I first played Saga Frontier 2 almost 25 years ago, when it debuted on the PlayStation One console. Back then, Finland didn't really get any classic RPG titles from the east. Final Fantasy had broken barriers a bit, but it was still rare to find most titles that made a splash even stateside.

So, when Saga Frontier 2 arrived, it was cause for celebration. This was a sprawling and gargantuan epic at the time, chronicling decades in the life of a fictitious kingdom just as The Song of Ice and Fire was taking shape.

Sadly, its mechanics were convoluted, and some of the gameplay was lost in translation. Even for the devoted, Saga Frontier 2 proved a frustrating experience with numerous opportunities to end up in impassable fights due to low-level characters.

A few decades later, Square Enix has rectified almost everything about the game with fantastic quality of life improvements. The result is a fantastic throwback to a classic adventure that finally allows this diamond in the rough to shine.

Story & Gameplay

Saga Frontier 2 Remastered is a coming of age story wrapped in a history epic. It covers decades in the lives of two men – one exiled as a child, the other obsessed with fortune and glory – and the ripple effects of their choices throughout life.

The narrative isn't as singular or linear as with Final Fantasy or Grandia. Instead, chapters depict key moments with often years, if not decades, in between. Imagine reading a fictional history and you're closer to the end result.

It takes a moment getting used to, and the sudden starts and stops don't always lead to a satisfying whole. But this is an interesting and ambitious attempt at doing something new with a genre that was, at the time, still writing its own alphabet. Everything we now take for granted about JRPGs began here.

Gameplay, true to its time, is packed with ideas to a fault. Even in its current remastered form, most of them aren't explained even remotely well, and it's likely players will spend a good deal of their time combing through the newly created hints and tutorial section.

The foundations are familiar, if not uniformly the same. Combat is turn based, there's an overworld to explore, and towns are littered with colorful characters at every turn. You can choose from melee weapons like swords and axes to magical elements that tie into the overarching lore.

Even so, much of the game remains infuriatingly obtuse. Skills, or Arts, are unlocked through a vaguely explained dueling system. Enemy progression scales through chapters completed, not player levels, and the added mini-game Dig!Dig! Digger! was probably best left into history.

Luckily, the story is so strong and takes such big swings that it makes up for much of the faults in gameplay. For every frustration, there's a nuanced, immensely moving character moment in this sweeping history. It isn't always clean or perfectly presented, but few things are.

Accessibility

Almost all accessibility options have to do with quality of life improvements. For those with audiovisual impairments, Saga Frontier 2 sadly offers slightly improved visuals, but that's about it.

Luckily, the gameplay works beautifully, thanks to a comprehensive overhaul to save states and the opportunity to move stats between characters through the Parameter Inheritance mechanic.

Combat and overworld speed can also be adjusted, which makes the originally sluggish pacing more palatable. Revamped user interfaces are clearer and nicer to navigate.

You can also exit chapters and reset them back to the starting point, which prevents scenarios where game progression locks due to difficulty or choices.

The remaster also adds a new game+ mode and a mini-game originally region locked to the PocketStation add-on in Japan.

Overall, Saga Frontier 2 Remastered is a lovingly crafted update that makes the game infinitely more playable in present day. It's an example of game preservation done right.

Technical Aspects

Saga Frontier 2 Remastered uses light AI upscaling for the background textures and characters with mixed results. In handheld mode, the game looks beautiful, and the OLED and Lite Switch models are the ideal format to experience the watercolour odyssey.

On a larger screen, like my 65'' TV, the results are understandably muddy. You can adjust the quality a bit by selecting point rendering from the settings, but it's only a minor fix. Even remastered, there is only so much you can do for an old game without major overhauls to the visuals.

This doesn't mean the game isn't beautiful, far from it, but don't go in expecting the same resplendent retro-modernity of Octopath Traveller.

As for audio, the soundtrack is as beautiful as ever and the updated quality highlights the work fantastically.

Who's It For?

Saga Frontier 2 Remastered has aged surprisingly gracefully, and a big part of that is thanks to the remaster. While the story takes a while to get going and doesn't have the same forward momentum as other peers, the big picture is a vast mosaic well worth experiencing.

For old-school fans, this is a welcome addition to the collection. It has everything you might remember, only better and more polished than before. For those curious about classic RPGs, Saga Frontier 2 represents an island in time that, for the first time, is more accessible than ever.

If we can't have a full remake, then this is the next best thing. Especially if it's your first time with the saga.