Big Hero 8
Brace yourselves for a shocking statement: Square-Enix have made a LOT of role-playing games. Despite the ironic title of their flagship series, it doesn’t look like there will ever be an actual final fantasy for these guys. Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger, Octopath Traveller, Star Ocean… there’s an infinite wealth of bafflingly titled, super-long role-playing adventures here! So it’s extremely likely that there are entire series of such games that you’ll simply never have time to tackle, at least not with the average human lifespan. Despite this, there has been an amazing push to make these titles accessible to modern audiences via some terrific port work, from big blockbusters to the more obscure fare. Case in point, Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered International.
Yes, that strange assembly of words is indeed the title of the remake of the 23-year-old original instalment of the franchise. This isn’t even the first time this title has been made available on modern formats! So how does it fare as an entry point?
Picking from eight characters, you’re dumped into the world of Mardias. Unlike its exposition-heavy contemporaries, Minstrel Song is far more freeform, with brief, character-focused context before letting you loose. Picking orphaned ranger Claudia, for example, starts you in a deep, maze-like woods with two handy animal companions.
With little to no guidance, you’ll have to thoroughly explore this area to progress. While this is quite a daring structure for the genre, it’s not without issues. That aforementioned forest section? Every part looks incredibly similar, and there’s little other gameplay than wandering aimlessly until you hit a battle to move the narrative forward. Not a great first impression, but a good indicator of what to expect. For players who’ve previously explored this world, this package includes new European localisations, new bosses and new party recruits. Seemingly not too different from the previous release, but hey! You’re in for the long haul here. Why not have as much content as possible?
True Romance
The battle system is a very traditional turn-based affair. However, Square-Enix’s brilliant decision to allow these moments to be sped up in their remasters really helps to avoid monotony. The game does show its age in other areas, however, especially when traversing. As you navigate the twists and turns of the world, the game constantly judders as you collide with the strange path detection and awkward architecture. The game still has an appealing, stylised look, which has helped it to age excellently from a visual perspective. The jump to HD has really worked to its advantage, and the world is still beautifully detailed.
Romancing SaGa may not be for everyone. Hell, it may not even be for fans of other Square-Enix RPGs! However, it’s vital to celebrate experimentation, and it’s incredible how fresh it still feels, despite its PS2 heritage. With subsequent instalments readily available, this package is a great place to jump in. This one is for the romantics!
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