Originally released in 1993 for the Super Nintendo’s Japanese counterpart, the Super Famicom, Romancing SaGa 2 is a console-styled RPG in the vein of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy series. The 16-bit entries in both franchises share a similar aesthetic, and many feature a turn-based combat system that encourages players to develop strategies that exploit enemy weaknesses.
Unlike the more popular Final Fantasy series, however, the SaGa games target a hardcore fan base with unconventional gameplay mechanics, resulting in a high degree of difficulty. Designer Akitoshi Kawazu created the SaGa series and directed many of its sequels, continuing difficulty-oriented gameplay trends he introduced in 1988’s divisive Famicom release Final Fantasy II.
Though Romancing SaGa 2 was never previously available in English, many subsequent series entries have been localized over the years, including SaGa Frontier for the original PlayStation and the PS2-era sequel Unlimited SaGa. Tracing the franchise back to its roots, the first several SaGa games were localized as the Final Fantasy Legend series on Nintendo’s monochrome Game Boy.
Square Enix notes that the upcoming mobile version of Romancing SaGa 2 will feature remastered graphics, new playable classes, and a New Game Plus feature for expert players. While a PS Vita version of Romancing SaGa 2 was recently released in Japan, Square Enix has not announced plans to localize the Vita edition for western audiences.
Keeping in line with Square Enix’s premium-priced mobile releases, Romancing SaGa 2 will be available for $18 when it hits iOS and Android storefronts later this week.
