Romancing SaGa
Encyclopedia
is a role-playing video game
originally developed and published by Square
as the fourth game of their SaGa series. Initially made available in January 1992 for the Super Famicom
, the game was later ported to the WonderSwan Color handheld system in December 2002, with both releases being exclusive to Japanese players. In April 2005, an enhanced remake of the title for the PlayStation 2
called was released in April 2005 in Japan, and in English for the first time in North America the following October simply under the title Romancing SaGa. The game was designed by Akitoshi Kawazu
who had served as head developer for the previous SaGa titles, with fellow series veteran Kenji Ito
providing the game's soundtrack. In 2009, the original Super Famicom version was ported to mobile phone
s and the Wii
Virtual Console
service in Japan.
Set in the fictional world of Mardias, Romancing SaGa allows players to assume the role of one of eight main characters who must journey across the world to prevent the resurrection of an evil god named Saruin who was sealed away a millennium previous. The original Super Famicom version sold over a million copies worldwide and was voted by readers of Japanese Famitsu
magazine as the 53rd greatest game of all time in a 2006 poll. Conversely, the PlayStation 2 remake received largely low to average reviews in North America due to the game's high difficulty, steep learning curve, and questionable character design.
Romancing SaGa is a traditional console role-playing game set in a fantasy
world where players must navigate their characters through towns, dungeons, and other environments while taking part in the game's story by interacting with non-player characters. At the start of the game, the player is given the option of assuming the role of one of eight main characters, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and starting points throughout the game's world. In addition, the player must select the profession of the character's parents from a list of eight choices each, which go towards determining their strengths. As a staple of the SaGa series, both gameplay and story are largely open-ended, giving the player the ability to play through scenarios in a number of different orders, with some areas and portions of the narrative only becoming available once they have spoken to specific characters or performed certain tasks. By completing story objectives and meeting new characters, the player is brought closer to the game's end, leading to the final confrontation where they must use all of their acquired skills to succeed.
While traveling through dangerous environments, the player's party can do battle with enemy monsters which roam around the screen and will enter combat when touched. Using a turn-based
approach to combat, battle scenes are played out by having the player input commands for each individual party member at the start of each round, with the selected actions taking place in accordance with a character's "speed" statistic. A player may choose to attack an enemy, use a special weapon skill, cast a magic spell, defend themselves, or flee from battle entirely. Parties can consist of up to five characters that the player will recruit automatically as part of the story, or after they have completed certain story scenarios. As characters take part in more battle, they will randomly learn new weapon skills by attacking normally, as well as randomly gain increased statistics at the end of every few battles, thereby becoming stronger. All characters may become equipped with up to two different kinds of weapons, as well as become outfitted in protective gear that increases their defense against attacks.
. The eight original characters return, they may now assume the role of 38 different classes themselves, which give access to differing statistics and special abilities. In addition, the current weapons held by a character now determine which of their randomly increased stats will have a greater chance of increasing after battle. Combat has been expanded to include a new "Spell Sythesis" system, where specific magics can be fused together to create a modified version of a spell with greater power, or even create a new spell altogether. Additional story scenarios and areas have been added for the remake, including a new script and expanded narrative with new content.
in English. Jamil is a 20-year-old thief from South Estamir, voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino
in Japanese. Claudia is a 22-year-old ranger that was raised by the witch, Eule. She lives in Mazewood, and has a strong connection to Melvir royalty. She is voiced by Yuko Minaguchi
in Japanese and Karen Strassman
in English. Aisha is a 16-year-old herbologist, member of the Taralian tribe, and a carefree tomboy. She is voiced by Yumiko Kobayashi
in Japanese and Carrie Savage
in English. Hawke is a 30-year-old pirate with a rivalry with the pirate known only as the Butcher. He is voiced by Unshou Ishizuka
in Japanese. Sif is a 28-year-old proud warrior that lives in the icy region of Valhalland. She is voiced by Mika Doi
in Japanese and Megan Hollingshead
in English. Gray is a 24-year-old accomplished swordsman who travels the world for love of treasure. He is voiced by Isshin Chiba
in Japanese and Josh Phillips
in English. The final main character is Barbara, a 26-year-old beautiful dancer, part of a traveling troupe. She is voiced by Emi Shinohara
in Japanese.
