Everything you need to know about Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered
Acclaimed RPG out now for PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS and Android. Learn about it here!RPG fans rejoice because a true classic has returned!
We’re thrilled to announce that Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered is out now on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS, and Android!
As the name implies, the game’s a remaster of Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song (called Romancing SaGa in the US), which was originally released for PlayStation 2 in 2005. This new edition of the game has been enhanced with a host of new features, including HD visuals, refined gameplay, and even brand new content!
Read on and we’ll tell you everything you need to know:
The history of Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
Let’s begin with a little history lesson.
In the long, long ago of 1992, Square Enix released the fantastic Romancing SaGa on the Super Famicon in Japan. The fourth ‘SaGa’ game, it revolutionized the series with its non-linear structure and innovative mechanics.
It was, as they say, a hit, and its influence is still felt on the series to this day.
13 years later, a remake was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan as “Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song” and later in North America as “Romancing Saga”. This new version of the game greatly evolved its story and game systems, featured impressive 3D visuals and added some welcome features that made the adventure more approachable for new players.
Now, 17 years after that, it’s back again - and available worldwide for the first time!
What is Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered?
As the name implies, Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered… erm… remasters Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song. But it actually does more than that - it enhances and expands it, with more playable characters, visual improvements, additional quality of life features and much more.
Before we dig into what’s new and improved, however, we should first explain what the game’s about. After all, for many of you, particularly in Europe, this will be the first time you’ve ever played it.
Oh boy, do you have a treat in store…
The story of Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered
The game is set in the land of Mardias. In ages past, Elore, the king of the gods, fought three malicious deities: Death, Saruin and Schirach in a mighty battle for the fate of this world.
It was a long, drawn-out struggle, but Death and Schirach were ultimately sealed away and rendered powerless. The final deity, Saruin, was also trapped thanks to the power of the Fatestones - and the noble sacrifice of the hero Mirsa.
1,000 years have passed and the gods of evil has risen once more… and the Fatestones now lie scattered across the world. As if guided by fate, eight heroes set off on their own journeys.
The tales they’ll weave… well, that’s largely up to you.
The free scenario system
The game uses the ‘Free Scenario’ system, where you can explore the story in a nonlinear fashion. The character you play as, and the scenarios you experience will change depending on your choices, making for a game that’s enjoyably unpredictable and extremely replayable.
You can choose between eight protagonists, and as you play through the story, you’ll be able to recruit more. Some may be one of those other heroes, while others you’ll meet as you explore the world.
Each one is a well-defined and fascinating personality in their own right, with their own skills to discover in battle.
The battle system
The inventiveness of the SaGa series is also very evident in Minstrel Song’s turn-based battle system. It uses the ‘Glimmer’ and ‘Combo’ systems, where your characters learn new moves in the heat of battle, rather than just through levelling up.
This makes battles extremely rewarding - you never know when inspiration may hit a hero and they some awesome new attack or magic to play with. It helps that combat is really fun too, with plenty of strategic depth and variety, and a distinctive style that’s all its own. Fans of classic turn-based RPG will love it.
The soundtrack
The best RPGs have amazing music and Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered certainly delivers. In fact, you could argue it overdelivers because this soundtrack goes hard!
Comprising everything from shredding guitars to Spanish guitar-inflected vocal tracks, composer Kenji Ito presents a truly incredible collection of music that is both a joy to listen to and underscores the action perfectly.
In case you can’t tell, I’m a big fan. I’ll just drop Ardent Rhythm here for your perusal…
What’s new and enhanced in Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered?
While that was a very general overview of the game, Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered has a host of new additions and enhancements, including:
Remastered HD visuals
Let’s start with the most obvious - the characters and environments of the game have been remastered so that they look good on modern HD displays. It retains the style of the PS2 original, but with a new clarity and sharpness beyond what was possible on the older system and a trusty ol’ CRT television.
More recruitable characters
This version of the game has also made it possible for some previously unrecruitable characters to join you!
For example, Schiele is a real fan-favorite for those who played the PS2 version. Now, this melancholy woman with a mysterious past can win battles as well as hearts.
She’s not the only newly recruitable character either. Others, such as Marina, Monica and Flammer can now also join up. More characters means even more options in battle, making for an even richer and more enjoyable game!
The sorceress Aldora provides new events to play through!
The sorceress Aldora, who once traveled together with the legendary hero Mirsa, appears in her original form. You can experience entirely new events, where she recounts the journeys of Mirsa first hand!
Enhanced bosses - with new music!
There are some truly memorable boss battles in Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- and this new version of the game lets you face off with them again… with a twist!
13 bosses appear as super-powerful enhanced versions. If you’re brave enough to take them on, you’ll battle them to a brand new arrangement of the battle music. As you’d expect, it’s amazing.
High speed mode
If you want to speed up traversal, or make battles flow faster, you can activate a new high speed mode. It makes the game more convenient to play, especially if you’re searching familiar areas for loot or battling to learn new abilities.
Mini-Maps
It’s now much easier to traverse the world of Mardias, thanks to mini-maps that sit in the corner of the screen. Knowing the lay of the land helps you keep your bearings as you look around, as well keep track of where it might be worth hunting for secrets…
New classes
Characters in Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered are able to equip different Classes, which give them bonuses in battles. All the original Classes from the original game are there, but this new version adds even more for even more customization potential!
New Game +
If you want to play the game again, you can now carry your status over in New Game + mode. No more starting from scratch - a little unfair for all the monsters you’ll face, but great fun for you!
Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered is a fantastic update to an already brilliant game - and well worth a play if you love RPGs. It’s available now on PS5, PS4, Switch, Steam, iOS and Android:
We hope you enjoy the game! To stay up to date with news and information about this, and other SaGa games, be sure to follow us on social media: