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[Wario64]

6.0

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/romancingsagaminstrelsong/review.html?sid=6135413

Romancing SaGa is ultimately a role-playing game without any substance. The story is almost nonexistent, and the characters all feel stunted and generic. You can easily spend 20 hours or more on each character's campaign if you try to complete each and every quest. However, the game doesn't give you any compelling reason to make that kind of commitment.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

6.0

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/romancingsagaminstrelsong/review.html?sid=6135413

Romancing SaGa is ultimately a role-playing game without any substance. The story is almost nonexistent, and the characters all feel stunted and generic. You can easily spend 20 hours or more on each character's campaign if you try to complete each and every quest. However, the game doesn't give you any compelling reason to make that kind of commitment.

Considering this is a graphical remake (ie: nothing else was touched) of the original Romancing Saga, this is to be expected.

However, GameSpot sucks! Kawazu rocks! Where's revenantkioku! We must turn this thread around into a Kawazu love-fest!

<3 Kawazu!

 

[Suikoguy]

Well, sounds better then Unlimited SaGa

 

[solarplexus]

6.0? Ouch.

 

[Greenpanda]

I like some of the other SaGa games -- will I like this? I never played the original RS1.

 

[RuGalz]

I think I'd like it better if it were still 2D but with high res sprites... The sticky walls and annoying camera really turned me off in Japanese version.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

If you're familiar with how they play, and enjoy that, I imagine you'll enjoy Romancing SaGa -- especially since it's now officially in English.

With a new graphical style over what would probably be considered antiquated gameplay, it won't be for everyone. I know I'm going to love it, but I really don't know about anyone else other than the aforementioned reventantkioku.

We're gonna have to buy 100K each or something.

 

[Shouta]

Draggie is crazy, you don't need to listen to her! Kawazu sux!

 

[jett]

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

 

[MrDaravon]

How does it play as compared to SaGa Frontier 1? I <3 that game, despite the horrible horrible reviews it got.

 

[wipeout364]

In a way this is good. There are far too many games coming out in the next few weeks.

 

[Zeo]

A bad game with "SaGa" in the title? I'm shocked.

 

[Suikoguy]

How does it play as compared to SaGa Frontier 1? I <3 that game, despite the horrible horrible reviews it got.

I wonder the same thing, but perhaps I only liked the game cause I liked ANY rpg back then :lol

 

[Bebpo]

After an hour of running around pointlessly having no clue what to do and encountering an enemy which killed my whole party in 1 hit I knew the game had lots of potential...

...to collect dust on my shelf.

6.0 is very fair if only for the nice music.

controls are horrid as well.

 

[Suikoguy]

So, in comparision to SaGa Frontier its kinda blah?

Oh well, maybe i'll rent it.

 

[Scott]

Considering this is a graphical remake (ie: nothing else was touched) of the original Romancing Saga, this is to be expected.

Eh? That's not true...

Quests have been revamped, the LP (Life Point) system has been added, you learn skills mid-battle, combos have damage multipliers attached to them, there are two new characters in the storyline, there are bonus scenarios added, etc etc...

Basically, you take Romancing SaGa, tweak the quest/scenario design, add in elements from future entries in the series, throw in a few new characters, revamp the soundtrack, and then pretty it up with a new coat of paint ... and you get Minstrel Song.

 

[DarknessTear]

This is Samurai Legend Musashi all over again.

DO NOT TRUST THE MEDIA.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Eh? That's not true...

Quests have been revamped, the LP (Life Point) system has been added, you learn skills mid-battle, combos have damage multipliers attached to them, there are two new characters in the storyline, there are bonus scenarios added, etc etc...

Basically, you take Romancing SaGa, tweak the quest/scenario design, add in elements from future entries in the series, throw in a few new characters, revamp the soundtrack, and then pretty it up with a new coat of paint ... and you get Minstrel Song.

Bebpo had said in an earlier thread that it was a 'barebones' remake, and kioku and I took that to be 'largely graphical' redesign. I'm happy to hear what you've said though. I'll enjoy it even more now. I haven't played the JPN version at all.

 

[MoxManiac]

One thing I liked about Saga Frontier was that there were so many skills you could learn. I remember playing one of the quests (Maybe Lute's?) where my guys kept getting badass skill after badass skill, it was pretty cool. Weird game though.

