SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered out today for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Steam, iOS and Android
What is SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered and what new features have been added? Here’s everything you need to know.
Surprise game alert! SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered is digitally available today for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam, iOS and Android!
This excellent RPG is a real fan-favorite thanks to its unique storytelling, beautiful watercolor graphics, satisfying turn-based combat and character progression and top-tier soundtrack. This new remastered edition enhances the game further, with updated visuals and UI, new gameplay features, additional playable characters, new events and more.
Basically, it’s one of the crown jewels of the franchise brought bang up to date… and available today.
SaGa fans are no doubt racing to their respective storefronts to download the game, but for anyone unfamiliar with SaGa Frontier 2, read on and we’ll explain everything you need to know about this epic history-spanning RPG, including what’s new.
What is SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered - an overview
Let’s start with a broad overview. SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered is an RPG that canters around two characters: Gustave, the heir of a royal family who is unable to cast Spells, and William Knights, a fledgling adventurer.
You’ll explore two narrative arcs featuring these characters, which progress simultaneously, and sometimes intersect.
The game features an event-based narrative structure where you can choose the order to play through different historical events. You’ll experience various scenarios from different perspectives and build up a full understanding of the two separate arcs - and how they ultimately converge to form a larger, unified story.
Naturally, there’s plenty of action in each tale. There’s a lot of variety in how you approach fights, from one-on-one duels, fast-paced party battles and even large-scale strategic warfare. Combat is turn-based, with lots of elements to consider, from character speed to combos - it’s a lot of fun.
The game originally released for the OG PlayStation, launching in 1999 Japan, and 2000 in North America and Europe. This new version of the game features new additions that make it more beautiful, more content-rich and even more fun to play!
If you’re looking for a classic-style story-driven RPG, you should definitely check it out:
What’s the Story?
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered is set in the world of Sandail - a land where people are able to cast Spells with the use of a mysterious energy called Anima.
The ruling family of the Kingdom of Finney place great importance on their ability to manipulate Anima - so when Gustave is revealed to have no ability to cast Spells, it starts a series of events that will change the world forever.
Meanwhile, William ‘Wil’ Knights is part of a family of diggers who make their living mining Quells, relics of the past. While looking into the mystery of his parents’ death, he learns of a mysterious object called the Egg - a once dormant relic that may affect its owner’s mind…
The Gustave arc depicts the events that shapes history of Sandail. It follows his life, and the battles he gets involved. Expect plenty of high-stakes conflict between nations.
The Wil Knights arc depicts the struggle between the Knights family and the Egg. The story spans three generations of the Knights family as they confront the hidden, world-threatening danger surrounding the Egg.
How is the game structured?
As you play through the game, you’ll choose between different events, which depict important moments in the history of Sandail.
To follow the story, you can freely select between different historical events and incidents from a chronological table.
The playable characters and party members are fixed for each selected story, and some of the battles, especially Warfare, are structured to be part of the story.
How do battles work?
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered features three types of battles, which depend on the story and party members you have access to at that time: Party Battles, Duels and Warfare.
Combat is turn-based and mainly fought using physical attacks called Arts, and Spells that use Anima within equipment and the terrain to attack, heal, etc.
Some pieces of equipment are imbued with Anima. Equipping them lets you use Spells of Anima drawn from them.
You can also learn and use ‘Fusion Spells’ based on the combination of multiple Anima, and ‘Hybrid Arts’ based on a combination of Arts and Spells. These are very powerful or effective.
Sometimes you can pull off a Combo - instead of performing their actions one by one, your team will act in quick succession for far more damage than standard attacks. Plus, it looks cool.
Defeating the enemy in battle isn’t the only way to win. Fulfil certain conditions and you can also negotiate with your foe which can result in them running away or leaving the battle.
Party Battle
During party battles, your whole team fights together against the enemy.
At the start of each turn, you choose the commands for all characters, after which they and the enemies start their actions. The battle ends when you defeat enemies, or negotiate successfully - or run away, of course!
