Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (Rebesaga) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This is an introduction and review article for "Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven" (hereinafter referred to as "Revelations SaGa"), which was released in October 2024.
This game was originally an RPG released by Square in 1993 for the Super Famicom.
That work has been remade after approximately 30 years and released in the Reiwa era.

I think Liberation Saga is a reborn version that respects the original work while pursuing comfort and adaptability to modern times.
Playing on the original difficulty level, it took me approximately 47 hours to complete the first playthrough.

Game Overview and Impressions

Libera Saga is an RPG in which the emperor of the Barenne Empire plays the role of the protagonist.
What sets this game apart from typical RPGs is its system where the main character changes frequently.
The emperor at the start of the game is Leon.
The story begins with Emperor Leon and his son Gerard setting out with their subordinates to seal away monsters.

Field movement in Liberation Saga is not the top-down view from the original, but rather a system similar to that of a typical 3D game.
I was playing the Steam version with a gamepad, and I could move with the left stick and rotate the camera with the right stick.
My basic movement method involved always holding the left stick upwards and using the right stick to move the camera viewpoint in the direction I wanted to turn.
The concept is like always seeing the character's back, with the camera pointing in the direction you want to go—a kind of remote-controlled system.

While exploring dungeons and other areas by rotating the camera around, I experienced some slight motion sickness, but it wasn't a significant problem.
However, because the camera can be rotated, it felt a little easier to get lost in the dungeons, but since there is a complete automap, it wasn't a major problem.

Compared to the original, I felt a much stronger sense of traveling around the world, which allowed me to become more deeply immersed in the game.
Grasslands, deserts, ice fields, and forests—various locations were rendered with the latest technology, creating an overwhelming sense of presence within the game world.

The graphics and sound realistically conveyed the dry air of the savanna, the bright sunshine of the Ludon Plateau, the harsh heat of the Meru Desert, and the damp, humid smell of the Salamat forest.

I was generally satisfied with the fast travel system when moving between maps.
It's convenient to be able to open the world map and move around anytime, no matter which dungeon you're in.

It might have been better if you could jump to any location even more precisely from the map within each individual location, but that would probably take away too much of the tension, so I think this is just the right balance.
I felt that the feeling of somehow reaching the depths of the dungeon while consuming BP (Battle Points) is an essential tension in RPGs.

What I noticed about the battles in Rebirth Saga was the surprisingly good pacing.
The basic battle system is a turn-based command battle, where characters act in order of their action speed, starting with the fastest character.
The turn order is displayed at the top of the screen, showing the turn order for the next turn.
Since it's a turn-based system, no matter how high your action speed is, you can only take one action per turn (although some enemies can take multiple actions).

Each time it's a character's turn to act, they input a command, but the flow of [input → action execution → next input] is fast-paced and progresses smoothly.
While some of the more powerful special moves available towards the end of the game have slightly longer animations, I think the gameplay is generally designed so that the actions are completed in a single breath.

I believe that the combat system is the core of what makes the SaGa series, including Rebirth SaGa, so enjoyable.
It was clear that a lot of care had been taken to ensure comfort, so that the combat, which is the central element of the game, wouldn't become a source of stress.

Another welcome change compared to the original is the visualization of enemy weaknesses.
You won't know the weaknesses of the enemy you encounter for the first time, but by using attacks of various elements, you'll gradually discover what they are strong against and what they are weak against.
The skill selection screen displays information about weaknesses and opportunities for critical hits, making it quite user-friendly.

Speaking of visualization, that applies to the inspiration system as well.
While the ability to learn new techniques during battle is a characteristic of the SaGa series, in Revelations SaGa, you can now see which techniques have the potential to trigger this learning.

Some might argue that it's better not to know if you'll have an epiphany or not.
However, I think that in the end, I'll probably end up just using the techniques that are relevant to the strategy guide, in order to come up with powerful techniques myself.
If most players end up resorting to such methods anyway, it would definitely be more convenient if it were displayed within the game from the start.