 

[djtiesto]

When I was younger, I've always wanted to try the Romancing SaGa series but they're pretty overwhelming for a non native Japanese speaker, so I'm just excited we're finally getting a US edition... I don't care about the ratings, it'll be nice to finally play one in my native tongue. Kawazu is cool - fuck the haters

 

[Pellham]

totally picking this up when i have time to play it (i.e. sometime next year, as i'll probably be playing Oblivion and the english DQ8 for the rest of the year). yeah the game is directionless, but that's what ya gotta love about it. it's not a traditional RPG and that's why so many traditional RPG whores who expect a certain design and concept to every japanese console RPG hate the series.

what I really hope is for them to remake Romancing SaGa 2. Believe it or not, that is still Square's best game to date (although Vagrant Story comes close).

 

[Scott]

Bebpo had said in an earlier thread that it was a 'barebones' remake, and kioku and I took that to be 'largely graphical' redesign. I'm happy to hear what you've said though. I'll enjoy it even more now. I haven't played the JPN version at all.

Ah. Well, I haven't played the game myself, either.

I just gathered all of that info from news bits prior to the game's release, import impressions/reviews, etc. A few of the changes were mentioned in the GameSpot review, too, like the inclusion of LP & the combo multiplier. Really, though, it'd be nice if somebody laid down a point-by-point comparison with a "Version Differences" FAQ or something... Maybe after the US release? I know I'd find it interesting, at least...

 

[Bebpo]

totally picking this up when i have time to play it (i.e. sometime next year, as i'll probably be playing Oblivion and the english DQ8 for the rest of the year). yeah the game is directionless, but that's what ya gotta love about it. it's not a traditional RPG and that's why so many traditional RPG whores who expect a certain design and concept to every japanese console RPG hate the series.

what I really hope is for them to remake Romancing SaGa 2. Believe it or not, that is still Square's best game to date (although Vagrant Story comes close).

Actually I think the main issue with RS isn't the non-linear gameplay, since lot's of people like free-form games that don't hold your hand. My main issue from the very small amount of time I spent with the import was the balance and camera work. You'd walk out onto the starting plains and there's be two types of enemies: one would be weak and easy to kill, and the other would be impossible to kill and if you got in a battle with them you'd game over. Now this wouldn't have been such a big deal if you could avoid the big ones, but the camera in cave areas would complete obstruct your view and you'd basically have to move blindly into the next room. If an enemy just happened to be in your way then, oops it's game over.

Between that and getting stuck/lost behind objects in the very first town due to a horrid camera I thought the game was definitely flawed to the point that it went to the far far end of my rpg backlist.

Seriously, the original GB game is probably better just because you didn't have one of the worst 3d cameras ever created. Sure everything else about the remake is better, but not being able to see is a very frustrating problem.

 

[radios shipping overview]

This game should carry a "For SaGa Fans Only" warning label on the front. I'm sure you kids who actually enjoyed SaGa Frontier will eat this up. Also, if you've played the SFC original (there's a translation, isn't there?) and liked it, I'm sure you're good to go.

Everyone else? Stay far, far away.

 

[APF]

Gah... the character models are so creepy looking...

 

[Companion Cube]

Is this the same Romancing Saga in the top 10 of this list?

 

[stewy]

Is this the same Romancing Saga in the top 10 of this list?

It is. They dropped the Minstrel Song bit of the title here.

 

[MrDaravon]

Is this the same Romancing Saga in the top 10 of this list?

Yes. The Japanese tend to have different tastes though, they tend to like the free-roaming grinding type RPGs like SaGa Frontier, Megami Tensei, DQ, etc.

 

[Scott]

RPGFan's review is up:

Are you jaded, disillusioned by today's RPG market? Sick of Final Fantasy and its many clones? Are you willing to try something new, interesting, and well-executed? Then I cannot recommend this game to you any more highly than I already have. It's certainly not perfect, and it definitely will not appeal to every RPG fan out there. But as for me and like-minded gamers, we can delight in this unique and aesthetically appealing work of art. I award Romancing SaGa a well-deserved 87%, and I will stand by this score even as other reviewers bash this game and throw it to the curb.

You can read the rest here.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

He gave Xenosaga II a 89%
FMA2 a 77%
Atelier Iris a 90%

Just sayin. Their reviews are usually....favorable.

 

[MrDaravon]

One final statement before moving forward to the review proper: this game is not UNLIMITED:SaGa. Yes, the abomination that was the last title in the SaGa series, also on PS2, left a very sour taste in the mouth of all gamers worldwide. So much was this the case that, when presenting a demonstration of the game at E3, Square Enix's Frederick Hashi (public relations) made an apology for UNLIMITED:SaGa and asked that we give this title a chance.

Is that true?