, it was announced that Square, now Square Enix
, would produce a full remake of Romancing SaGa for the PlayStation 2
that would take full advantage of the system and bring the game into the new console generation. During a panel at the 2004 Tokyo Game Show
, Kawazu described the purpose of the remake as "a functional compilation of the whole SaGa series" that would combine elements from previous SaGa titles into one definitive game, including the "Sketch Motion" art style of Unlimited Saga
and the ability to learn to skills in mid-battle first introduced in Romancing SaGa 2
. The game, titled Romancing SaGa -Ministrel Song- in Japan, features new, fully three-dimensional graphics, additional story elements, and a completely arranged soundtrack by original composer Kenji Ito, now joined by Tsuyoshi Sekito
and Kenichiro Fukui
. Square Enix hired singer-songwriter Masayoshi Yamazaki
to perform the game's theme song "Minuet", which was also released a single in April 2005 in Japan by Universal Music. Voice acting is an additional new feature to the PlayStation 2 version, with spoken dialogue occurring during battles or certain story sequences. As a pre-order bonus for customers who reserved the game in Japan, Romancing SaGa was included with a compilation soundtrack featuring battle themes from previous SaGa titles called Kenji Ito × SaGa Battle Music Collection +.
During the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Square Enix announced that that game would be released in English for the first time under its original title as part of the company's effort to promote more dynamic content from their major franchises. A playable demo was made available at the same event featuring an early version of the English release, as well as the company solidifying the title's release the following October. The North American version features English voice work in place of the original Japanese, though the actors were officially uncredited.
voted it the 53rd best video game of all time as part of the magazine's "All Time Top 100" poll.
's Ultimate Hits
label, and was re-released in May 2006 at a budget price. Minstrel's Song was given a 32 out of 40 by Famitsu Weekly magazine.
Romancing SaGas English release was met with a mild response from critics, who awarded the game mostly average or mixed scores. Game Informer
panned the game's "outdated" and "abominable" graphics and shallow gameplay, calling it "barely even a game" and the "saddest Cinderella story of the year ... [I] haven't felt this sorry for a game in a long time." GamePro
echoed their sentiment, calling the graphics only "moderately pretty" but praising the game's overall art style. The magazine would ultimately declare it "a convoluted and cumbersome RPG that can barely sustain the weight of its bloated and poorly developed story." IGN
felt that the game would be enjoyable for fans of the series who were used to the games' open-ended direction and "countless hours of gameplay", but other players may lose interest due to lack of a unifying story or character development. GameSpot
additionally felt that there was "no persistent story to keep you playing" coupled with "odd" character designs and a "convoluted" battle system that may alienate players who were not used to it. Despite problems with the title's gameplay and presentation, the website would find the game's music to be "excellent" and "the best part of Romancing SaGa." 1UP.com
felt that the game would lack appeal to a casual role-playing gamer, but would "please those gamers who want a very long game" and favored exploration and freedom over a tightly-defined story. The game maintains a 63% average score from aggregate review website GameRankings and a 58% average from Metacritic
.
guide was published in Japan for the PlayStation 2 version of the game. It includes A Bard's Tale, a 31-page novella written by Benny Matsuyama.
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
originally developed and published by Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
as the fourth game of their SaGa series. Initially made available in January 1992 for the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, the game was later ported to the WonderSwan Color handheld system in December 2002, with both releases being exclusive to Japanese players. In April 2005, an enhanced remake of the title for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
called was released in April 2005 in Japan, and in English for the first time in North America the following October simply under the title Romancing SaGa. The game was designed by Akitoshi Kawazu
Akitoshi Kawazu
is a Japanese game producer who was born in Kumamoto Prefecture. He studied ceramics at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Kawazu joined Square in 1985...
who had served as head developer for the previous SaGa titles, with fellow series veteran Kenji Ito
Kenji Ito
, also known by the nickname , is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on the Mana and SaGa series, though he has worked on over 30 video games throughout his career as well as composed or arranged music for over 15 other albums, concerts, and plays...
providing the game's soundtrack. In 2009, the original Super Famicom version was ported to mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s and the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
service in Japan.
