A surprisingly resurrected masterpiece of nonlinear JRPGs.
Fans of Japanese role-playing games had a wonderful time growing up during the PlayStation era. The company that was formerly known as Squaresoft, Square Enix, was at the peak of their game as they released hit after hit. Among the heavyweights, such as Final Fantasy and Chrono Cross, there were a few outliers that stood out from the others, and SaGa Frontier was one of them.
Released in 1997 by Akitoshi Kawazu, the originator of the SaGa series as a whole, which is renowned for its unconventional gameplay mechanics and free-form narrative, SaGa Frontier Remastered provided a nonlinear and open-ended experience. This was in contrast to the majority of Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) at the time, which were organized with evident narratives and progression.
When the remastered edition was released several decades later, it was more than just a journey down memory lane; it was an opportunity to determine whether or not this one-of-a-kind video game had been able to withstand the passage of time. As a result of disrupting the usual storyline, SaGa Frontier Remastered gives you the opportunity to select from seven different heroes, each of whom has their own specific story.
In this remastered edition, an eighth scenario has been added to build on the initial ideas that were left unfinished. One of the most attractive aspects of this new game is that the journeys of all of the characters take place in the same shared world.
You will come across the heroes as you go, which will result in the creation of a complex network of interconnected stories. Some stories are classic examples of hero’s journeys, stories that are about love, and stories that are about those who seek revenge. Then there is the strange thing, which is a plain effort to improve one’s financial situation or a conflict with beings that transcend dimensions.
The structure of these situations can be both thrilling and unpleasant at the same time. There is no instruction given to you at all; certain tasks need you to either roam around aimlessly or piece together hints from conversations with non-player characters. This resulted in a great deal of wandering and frustration in the original game; the remaster includes a quest log that will assist you in keeping track of both your primary objectives and your side quests.
Nevertheless, you are essentially on your own when it comes to discovering hidden occurrences, someone who is attractive for recruitment, and even certain significant portions of the tale. This particular design style makes the game livelier and engaging despite the fact that it may be challenging for players who like more structured tales.
The gameplay of SaGa Frontier Remastered is a fantastic combination of concepts that are interconnected and produce a one-of-a-kind experience for every playtime. Instead of grinding levels like you would in most role-playing games, advancement is earned through combat and the acquisition of skills.
While monsters consume enemies in order to develop new talents, humans gain stats and acquire knowledge while engaging in combat. Mystics, Monsters, and Robots each have their own unique leveling systems. Robots, on the other hand, are rather distinct from the other characters because their strength increases in proportion to the various pieces of equipment they wear.
SaGa Frontier Remastered‘s turn-based combat system provides a surprising level of depth. You might accidentally trigger specific skills that cause explosive “Sparking” occurrences, whereby your character would get a new skill. Characters can also combine their strikes to form deadly team combinations.
One shortcoming, though, is that these powers are acquired at random, which implies their growth cannot be forced in any manner. You can find yourself battling less strong enemies for hours on end, hoping that a particular method will materialize. This method not only promotes patience but also could be bothersome if you seek a certain talent.
The Life Points (LP) mechanism creates a notable rise in difficulty. The level of LP decides how many times a character can be revived before they must rest at an inn; HP is restored after every fight. If a character’s life points (LP) drop to zero, they stop existing unless you find a means to restore them, hence raising the degree of difficulty of your fight plan.
Although there are several areas in which the remaster is improved, the XP grinding in SaGa Frontier Remastered is easier. You are able to store your progress and gear with the New Game Plus option, which makes several playthroughs significantly easier to complete. You have the option to run any combat, which allows you to skip unnecessary conflicts if you do not wish to level up by participating in them. This is yet another fantastic feature.
Visually, SaGa Frontier Remastered enhances the original pixel art characters by making them more colorful and detailed. This helps to enhance the whole thing. Originally pre-rendered backgrounds, the settings have been cleaned up and polished to help navigation while preserving their retro appeal. The user interface has also been enhanced to keep the old look and enhance the menus and readability.
Even now, the soundtrack is considered to be one of the game’s most impressive features. In addition to electrifying battle and increasing atmosphere in the many locales across the world, Kenji Ito’s songs continue to be as vivid and distinctive as they have always been. The remaster is a delight to listen to once more because it preserves the original tune while simultaneously improving the sound quality.
Apart from re-releasing a classic, SaGa Frontier Remastered also has game enhancements. Though it might not be the most thrilling addition, the extra story for Fuse, one of the game’s first characters, which was never used, offers interesting, fresh perspectives on the other stories.
Particularly with really long bosses, the fast-forward feature is quite helpful. The inability to access the main menu from inside the game is an issue, but it was not expected. Just in case you need to conduct a rapid reset, though, the conventional method of pressing R1, L1, and Start still works.
This version makes the old game easier to play but still keeps its basically unique features. Patience, curiosity, and a willingness to accept a nonlinear narrative are all necessary to play this game. At its heart, this game challenges players to be ready to accept a nonlinear narrative, even if the task log and auto-save serve to smooth out some rough edges. When you finally solve something you have been battling with alone, it is a journey full of discoveries, frustrations, and pure joy.
If you are a fan of planned and directed role-playing games, SaGa Frontier Remastered may be the right game for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy working through mysteries, learning via trial and error, and solving cases, there is nothing to like about this game.
Overall, SaGa Frontier Remastered is an ambitious and gratifying game and a JRPG that risks being unconventional. Although it demands patience, it’s still worth replaying for its nonlinear plot, combat, and overall player freedom. It can be challenging for newcomers to this genre, but once they’ve overcome something they have been struggling with, they’ll be filled with surprises and sheer excitement.
Also, check my SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered review. I wanted to play SaGa Frontier Remastered before playing the sequel’s remastered.
