for the remaster's English localization. Their gender is actually never explicitly stated (nor, technically, is the Devil King's (or "Archfiend's"), in the original release. It's literally 魔王/Maou (Devil King) and 聖王/Seiou (Holy King). 王/Ou is inherently male, but there was enough ambiguity surrounding the character's history that I guess they chose to localize it the way they did for some reason.
@@Shuukuriimudaisuki-sama sure, that's true, but i am going with considering the remaster's translation to be canon since in my opinion it is the best way to experience RS3. keep in mind the artwork on the cover art depicts what clearly seems to be a female in opposition to thw Archfiend, so i think it was always the case.
Usually I don't bother commenting on videos, but I love the series too much :P I'd like to offer a few corrections/extra info
1) In RS1, HP doesn't get healed after battle. It's the only game in the SFC trilogy that has this mechanic.
2) Formations in RS1 is a bit more complex than the video lets on. Yes, there are 3 rows, but rows do more than affect damage taken/received. Some weapons can't be used in all rows (eg: you can't use a sword from the back row, a bow can be used in any row, spears can be used in the front and middle row). Also, the way you encounter enemies can change your formation. If you meet the enemy in front of you, you'll fight in the same formation you had setup. If an enemy touches the character from the side, your formation is rotated, meaning some characters may be unable to attack, unless they move to a different row during battle or have a different weapon that can be used in that row.
3) The RS1 remake released years later adds a lot of extra mechanics not found in the original (such as the combo system, a different equipment system (in the original equipment and their skills are set per character and per equipment, and in the remake, if a character learns a skill, he can use it with any equipment of the same type), jewel skill system, magic combination to make them stronger or create new spells etc). It also desn't have the formation system from the original.
4) Formations in RS2 is different than RS1. It doesn't use the same row system. Placement of characters affect how much damage they take and their action speed in battle. There's no set number of rows, it varies depending on the formation you're using. The formation system in RS2 is much closer to RS3.
5) Although for the most part the main character in RS2 doesn't affect the main story, it can can significantly change how some scenarios are played out.
6) RS2 isn't a very well balanced game, but it actually punishes grinding more than forces you to do it. Equipment, skills, magic and formations play a bigger part on strategy (and RNG sometimes). Grinding too much will make you face stronger enemies while you are not properly outfitted to deal with them. You won't get softlocked, but the playthrough will be much harder.
7) I believe the glimmer system in RS3 is very similar to RS2 (where only some enemies may glimmer some techs for certain weapons). But I think that'll only be a problem if you want to learn every tech for a weapon, which isn't necessary.
8) In RS3, you can use some items in battle, like HP healing, status healing and some damage items.
Thanks for the video!
Thanks for all of this, I appreciate it!
I've always thought that the Saga games felt like a continuation of the story and systems of Final Fantasy II. Your description makes them sound like a predecessor to Octopath Traveler.
The creator of the SaGa series directed Final Fantasy 2. You can really see the progression of the system through the games, too, a combination of lessons learned from prior games and experimental new features.
Hey man, was looking to get info about the romancing series. You definitely did a good job here. Appreciate ya.
Glad you enjoyed it!
i just beat final fantasy 16 and the whole time i just couldn’t wait to watch a video of you covering the story. i really hope you’ve gotten to play it because the story is absolutely incredible!
Thanks for this. RS2 and RS3 are on sale for less than 20 bucks for both on the switch e-shop right now.
Glad you liked it!
I haven't played any of these games, but I still found value in this retrospective for showing me what kind of games they are- and most of all, what to actually expect from them since only some seem to be the kind of plot-driven games I enjoy most in the RPG genre. Probably prioritize game 1 and 3, and maybe end with 2 if I'm feeling experimental. Thanks for the video!
More like Romancing SaGa: Gelfling Song 😎
I don't get it. Gelfling, like The Dark Crystal?
Nice video. This series need a bit more love. If you go in open minded not expecting a standard JRPG it´s really good. The exploration, the story, side quests, customization, music and replay value.
I love playing Romancing SaGa on Nintendo Switch, the physical versions only released in Asia, that´s fine for now.
Couldn't agree more!
Good thing they came up with that gacha game a few years ago: Romacing Saga re Universe. That was my intro to this series, and I've been addicted to it for almost 3 years now!
my first experience with the saga series was saga frontier. i rented it at blockbuster.
i liked the cover art and of course because it was from squaresoft. as soon as i started playing it i was confused. i had that "what the hell is this?" moment.
years later i bought a copy on ebay to add to my ps1 collection. i got farther than before but it was still difficult.
i might want to try RS2 after seeing this video.
Yeah, I think a lot of people had a similar experience with Saga Frontier! Definitely a lot different vibe than Final Fantasy. Give 2/3 a try for sure!
My first "final fantasy" game was the first SaGa.
Thanks for the video.
You bet!
I'm surprised you prefer the original Romancing SaGa to Minstrel Song. The latter seems much more refined to me.
Also, a minor addendum: The first remake of Romancing SaGa was for the WonderSwan Color. It was during Square's breakup with Nintendo. They also remade FF I, II, IV, SaGa 1, and Front Mission for the WonderSwan Color.
I find it ansolutly mind boggling that the lesser known saga games got these beautiful remasters but final fantasy got a way less inpressive remaster.
Sometimes when a release is low stakes, they let the developers be more creative. They probably set out to make those pixel remasters "ok" so the many other forms that exist will still be viable products.
Started with saga frontier and I fell in love with it. Sage frontier II was also amazing. I look forward to you covering those 2 one day.