The improved visibility is also noticeable on the status screen.
The progress of your weapon and magic skill levels is now easier to understand thanks to the gauge.
Furthermore, information necessary for combat, such as physical defense, magical defense, action speed, and status effect resistance, is clearly disclosed.
(The original version was insufficient.)

I occasionally see statements like, "The real appeal of the SaGa series lies in analyzing hidden data," and I'm sure there are players who enjoy that kind of verification and analysis.
However, many players probably want to see information related to strategy in the normal way.
In the original version, the ability to learn new techniques was not determined by class but by the individual character, meaning that some characters might never learn a particular technique.
If there's no way to find out about it within the game, then it's undeniable that it's dishonest.

Therefore, I think it's important that information is properly disclosed so that players can plan their strategies based on that information, in order to avoid wasting their time.
I think it creates a simple kind of enjoyment where you grasp the necessary information and use it to your advantage in strategy and character development.

The number of formations has increased considerably compared to the original version.
Basically, every class has a formation available, offering a wide range of choices.
It's great that the effects are now clearly stated, making it easier to understand the characteristics of each formation.

However, it is true that as the number of players increased, the number of formations with similar characteristics also increased.
If you pick out a few formations that you find useful, you probably won't need to constantly change your formation.
I think you should choose these options based on your party composition and your personal preferences.

Additionally, the difficulty level can be changed at any time.
Initially, Casual, Normal, and Original modes are available, with Original being the most challenging.
If you have experience clearing the original game, I think it's fine to choose the "Original" difficulty level.
However, if that's not the case, I think it's best to start with normal or casual styles.
Based on other people's reviews, it seems that even on casual difficulty, the bosses are still quite challenging, so you might want to change your play style based on how you feel after fighting the early bosses.
There are also Very Hard difficulty levels designed for players who have already completed the main story, and Romancing difficulty levels that make completion questionable.

I think that even those who played the original version of Rebirth Saga will be able to enjoy a completely different gameplay experience while still feeling the same style.
And even for people who have never played a SaGa game before, I think this is a game I can proudly recommend as an RPG.

First playthrough impressions and strategy notes with screenshots (difficulty level, original)
*Spoiler alert*

In this section, I'll post screenshots I took while playing and write about my thoughts and impressions.
Naturally, this contains spoilers for the main story, so please be careful when viewing.

1000 AD Second Prince Emperor Gerard

I will post a screenshot that serves as a heading for each emperor.
It's not exactly a process yet, but it starts from the time when Gérard was seen in his pajamas (which was often ridiculed).

I never thought that after 30 years, I'd get to hear this line with voice acting.
I was able to get used to the anime-style character designs without any particular sense of incongruity.
Bear's parry is often the subject of jokes, but I think it's actually quite useful.

Why is there an option to say "yes, yes" in such a tense scene?
And I think there's a certain magic to it that makes you choose it for some reason.

Hector falls instantly.
Not just the hoblin, but the early bosses in general were difficult to defeat because they were proper bosses and couldn't be defeated by any tricks.

After Gérard's accession to the throne, the plan was to steadily pursue the capture of the Victor Canal.
Of course, we can't just charge in headfirst, so we'll gather information to recruit the City Thief.

Unlike the original Cat, this version was remade with a cuter design.
There was, of course, no glitch that allowed you to earn unlimited money (right?).

I felt it would be too cruel to abandon them, so I rescued them.
I personally really like the composition of this scene.
Even though Cat is physically in a lower position and status, I like the mischievous, devilish vibe she gives off when she looks down on Gerard.

Just like in the original story, I like how Cat becomes more polite after being rescued, and how it seems like she's come to accept Gerard.

In the original, a dagger was used as a marker, but in the remake, it's replaced with a graffiti-style marker.
I think this is a good modification that brings out the cuteness of the cat.
Unlike the original game, there are quite a few treasure chests placed in locations other than those marked on the path, so if you have the time, be sure to collect them.