Set in the fictional world of Mardias, Romancing SaGa allows players to assume the role of one of eight main characters who must journey across the world to prevent the resurrection of an evil god named Saruin who was sealed away a millennium previous. The original Super Famicom version sold over a million copies worldwide and was voted by readers of Japanese Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
magazine as the 53rd greatest game of all time in a 2006 poll. Conversely, the PlayStation 2 remake received largely low to average reviews in North America due to the game's high difficulty, steep learning curve, and questionable character design.
Gameplay
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
world where players must navigate their characters through towns, dungeons, and other environments while taking part in the game's story by interacting with non-player characters. At the start of the game, the player is given the option of assuming the role of one of eight main characters, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and starting points throughout the game's world. In addition, the player must select the profession of the character's parents from a list of eight choices each, which go towards determining their strengths. As a staple of the SaGa series, both gameplay and story are largely open-ended, giving the player the ability to play through scenarios in a number of different orders, with some areas and portions of the narrative only becoming available once they have spoken to specific characters or performed certain tasks. By completing story objectives and meeting new characters, the player is brought closer to the game's end, leading to the final confrontation where they must use all of their acquired skills to succeed.
While traveling through dangerous environments, the player's party can do battle with enemy monsters which roam around the screen and will enter combat when touched. Using a turn-based
Turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
approach to combat, battle scenes are played out by having the player input commands for each individual party member at the start of each round, with the selected actions taking place in accordance with a character's "speed" statistic. A player may choose to attack an enemy, use a special weapon skill, cast a magic spell, defend themselves, or flee from battle entirely. Parties can consist of up to five characters that the player will recruit automatically as part of the story, or after they have completed certain story scenarios. As characters take part in more battle, they will randomly learn new weapon skills by attacking normally, as well as randomly gain increased statistics at the end of every few battles, thereby becoming stronger. All characters may become equipped with up to two different kinds of weapons, as well as become outfitted in protective gear that increases their defense against attacks.
PlayStation 2 version
While the core gameplay of the PlayStation 2 version of Romancing SaGa remains the same as the original, the game is now presented using full three-dimensional graphics instead of two dimensional environments and character spritesSprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
. The eight original characters return, they may now assume the role of 38 different classes themselves, which give access to differing statistics and special abilities. In addition, the current weapons held by a character now determine which of their randomly increased stats will have a greater chance of increasing after battle. Combat has been expanded to include a new "Spell Sythesis" system, where specific magics can be fused together to create a modified version of a spell with greater power, or even create a new spell altogether. Additional story scenarios and areas have been added for the remake, including a new script and expanded narrative with new content.
Plot
Romancing SaGa is set in the fictional world of Mardias, which was created by the God Marda. Long ago, war raged between three wicked gods, Death, Saruin, and Schirach, and the lord of all gods, Elore. At the end of that long conflict, Death and Schirach were stripped of their powers, and Saruin was imprisoned through the might of the ten Fatestones and the hero Mirsa's ultimate sacrifice. A millennium had passed, and the Fatestones were scattered throughout Mardias. All this time the powers of evil festered, bent on releasing Saruin from his prison.Characters
All eight main characters grew up in different places, have different backgrounds, and are journeying for different reasons. While playing one of these characters, the player might run into some of the other seven as they adventure across Mardias and lean more about their stories. Beside the eight main characters, there are a number of recruitable characters, ranging from anonymous soldiers to major players in the game's plot and sub-plots. Such characters are mostly found in pubs, although a few can join the player during specific quests. The eight characters include Albert, an 18-year-old frontier guard, son of Lord Rudolf of Rosalia, master of Isthmus Keep. He is voiced by Yuu Urata in Japanese and Yuri LowenthalYuri Lowenthal
Yuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees....
in English. Jamil is a 20-year-old thief from South Estamir, voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino
Hiroyuki Yoshino
is a Japanese voice actor. He is part of Sigma Seven.-Anime:*Allison & Lillia *Angel Tails *Aquarian Age *Azumanga Daioh *Baccano! *Black Jack...
in Japanese. Claudia is a 22-year-old ranger that was raised by the witch, Eule. She lives in Mazewood, and has a strong connection to Melvir royalty. She is voiced by Yuko Minaguchi
Yuko Minaguchi
is a Japanese seiyū from Tokyo who is affiliated with Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:* Princess Apricot in Bosco Adventure * Yumi in Blue Sonnet * Yawara Inokuma and Kaneko Inokuma in Yawara!...
