The SaGa series is considered a beloved classic franchise amongst many RPG circles. They've had mechanics that have been directly inspired by and have led on to inspire other popular RPG franchises. Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered is a remaster of the 2005 game of the same name, which in turn was a remake of the original game that came out in 1992. With such an old installment being given new life in this modern age, is there something modern players can enjoy in this blast from the past?

As someone who has never played a SaGa game in their entire life, I can't offer the perspective of a veteran who already has the mechanics of these games firmly rooted in their muscle memory. Instead, I can only provide the perspective of someone dipping their toes into this franchise for the first time and comment on whether or not similar people in my position might be able to enjoy this game. I am aware that this remake has a lot of quality-of-life improvements over the original remake that leads to a snappier and quicker experience. There are a variety of progress options. The interface is very simple to grasp, and the game's speed feels relatively snappy compared to other RPGs coming out today. I would consider all of these positives, especially when the biggest hurdle revolves around how much there is to go through.

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This is one of the largest RPGs I've ever played. The main story can be viewed from the perspective of multiple characters you get to choose from when opening up a new save file. Every character begins their journey in a different place, with some offered unique circumstances and abilities given their background. However, it seems like everything does converge as time goes on. Speaking of time, that is a crucial element to consider because many events and quests are very time sensitive within the game. When starting up, you can choose between going by the American or Japanese event system. While I didn't play the game enough to see all of those differences fully, event triggers can vary depending on how you set the game at the beginning. The fact that this is an option feels unique and probably offers a lot of replay value.

The biggest compliment I can give the game is the vast freedom to explore or miss out on things, depending on how you choose to go about the game. Despite having multiple starting points depending on the character you pick, one common thread is that you are more or less encouraged to explore and go about events or side quests as often as you can. The world will then change depending on your choices, whether quests become available or unavailable depending on what triggers you meet, enemies becoming stronger in the surrounding area, minor characters changing, etc. If anything, while there is technically a dedicated story path that you need to follow, there is more emphasis on evolving yourself as a player and having the game challenge you rather than follow a relatively linear storyline.

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This can be rewarding, given the game's abundant array of combat mechanics. A variety of skills and proficiencies can be acquired that can help you in combat and explore dungeons. Some of these abilities can be obtained in towns, but others can be discovered through a battle, with your stats also naturally leveling up over time. However, unlike many other RPGs, characters will have only specific stats level up depending on the enemy faced and how they were defeated rather than having all stats level up once enough experience is harnessed. Every character has different stats and can offer a new method to combat. This approach means you can mold a character's abilities however you want, depending on your strategy. This emphasis on players' choice can be very satisfying…provided you know what you are doing.

While you are bombarded with text and explanations about what you can do, there are few in-game tutorials that walk you through how everything works. You're not sure what equipment will be helpful to you right away, and how your stats level up isn't exactly made clear. While combat is simple, the game is not above introducing random concepts and abilities in the middle of a fight, almost without warning. Once I got the hang of everything, I arguably found more enjoyment in bettering my party than I did in finding out what happened next in the story. However, that was a steep learning curve that arguably might make it difficult to recommend this game to new modern players looking for something that doesn't test their patience as much or those who hope that the game's story will carry them along.

The lack of emphasis on narrative triggers made it difficult for a new player like me to follow through on what the game's story had to offer. You are encouraged to talk to almost every NPC you come across, but the game doesn't necessarily do a good job of discerning what quests further the overall narrative. The game seems more interested in bombarding you with text about what you're able to do rather than guiding you toward what you should be doing. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that, and that is arguably the appeal of most open-world games, but this can bring the pacing down to a crawl.

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None of this is helped by the game's overall presentation, which I would argue has a few elements that haven't aged the most gracefully. While the game has plenty of voice acting, most is average. While some background art and monster designs can be very striking, the actual in-character models don't look very appealing. The somewhat in-between approach of simplistically proportioned bodies with detailed textures can make everything look very busy and sometimes downright ugly. Thankfully, the soundtrack is fantastic, with various melodies and themes that almost take you in like a warm embrace. The game's opening theme alone was enough to hold me back from immediately skipping to the title screen, and the battle music can be extremely catchy and energetic.

Overall, I can't say that my first experience with the SaGa franchise was a bad one by any means. I'm now aware of some quirky and unorthodox elements that define this series with a level-up system that can be very rewarding. The multiple story paths and event system led to various moments of replayability which made me thankful that I got the game for the Switch, as that means I can pick away at things at my own pace anywhere. However, none of this changes the fact that many opening hours can be very rough, as this game doesn't always make things clear to players in a digestible way. This is a type of game series where what you get out of it is proportional to how much you're willing to put into it. If you're already a fan of the SaGa series (maybe even a fan of the original game) or if you're looking for a slightly less conventional RPG in today's market, then I think this game is worth visiting. But if you're looking for something more straightforward, you might want to look elsewhere.