In the original game, Viker was just a recolored version of a weak enemy, but in Rebirth Saga, he even has a voice actor.
Despite being a subordinate of Pyrorex, which was a rather unfortunate reputation, he was a formidable opponent because he could act twice per turn.

However, I still got the impression that Pyrorex was stronger.
Our initial strategy was to use teamwork to quickly defeat the lizards at the start of the battle.
Since Vikers and Lizards are very susceptible to stun, we will actively try to stun them with sweeps, feints, and slashes.
Whether or not this works properly is the crucial turning point.

リザードを倒した後は、2回行動してくるヴァイカーを優先して攻撃しました。
Leaving the high-attack Pyrorex alive is risky, but the confusion caused by Id Break is fairly effective, so if things go well, it's possible to completely shut it down.
The battle against Vaiker is a good example of how important it is to utilize status effects.

The canal conquest was a bit difficult, so I only partially progressed through the Dragon's Lair event, but I didn't resolve it completely during Gerard's time.
Perhaps because too many players were getting wiped out by the electric attack when trying to use Imperial Cross, the game now offers some advice.

However, the trauma from the original story involving Gelatinous Matter was still deeply ingrained, so I wasn't really keen on going there.

And so, I experienced my first age jump.
As times change, even within the same class, the characters change completely, which gives me a fresh feeling.
In the original, different characters in the same class only differed in color, but in the remake, the details of their faces are different, which gives them a distinct feeling of being different people, and that was great.

1087 Free Fighter Emperor C-Day

Now, the emperor who was most active after Gérard was Cide.
Leon was chosen for this role because of his sword skills, which he excelled at.
I'm curious about the Cumberland royal succession issue, but let's take a slight detour.

The remake adds a great many formations, and Assault Fang is one of them.
Imperial Cross is a fairly easy formation to use, but I wanted to use the Emperor's formation, so I mainly fought with Assault Fang.

I was curious to see if Rapid Stream would be strong this time around, so I headed to Mobelm hoping to recruit the armed merchant fleet as quickly as possible.
However, I made the wrong choice, and although the problem was solved, I wasn't able to join the group.
They should have taken a stronger, more assertive stance.
I gave up on trying to recruit them for the time being and headed to Cumberland.

Since it would leave a bad taste in my mouth if it were destroyed, I headed to Cumberland.
The Holy Order has always been one of my favorite classes, so I was really excited to add them to my party as soon as possible.

武力のゲオルグよりも、治世のソフィアと思って推しましたが、その場合トーマの役目は何になるのだろうと思ってしまったので、本当はトーマが良いのかもしれませんね。
However, I remembered that if I supported Toma, I wouldn't be able to point out the discrepancies with the king's will, so I ended up supporting someone other than Toma.
Perhaps because she was a female emperor, she had unique lines of dialogue, and I was surprised by the level of detail.

I received "A U O".
Who started saying that you can't say it because you don't have "i" or "e"?

After this, the civil war was successfully quelled, and Cumberland was brought under my control.

Now, this is the monster's lair that has been left untouched since Gerard's time.
I hesitantly take on Gelatinous Matter (which I had mistakenly thought was Gelatinous Master for many years).

I was lucky enough to come up with the sword technique "Air Pressure Wave" in Cumberland, and it worked incredibly well, allowing me to defeat the enemy surprisingly smoothly.
I used Fireball and other abilities in conjunction with this to chip away at their health, and I didn't have any particular trouble.

It was a hassle to go back to the dragon's lair and then go all the way to the deepest part again, but I wanted to recruit a martial artist, so I did it to save face.

After that, they secured the southern gem mines, and the reign of Emperor C-D came to an end.
I think he was an emperor who fought in quite a few battles.

1201 Holy Order Emperor Peter and Paul

Now, next up is Emperor Peter of the Holy Order.
His main achievements were building Leonbridge and falling in love with a mermaid.

I triggered an event with the Mermaids, but we were wiped out in battle midway through, making me the first emperor to fall before achieving my goals.
The Mermaid event can only be progressed if the Emperor has encountered the Dancer, so it's impossible to recruit the Dancer as a companion in this playthrough.