in Japanese and Karen Strassman
Karen Strassman
Karen Strassman is an American voice actress and actress who is most known for her television and film appearances as well as voice acting. She voices many characters in many video games, animated series and anime series, including Zhalia Moon in Huntik: Secrets & Seekers, Fantine in IGPX, Kallen...
in English. Aisha is a 16-year-old herbologist, member of the Taralian tribe, and a carefree tomboy. She is voiced by Yumiko Kobayashi
Yumiko Kobayashi
is a Japanese voice actress. She is currently a freelance voice actor but until August 2007 was affiliated with Arts Vision.She and fellow Excel Saga voice actress Mikako Takahashi are known as the duo "The Excel Girls"...
in Japanese and Carrie Savage
Carrie Savage
Carrie A. Savage is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer primarily known for her work for Bang Zoom! Entertainment, ADV Films, Funimation Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment, Media Blasters, New Generation Pictures, OkraTron 5000, and Viz Media...
in English. Hawke is a 30-year-old pirate with a rivalry with the pirate known only as the Butcher. He is voiced by Unshou Ishizuka
Unshou Ishizuka
, better known as is a Japanese seiyū from Katsuyama, Fukui. He is currently affiliated with Aoni Production and also provides the voice for the Narrator and Professor Oak on Pokémon. During the Johto saga, he voiced Jasmine's Steelix, Pryce's Piloswine, Clair's Gyarados and also Ash's Kingler in...
in Japanese. Sif is a 28-year-old proud warrior that lives in the icy region of Valhalland. She is voiced by Mika Doi
Mika Doi
, née is a veteran voice actress who was born in Sendai.-Anime:* Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple * Air Master * Aura Battler Dunbine * Canvas 2 ~Niji Iro no Sketch~...
in Japanese and Megan Hollingshead
Megan Hollingshead
Megan T.D. Hollingshead is an American theatre and voice actress. She also sometimes goes by the name of Karen Thompson...
in English. Gray is a 24-year-old accomplished swordsman who travels the world for love of treasure. He is voiced by Isshin Chiba
Isshin Chiba
is a Japanese voice actor who currently works for Arts Vision. He is best known for doing the voice of Jin Kazama from the Tekken series.-Anime:*Aoki Densetsu Shoot *.hack//SIGN *Bleach *Chobits...
in Japanese and Josh Phillips
Josh Phillips (actor)
Josh Phillips is an American actor and voice actor well known for his role as Jan Valentine in the anime Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate...
in English. The final main character is Barbara, a 26-year-old beautiful dancer, part of a traveling troupe. She is voiced by Emi Shinohara
Emi Shinohara
is a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. She was born in Fukushima Prefecture and raised in Nagano. She is married to tokusatsu actor Hiroshi Watari...
in Japanese.
WonderSwan Color port
In September 2000, Square announced it had begun development on an enhanced version of Romancing SaGa for the Bandai WonderSwan Color handheld system. According to the company, some of the original Super Famicom version's planned material was unable to be added during its original release due to memory restrictions, and that the new hardware would allow for a more "complete" version of the game. The newly-added material includes an additional story scenario, as well as a side-quest that allows the player to gather all ten "Destiny Stone" items where previously only a few were accessible. While gameplay and audio are identical to the original release, the game's graphics were enhanced to accommodate the system's larger color palette. The game was later released on in Japan December 20, 2001.PlayStation 2 version
In a September 2004 issue of Japanese magazine Weekly Shōnen JumpWeekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
, it was announced that Square, now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
, would produce a full remake of Romancing SaGa for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
that would take full advantage of the system and bring the game into the new console generation. During a panel at the 2004 Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
, Kawazu described the purpose of the remake as "a functional compilation of the whole SaGa series" that would combine elements from previous SaGa titles into one definitive game, including the "Sketch Motion" art style of Unlimited Saga
Unlimited Saga
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation 2 as the ninth game in their SaGa series. Originally released in Japan in December 2002, the game was later made available for North American players in June 2003 and in Europe the following October...
and the ability to learn to skills in mid-battle first introduced in Romancing SaGa 2
Romancing SaGa 2
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and released exclusively for the Super Famicom system in Japan on December 10, 1993. It is the fifth title in the SaGa series. Video game music composer Kenji Ito composed the score.-Gameplay:...
