I wish I played the original Romancing Saga 2 before its misguided remake

digitaltrends.com:

I’ve played a lot of video game remakes in the past few years, but it’s surprisingly rare that I play one without having played the original version first. Usually, my opinions on these projects are shaped by what came before. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth,Resident Evil 4, andSilent Hill 2 are all as interesting to engage with as they are because I understand the conversation between past and present. I don’t often dive into a remake without that helpful starting point, but Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven felt like a perfect place for me to try something new.

Square Enix’s latest remake breathes new life into its 1993 SNES classic, bringing its pixelated world into vibrant 3D instead of giving it the HD-2D treatment like Dragon Quest 3. It’s more ambitious than a lot of projects like it, completely rebuilding the original from the ground up rather than giving it a fresher coat of paint. On paper, that makes for a modern reimagining that can better realize a once-limited world.

So, why do I wish I had played the original instead?

• I was a Silent Hill 2 remake skeptic until I played its first 3 hours
• I already love Volgarr the Viking 2 (even though I couldn’t beat its demo)
• I played the original Dead Space before the remake — and I regret it

Revisiting a classic (for the first time)

I decided to start Romancing Saga 2’s remake on a whim after a review code for it landed in my inbox. The Saga series is one of my RPG blind spots and a remake like this felt like it was designed for people like me. It makes a complicated game more approachable by making it look and feel more like a game released in 2024. I imagine the idea here is that it can be an easier entry point for newcomers and hopefully convert them to other Saga games, while still teaching them the series’ roots. I’d be the perfect test case.

If you’re in the same boat as me, you’ll find a lot to dig into when diving in headfirst. Romancing Saga 2 is a classic fantasy RPG with a