Taking advantage of the emperor's collapse, they consolidated their forces by having several emperors ascend to the throne only to abdicate (or be murdered).
However, I didn't find many formations that I personally found useful, so from then on I mainly used Holy Wall.

After Emperor Peter fell, and following several other emperors, Emperor Ball ascended to the throne.
He was a fairly energetic and accomplished emperor.

With the goal of defeating Bokhoorn, I built the Imperial University and earned a lot of money by taking its exams.

I unexpectedly encountered Dantarg, whom I never thought would be there, but I managed to defeat him without taking any special measures.
We managed to withstand the attacks by using the flowing slash to significantly reduce their strength, giving each member a means of healing, and defending properly during their charge attacks.
I was surprised because I thought we'd encounter it much later.

We were finally able to build the magic research institute here.
Up until now, our means of healing relied on either healing potions or healing magic from classes that knew the spells, but now that we can equip everyone with healing magic, the party's stability has increased.
While aiming to acquire the area-of-effect magic spells Stone Shower and Galaxy, I also begin to aim to learn Quick Time, which was very powerful in the original game.

What surprised me about Rebirth Saga was how much easier the spells are to use.
It's subtly satisfying to learn an enhanced version of a basic attack spell just when its power starts to feel insufficient.
In the original game, raising the water level was difficult, but in this game, offensive magic has been added, which makes it much easier to train, and that's a relief.
The Water Gun Lv.2 looks cool, like a piercing shotgun.

Also, it was helpful that there were healing spells for various attributes.
In the battle against the Seven Heroes, where the terrain is strong and naturally recovers, I wanted to use spells of the opposite element to negate the terrain's effects, so I used Life Water, Moonlight, and Earth Heal interchangeably.

1348: Emperor Henry of the Armed Merchant Fleet

I wanted to learn Rapid Stream and open a route to Komulun Island, so I made Enrique of the Armed Merchant Fleet the emperor.
I decided to put the Komulun Island event on hold for the time being and used the Imperial University's strategist to try and defeat Bokhoorn.

I thought that Rapid Stream might be useful in battles against weaker enemies if it has an attack method that can wipe out all enemies in one turn.

I got lost quite a bit inside the land battleship, but I managed to reach Bokhoorn safely and defeated it.
Ignoring the clown-shaped doll after it got serious, I focused my attacks on Bokhoorn.
Judging from the memories of the Seven Heroes, Bokhoorn seemed to be a proud man, and there was no indication that he would beg for his life or try to ambush anyone. Could this also be due to the effects of the assimilation technique?

1463: Military Strategist Emperor Hakuyaku

Having tasted the power of his magic, he will continue fighting with his strategist as emperor for a while.
Having conquered the Steppe where Bokhoorn resides, I then moved on to conquering the adjacent Savannah.

Along the way, there was an announcement that Coppélia was finished, so I went to see it.
I might actually prefer the foul-mouthed Coppelia; she's adorably cheeky.

"That's a good idea!" was the response.
Earth-element attacks are very effective against them, so I used Free Mage and Emperor to unleash Stone Shower and wipe them out.

1609 Emperor Nomad Arya

In the next generation, I made Nomad (a woman), who I was immediately drawn to because of her appearance, the emperor.
However, he was made to take responsibility for the eruption of Komulun Island, and the strategist from the same party became the next emperor.
I'm sorry...

The dark magic I obtained in exchange for the salamander and the former emperor's abdication ended up not being used much.

1609 Tactician Emperor Tanpuku

Emperor Tanpuku, the strategist who instigated the previous emperor to obtain the grimoire of dark magic as planned, found it to be less useful than he had hoped, and went to Subier to vent his frustration.
I considered going to the Meru Desert to defeat Noel, but I didn't really like the idea of the desert where my HP would be halved, so I headed to the cooler ice sea instead.
I believe the Seven Heroes haven't caused any particular harm to humans, but we've defeated them anyway.