Also what do you consider retro in this day and age? Ps2 and bellow?
Thx for this content.. i purchased the 2nd one on xbox
Glad you liked it!
Xygor. Xyyyygor! Prepare the frankenstein
My first experience with the SaGa games was SaGa Frontier 2.
I didn't understand it when I played it in Middle School.
Then i played the first SaGa Frontier.
Then i found out about the rest of the series.
I need to try them out.
Right on, I need to cover Saga Frontier and Saga Frontier II soon!
wonder if skills can be used after changing weapons. good show.
Back in 2003 I found the rom of this and had to hack it with a translation patch someone made. First time I ever had to go into the guts of a rom file
Good video
Thanks for the visit!
I like how Romancing SaGa has better graphics than the pixel remasters.
You think so? I guess some parts are!
My favorite SaGa is frontier... specially the Alkaiser story
I need to cover that one soon!
@@Xygor aguardo ansiosamente! Much love from Brazil!!
Correction: FF IS Square soft's flagship, and Dragon Quest is Enix's
FF2 is the granddad of Saga and should have just been a saga.
Think RS Minstral was trying to do FF9 thing but I would rather have RS 2 style or 2dHD
Definitely was the biggest inspiration for the whole series!
Great retrospective my dude, very informative and just what i was looking for. Been looking for a classic JRPG to scratch that itch so SaGa 2 remake it is and not those hideously ugly minstrel remakes, cheers!
Thank you, glad you liked it!
Romancing Saga Minstrel song is in my top 10.
Glad you like it more than me!
@@Xygor I was so excited when they announced the remaster. Also, it might be because I played it before the originals. My first Saga game...well...we can all agree Unlimited Saga was flawed.
I have romancing saga 2 and 3 on the vita
How do you like them?
I just want to point out the 2 & 3 are ok the Google Play store and are on sale for 70% off until tomorrow!
As someone who uses their Android for emulating old RPGs, getting these versions are likely a step up from the patched Japanese versions.
I've beaten SaGa Frontier I & 2 multiple times and loved them. I also had the mistitled Gameboy ones but I was too young to know what the hell I was doing.
Fuck Unlimited SaGa.
I'm thinking about getting into the SNES titles but not sure where to start.
I'm hesitant because I'm looking for a good story right now and I know that's not the focus on these games.
What has the better story, any of the SNes SaGas or Dragon Quest V?
That's what I'm considering for my next Android purchase.
Dragon Quest 5 has one of the beat stories told on the SNES in my opinion... Saga games don't even try to have a real story. Not that they are trash they are just the furthest thing from a story driven game you can find in rpgs.
@bobjoemac1 Thank you. I remember trying to get into Dragon Quest many years ago when 7 hit the States.
I gave it a truly honest try, I did, but Jesus Chrst was I profoundly disappointed.
I gave it another go with DQ8 despite the previous experience. The graphics with the Toriyama art style pulled me in. I dont remember the story but I remember really enjoying it.
DQ5, it is.
i have played Saga3 like 10yrs
Time to revisit it!
I have Romancing Saga 2 on PS4 and damn this is way too hardcore 😅
There is that first Dungeon and I can't make it to the third floor, I barely make it through the second one.
To Level up the Skills with that system is so hard, because it takes so long.
In FF2 it's similar with the Skills and it's way more easy than in RS2.
I don't know if I can get used to RS2.
Did you have a different microphone for the third game?
Your voice sounds higher, less rich there. Or was that video is just much older, and your voice sounded “younger”, so to speak.
Yes, the video for the third game was recorded first and before I got a much better mic.
@@Xygor thanks. Why did you decide to start your reviews with the third game? You did not have cartridges for other games at the time?
Subbed, but please don't blast ost at me. Ur voice and commentary are chill
Very based
Haha, thanks!
Can you do the ff8 story
Glad you like it!
AND FFX2 STORY
wish for ramaster of original Romancing SaGa.
Not a fan of chibi style from Minstrel song, and new characters' design are kind of lame comparing to the original one.
Totally agreed!
The original super Famicom and steam versions are the only versions worth playing because of the performance, the modern console remasters of both RS2&3 run like crap, even on the ps5, the ps4 remasters run at 30fps, how square Enix can't get ps4 remasters of super Famicom games to run at least 60fps on the ps5 is beyond me, it makes no sense, especially considering the most demanding games on ps5 can run easily at 60fps, the only two saga games on Playstation with decent performance are the ps4 versions of saga frontier remastered and saga scarlet grace ambitions, but both are fantastic games, the performance on the ps5 version of romancing saga minstrel song remastered has been improved as well but still isn't a stable 60fps, sorry for the rant but super Famicom and ps2 remasters should be running at least 60fps, if not 120fps on the ps5
Interesting, I thought 2 and 3 ran pretty well on Steam
You're getting a lot of Plosives in your audio. Don't put the microphone so close in front of your mouth.
The SaGa series is just not for me, I can't stand the choose between multiple protagonist thing. I can barely stand it in Star Ocean.
I can understand that!
Cool.
Romancing SaGa 2 only has you choose between two final emperors
*I JUST* love how naive all those games are with the “forces of evil” narrative.
For some reason, it is described as “fantasy”, even though it is actually fairytales, which are rooted in primitive pagan tribal culture.
🤡
#im14andthisisdeep #iamverysmart
I hate modern 'grafix' and they should just do pixel art, everything else is a waste of time. Stop it, such trash.
Totally agreed!
Can’t wait to see you do octopath games
I've reviewed both of them! Check my playlists
@@Xygor no way, I’ll check it out