. The game, titled Romancing SaGa -Ministrel Song- in Japan, features new, fully three-dimensional graphics, additional story elements, and a completely arranged soundtrack by original composer Kenji Ito, now joined by Tsuyoshi Sekito
Tsuyoshi Sekito
is a Japanese video game composer, arranger, and musician who has been employed at Square Enix since 1995. As a composer, he is best known for scoring the video games Brave Fencer Musashi and The Last Remnant...
and Kenichiro Fukui
Kenichiro Fukui
is a Japanese video game composer and musician. Before working at Square Enix, he was employed at Konami. He is an arranger and a keyboardist in the band The Black Mages, formed in 2003. Additionally, Fukui arranged Angela Aki's "Kiss Me Good-Bye" from Final Fantasy XII. In October 2007, he left...
. Square Enix hired singer-songwriter Masayoshi Yamazaki
Masayoshi Yamazaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter who plays guitar-driven blues, rock, and pop music, though he has also recorded piano ballads. Though he primarily plays the guitar, he also has played the drums, piano, percussion, saxophone, and glockenspiel on some albums....
to perform the game's theme song "Minuet", which was also released a single in April 2005 in Japan by Universal Music. Voice acting is an additional new feature to the PlayStation 2 version, with spoken dialogue occurring during battles or certain story sequences. As a pre-order bonus for customers who reserved the game in Japan, Romancing SaGa was included with a compilation soundtrack featuring battle themes from previous SaGa titles called Kenji Ito × SaGa Battle Music Collection +.
During the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Square Enix announced that that game would be released in English for the first time under its original title as part of the company's effort to promote more dynamic content from their major franchises. A playable demo was made available at the same event featuring an early version of the English release, as well as the company solidifying the title's release the following October. The North American version features English voice work in place of the original Japanese, though the actors were officially uncredited.
Reception
Super Famicom version
The Super Famicom version of Romancing SaGa was a commercial success in Japan, selling over 1.3 million copies worldwide since its release in 1992. In March 2006, readers of FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
voted it the 53rd best video game of all time as part of the magazine's "All Time Top 100" poll.
PlayStation 2 version
The PlayStation 2 remake sold in excess of 450,000 copies during 2005 in Japan, and was the top-selling game in that country between the weeks of May 2 and May 26, 2005. The game sold enough copies to qualify for SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's Ultimate Hits
Ultimate Hits
The Japanese video game company Square Enix publishes budget range titles under three labels: , "Legendary Hits", and "Eternal Hits".- Ultimate Hits :...
label, and was re-released in May 2006 at a budget price. Minstrel's Song was given a 32 out of 40 by Famitsu Weekly magazine.
Romancing SaGas English release was met with a mild response from critics, who awarded the game mostly average or mixed scores. Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
panned the game's "outdated" and "abominable" graphics and shallow gameplay, calling it "barely even a game" and the "saddest Cinderella story of the year ... [I] haven't felt this sorry for a game in a long time." GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
echoed their sentiment, calling the graphics only "moderately pretty" but praising the game's overall art style. The magazine would ultimately declare it "a convoluted and cumbersome RPG that can barely sustain the weight of its bloated and poorly developed story." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
felt that the game would be enjoyable for fans of the series who were used to the games' open-ended direction and "countless hours of gameplay", but other players may lose interest due to lack of a unifying story or character development. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
additionally felt that there was "no persistent story to keep you playing" coupled with "odd" character designs and a "convoluted" battle system that may alienate players who were not used to it. Despite problems with the title's gameplay and presentation, the website would find the game's music to be "excellent" and "the best part of Romancing SaGa." 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
felt that the game would lack appeal to a casual role-playing gamer, but would "please those gamers who want a very long game" and favored exploration and freedom over a tightly-defined story. The game maintains a 63% average score from aggregate review website GameRankings and a 58% average from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Merchandise
An UltimaniaUltimania
This is a list of companion books relating to games developed and published by Square Enix. Starting with Final Fantasy III, Square began publishing guide books for its games which traditionally include additional content such as developer interviews and expanded plot and setting information...
guide was published in Japan for the PlayStation 2 version of the game. It includes A Bard's Tale, a 31-page novella written by Benny Matsuyama.