The boss of the dungeon "Children and Baby Moo," which appears in relation to Nazelle, is three frogs.
Using the Sidewinder short sword technique instantly kills enemies, making the battle surprisingly easy.

In Nazelle, I finally learned the long-awaited greatsword technique "Chaotic Snow, Moon, and Flowers," and I was deeply moved to realize that I had finally made it this far.
In the battle against Subier, the water-elemental move, Chaotic Snow Moon Flower, was a bit difficult to use due to the terrain.

1787: Coppélia, the Puppet Emperor

The next emperor is the much-anticipated Coppélia.
With the final boss battle in mind, I'm determined to master Temptation and will be tackling the Salamat area with that strong sense of purpose.

When he became emperor, his way of speaking changed, giving him a more dignified aura.
With high base stats and manual commands, this character is quite powerful.

I was relieved to hear that I'm treated as a woman in the Amazonian village.
I fell into a trap.

I like the Tower of Eilnep and the Sunken Tower because they give off a sense of a super-civilization that is quite closely related to the backbone of the Seven Heroes.
In the remake, the memories of the Seven Heroes provide a lot of information even if you're just playing normally.
However, in the original story, there are hardly any events that touch upon the core of the story other than the conversation with the water dragon in the sunken tower, so this scene is very memorable.

1898 Last Emperor

And before we knew it, it was already the reign of the final emperor.
It makes me sad to think that this long battle is coming to an end.

First, I went to defeat Kujinshi.
The final emperor (female) has a dignified voice, and I think she's just really cool.
When Victor and Leon were defeated, they seemed like formidable enemies, but now that they've fought against so many of the Seven Heroes, they feel rather insignificant.

I was torn between keeping Wagnas or Noel as my last character, but after much deliberation, I decided to keep Noel.
The Yauda region is appealing because it offers a wide variety of classes to join your party, including East Guards, Ninjas, and Iris.
The Desert Guard didn't appeal to me as much as the other three classes.
He's an old man...

I thought the poet's instrument was much easier to retrieve compared to the original work.
The expressions on the faces of the City Thief and Imperial Guard as they comfortably listen to the music are adorable.

Contrary to expectations of a reserved race, Iris turned out to be surprisingly assertive.
This outfit is just as daring as the final emperor's.

In the ancient city, we were able to obtain detailed information about the Seven Heroes.
I felt it might be uncouth to go into detail about the backgrounds of the Seven Heroes, but since this is titled "Revenge of the Seven," I think the remake's purpose was to properly depict these circumstances.
Ultimately, I feel it was a good thing because their charm came across more effectively.

I don't think there are many scenes where all seven heroes are on the same screen, so I thought it was a bit rare and took a screenshot.

The reason why Sagther was at the moving lake was explained.

I was watching, thinking that the ninja was pretty much Yuffie from FF7.
I initially thought it would be a city thief-type class, but it turned out to be a class heavily focused on offense, using greatswords and martial arts.
cute.

He was cool in the original work, and Sekishusai-dono was just as cool in this film.
Since it was the era of the last emperor, there were plenty of magical attack options available, so we didn't have much trouble.

King Ato had been acting incompetently, but seeing Sekishusai risk his life for him must have moved him.
Just like in the original story, he suddenly became resolute and remorseful.
Sekishusai had asked me to spare the king's life, so I couldn't possibly break my promise.
(However, it seems that the outcome will not change regardless of which option you choose.)

With the help of the Iris tribe, we headed towards the floating castle.
It was heartbreaking to see her fall after arriving, saying "I'm okay," but then losing all her strength.
I think I was simply tired, but there was an atmosphere that made me feel like I was going to die, and I was reluctant to leave.

If I choose "I'm going home now," as in the original story, she'll probably actually give it back to me, but that's too much trouble, so I won't choose that option.

Now, next up is everyone's traumatic event: the arrival of the Real Queen.
Since it wasn't something that was forced to start, we delayed the timing of when it would occur for a while.

