Romancing SaGa

"It's Far-out and Groovy, man"

SaGa is back, and better, and more laid-back and groovy than ever. Gone are the painful days of Unlimited Saga (it doesn't merit the trademark uppercase 'G').

Romancing SaGa for PS2 is SaGa as it should be... and fans of this unique series, as well as new comers, should be pleased. You may choose your main hero from a group of 8 characters at the start of a new game, and each of those characters has a unique storyline within and in resolution of the main story. The game also creates an extra file on your memory card to keep track of which characters' story[s] you've completed.

Originally released for the Super Famicom console in Japan, in the early 90s; the PS2 version of Romancing SaGa is a complete, totally re-done incarnation, in all of it's 128-bit glory. Only the character names remain. The story remains true to it's old self, though now being finished and expanded in some areas.

GRAPHICS- 9.

This is a gorgeous game. A bold feeling color palette is incorporated in a soft cel-shaded type graphic style. Some players may not like the slightly deformed character models, but they are incredibly detailed and definitely what one expects in a next-gen rpg. The artistic quality of the overall game world easily makes up for characters that seem to be a little top heavy... if that is even an issue.

MUSIC/SOUND EFFECTS - 9.

Square-Enix is known for their game music, among other things. This game is yet another musical triumph. The music for the SuperFamicom version was already ahead of it's time; but with the remixed, technologically upgraded and additional tracks included in this version... it's even better. The sound FX are top notch, and although some of the voice actors can be irritating occasionally, they take nothing away from the audio quality. So, over all, very good music and sound.

GAMEPLAY - 10.

If you like very deep, turn-based battle systems with a ton of options, a high learning curve, an abundance of equipment choices, and the ability to specialize any character in whatever weapon/skill/magic the game offers according to your wishes... Romancing SaGa is for you. There is so much going on in this game, both in and out of battle. And if you like freedom to go where you want to go, and do what you want to do, until you feel like going where the story would like you to go... this game is for you. But as a rule, freedom is the backbone of the SaGa series. Now, going off the beaten path may cause you to miss an occasional recruitable character or sidequest; but sometimes it is worth it. Discovery can be the mother of invention in this game.

STORY - 8.

The story is your basic "evil 'beings' are trying to destroy everything" melodrama. SaGa's have never been known for story telling, anyway. Gameplay is what it's mainly about. But the ability to choose the main hero from a group of 8 characters, and see how they resolve the storyline within their characters story can be fascinating if you think about it.

REPLAY VALUE - 9.

Romancing SaGa has 8 distinct paths, leading to 8 distinct endings of a single, over arching story. You definitely would need to, or maybe even strongly want to replay this game.

OVERALL - 9.

Last word. This is an awesome game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/05