Duel
If only one member is in the party, the battle will be a Duel. Alternatively, you can sometimes choose to duel a foe instead of a Party Battle.
You choose four commands available based on the items you have equipped, and the terrain you’re fighting on, and then the battle plays out.
Duels are risky - there’s a higher chance of defeat, as there is only one character. However, you have a greater chance of learning new arts and spells, some of which are harder or even impossible to learn in party battles.
Warfare
When you’re playing through Gustave’s story arc, you’ll sometimes take part in large-scale ‘Warfare’ between armies.
In these strategic battles, you’ll command multiple units. If one of your units touches an enemy’s a one-turn battle takes place.
The unit that loses the confrontation will retreat - and if all the soldiers in a unit are eliminated, it’s removed from the grid.
Defeating the enemy may not be the only victory condition, so you must think tactically about how to use your units to achieve the win.
What’s new in SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered?
We’ve given you a rundown of the basic structure and gameplay, but existing fans may be wondering: what’s new for this remaster? Quite a lot.
High Resolution Graphics
The visuals have been reworked to look better on HD displays. Look how vivid and sharp the watercolor-style backgrounds are, for example.
Redesigned user interface
The user interface has also been redesigned to be more intuitive and comfortable to use than the original game. It’s much slicker now:
Original release
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered
New stories
The game features new stories written by Benny Matsuyama under the supervision of Akitoshi Kawazu, SaGa Franchise General Director. These have been added to complement the main story.
For example, in the year 1251 of the Gustave Arc, you can play through ‘The Joining of Kelvin and Marie’ - and see how these two characters join in matrimony.
In year 1260 of the Knights Arc, you can experience ‘Labelle’s Wish’, another story that’s brand new to this game.
There are more new events added throughout the game’s story.
New playable characters in battles
The game features new playable characters who did not join battles in the original.
What’s more, to accompany the additional stories, characters and bosses that didn’t have unique sprites in the original game now do!
New postgame content
There’s loads to do when you finish the game in SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered. For example, you’ll unlock several completely new events and can fight enhanced bosses as extra battle content.
Ready to start your adventure again? The New Game+ option lets you carry over certain elements into a new playthough!
Reconstructed screen layout
The History Choice and Chronology systems have been reconstructed so that they are more clearly presented and easier to understand.
Parameter Inheritance
This is a particularly useful addition that makes the game more convenient for players. Different events feature different characters, but now you can transfer stats between them.
So, for example, if you have one character who has gained strength through battle, you can bequeath that character’s stats to other characters for use in other events.
The inherited stats can be added or removed like equipment.
Dig! Dig! Digger
The Dig! Dig! Digger minigame was originally available as ‘Go! Go! Digger’ for the PocketStation, OG PlayStation peripheral - and since that was only available in Japan, it’s fair to say a lot of you haven’t played it.
Now you can! In this game, you earn items by requesting diggers that have joined in the game to excavate for them. Diggers can be obtained as you explore in-game locations.
Even this has been improved! Now up to three diggers can be managed at once, unlike the original game where there was only one. Plus, it features additional character graphics!
Make full use of the diggers as they excavate a very rare item on some occasion.
Quality of life changes
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered is full of additional tweaks and quality of life changes that make the game faster and flow better.
For example, the pace of combo sequences and entry sequences in battle has been greatly improved.
There are new speed settings too. This lets you play through battles, explore the overworld and view event scenes at increased speeds.
You can now move objects to and from storage, which makes it easier for you to organize your inventory.
There are plenty of system settings and hints to read to help you overcome the game’s challenges.
Image and music library
Finally, a new Library features let you take a closer look at the game’s audiovisual delights.
A gallery lets you take a closer look at the game’s gorgeous art and illustrations by Tomomi Kobayashi.
Alternatively, listen to the game’s incredible original soundtrack composed by Masashi Hamauzu with the music player. You can even browse the art gallery while listening to the track of your choice!
As you can see, this is no simple remaster - it’s a significantly improved version of an already great game. SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered is digitally available now for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Steam, iOS and Android - so go check it out!
New to the SaGa series? Be sure to check out our guide:
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