Perhaps because realistic depictions were impossible, the scenes were censored.
Does this mean that it grows inside the body like an alien, then bursts out by eating its way through?
It's terrifying because it's not just civil servants who become victims; everyone in the class who becomes your comrade can fall prey to them.
It's scary when it starts in a place that should be safe and comforting.

I'm glad that they've delved into Viktor's personality, which hasn't been talked about much before.
It seems that the flowing slash isn't necessarily the strongest technique.

Saying, "I accept the challenge," the Emperor completely shuts down Victor's swordsmanship with a sword barrier.

And instead of fighting with swords, he burns them with beams.
真剣勝負で手段は選んでいられないので仕方ないですね（無慈悲）。

We'll explore various ruins, complete any remaining events, and then head to the final dungeon.

Noel is already heading to the final dungeon, so it doesn't really matter, but I went to see the event with the hippopotamus man in Tereltheba just in case.
I like this event because it has a somewhat comical feel to it.

After defeating Noel, who was protecting the main body of the Seven Heroes, we finally reach the final boss.
After trying a few times, I realized I couldn't win, so I withdrew and made the necessary preparations.

First, I started by completing the teacher stamp.
The rewards, such as an extra ability slot for your allies and an additional link gauge, are very significant, so I think you should definitely try to collect them all.

In addition, I will write about any other techniques or skills that I feel are necessary.
First of all, the combined heaven and earth technique "Wall of Light," which can be obtained deep within the Garden of Avalon, is very powerful.
At the beginning of each turn, before the enemy attacks, you'll want to have a character ready to use this technique.
Reducing damage from all attributes by half is a huge advantage.
If it's difficult to act before your enemy, use Quick Time to ensure you act first.

Next, what we need is a full-party heal using the combined Heaven and Wind magic, "Restoration."
Even with the light barrier mitigating damage, it's still dangerous if you don't keep your HP at full.
Since we don't have time to heal each person individually, having a way to heal the whole group is very important.
Since you can't revive characters who are incapacitated, make sure you have some single-target healing spells ready.

Next in importance is the fire magic "Revive".
Even if you've recovered through Restoration, if you're unlucky enough to be hit by a concentrated attack, you can be defeated, and it will take time to recover.
To prevent that from happening, we'll create two people to act as Revivers and use them on everyone.
If you can maintain the Revive state, you can fight fairly safely.

Regarding formations, I was using the Phoenix Dance formation.
By concentrating attacks on the emperor alone and using auto-parry and shields to increase his durability, the party as a whole was kept alive.

By using the methods described above, it is important to minimize damage to your party while building up the cooperation gauge with attacks that exploit the enemy's weaknesses, and then whittling down their health with cooperative techniques.
The techniques I mainly used included Midare Setsugetsuka, Tsubame Gaeshi, and Sky Drive.
Once you have some leeway after using Revive, make sure to attack effectively.

Once the cooperation gauge is full, you'll need to time your actions carefully to aim for a 5-hit combo.
The Seven Heroes will eventually start coordinating their actions, so avoid prolonged battles and be prepared to launch a full-scale offensive in the later stages.
The enemy has so many turns to act that once your strategy is disrupted, it becomes incredibly difficult to recover.

The way the game returns to the beginning after defeating the final boss is a nice touch.
The Seven Heroes were banished after their power was deemed dangerous following their defeat of Term, but the Emperor abdicated and relinquished his power after defeating the Seven Heroes, creating a striking contrast.

He has visions of the people and companions he has met throughout his life, showing that the emperor is by no means a forgotten figure.

Thank you for your hard work.
Thank you so much for this wonderful remake.

After clearing the game, you can challenge the Seven Heroes and defeat the secret boss, which will open the door to Very Hard and Romancing difficulties.
It seems to be quite difficult, so unless you earn a lot of money in your first playthrough, it will probably be difficult to attempt Very Hard mode.

As of November 13, 2024, it seems that players using version 1.9% have earned all the achievements, which I thought was amazing.
Of course, this will likely increase over time as strategies for winning become established.

サントラ: ロマンシング サガ2 リベンジオブザセブン Original Soundtrack(Amazon)