:lol :lol :lol

Just finished reading the review, basically sounds like if you liked SaGa Frontier you'll like this, everyone else stay the hell away. I'm still going to rent it after Unlimited SaGa, but if it's anything like Frontier I'll buy it and fap furiously to it.

 

[Scott]

Their reviews are usually....favorable.

That seems to be an inherent flaw of every %-based scoring system.

Still, I only posted it as I figured everybody would like a second opinion, no matter where the scoring may lie. And besides, his review is pretty in-depth (more-so than GameSpot's), so I think it's worth reading, even if you have to take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

That seems to be an inherent flaw of every %-based scoring system.

Still, I only posted it as I figured everybody would like a second opinion, no matter where the scoring may lie. And besides, his review is pretty in-depth (more-so than GameSpot's), so I think it's worth reading, even if you have to take it with a grain of salt.

no doubt. they always have a lot of depth, I just feel that they never have a very good perspective. hence they tend to overrate. but there's a lot of good detail.

 

[MrDaravon]

no doubt. they always have a lot of depth, I just feel that they never have a very good perspective. hence they tend to overrate. but there's a lot of good detail.

That's why I like their reviews. All the information's there. They may have a different take on it than you, but at least you have that information to take it as you personally will.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Come to me RoSa!!
Oh wait, too soon. Too soon! I don't know if I have $40 this week. Shit!
I just blew $80 last week on Dawn of Sorrow and DDS2 for chrissake!

 

[Scott]

Another in-depth review:

Romancing Saga is an interesting remake that Saga fans and those with boatloads of free time will probably grow to love. It’s got nostalgia, neat upgrades, all your favorite characters, a non-linear approach, and a decent graphical style, but it’s also extremely demanding. If you pick this one up just be sure to use the quick-save feature often, purchase proficiencies whenever you can, and prepare to die a lot. Most importantly: get ready to donate hours of time you probably don’t have, and I’m talking more so than in a typical RPG.

Check it out here.

 

[Mejilan]

Kawazu?

Skipping this flaming turd. ;p

 

[Dark Age Iron Savior]

Kawazu?

Skipping this flaming turd. ;p

LOL!

Seriously, 9.5 for the soundtrack, who gives a rip about anything else?

 

[Greenpanda]

I wonder the same thing, but perhaps I only liked the game cause I liked ANY rpg back then :lol

Nah, SF1 is good stuff.

 

[BuddyC]

Romancing SaGa makes me very, very sad.

 

[speedpop]

Kawazu?

Skipping this flaming turd. ;p

Beat me to it.

 

[john tv]

Looks like crap to me. You know you're in trouble when people have to spend half their review summary making excuses for why they gave it a good score. :lol

 

[jett]

After an hour of running around pointlessly having no clue what to do and encountering an enemy which killed my whole party in 1 hit I knew the game had lots of potential...

...to collect dust on my shelf.

6.0 is very fair if only for the nice music.

controls are horrid as well.

Kawazu game total.

 

[Kobun Heat]

So much was this the case that, when presenting a demonstration of the game at E3, Square Enix's Frederick Hashi (public relations) made an apology for UNLIMITED:SaGa and asked that we give this title a chance.

Jeez. If I worked for Squeenix that would be just about the last time I said anything candid to any representative of RPGFan.

 

[RevenantKioku]

So complex. I want this game badly, but I should be able to pick it up out of dumpsters in about a week. Choices, choices...

 

[Prince of Space]

He gave Xenosaga II a 89%
FMA2 a 77%
Atelier Iris a 90%

Just sayin. Their reviews are usually....favorable.

During my very brief tenure there, I submitted a domestic Xenosaga II review that was....less than favorable. They shot it down.

 

[BuddyC]

Jeez. If I worked for Squeenix that would be just about the last time I said anything candid to any representative of RPGFan.

Haha. I was actually in that appointment with RPGFan. I vaguely remember a rather in-depth discussing with one of the R. SaGa translators, who was very nice, which only makes me feel that much worse as I write about how horrible it is.

 

[jett]

So complex.

Kawazu's games aren't complex, unless your definition of complex is "ridiculously non-sensical".

 

[RevenantKioku]

Kawazu's games aren't complex, unless your definition of complex is "ridiculously non-sensical".

I'm talking about whether or not to drop $40 tomorrow or wait for the inevitable dumpster diving of this game.
You see, unlike most of you, I really want this game.

 

[DarknessTear]

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=8032&type=mov

Anyway, I'm paying full price regardless of it's inevitable price drop.