The late 90s for Square Enix (then still just Square) was a time when the company could do no wrong. It had taken the world by storm with Final Fantasy 7, ushering in a string of big budget games that would firmly establish the company as one of the top developers in gaming. Imagine then having to be the next game in the pipeline after Final Fantasy 7. This unfortunate honor fell to SaGa Frontier, lost in the shadow of FF7 in early 1998. But now, SaGa Frontier Remastered is on its way, with a release date now officially in the books.
While Final Fantasy 7 was changing the RPG genre, SaGa Frontier mostly stuck to convention, with some great sprite work, traditional RPG battle mechanics, and interesting characters. One interesting feature found in the game is the Free-Form Scenario System, that allows the player to pick any of the 7 (now 8) main characters and see their story through to the end. In many respects it would be a precursor to the kind of multiple-protagonist narrative system seen in Octopath Traveler.
SaGa Frontier Remastered is now ready for primetime, and for those that might have missed it when it was squished in between major Square titles, a chance to experience a classic JRPG. The game is now set for release on April 15th, and includes new events and an eighth protagonist, Fuse, added to the roster. The director of the original game, Akitoshi Kawazu, has said that time constraints led to cuts during production, so the added content in the remaster is likely that which was left on the cutting room floor all those years ago.
Square Enix is digging back into the vault a fair amount these days, having already remade Trials of Mana, and now bringing Legend of Mana to Nintendo Switch this summer. Fans seem receptive to checking out some of Square Enix’s back catalog, as a few of these titles are harder to find and play. SaGa Frontier is certainly among those, having appeared only as greatest hits title in Japan, revisiting the game in international markets has been difficult.
With only a month until it will be available, fans won’t have to wait too much longer to try this quirky JRPG classic. After SaGa Frontier, there won’t be too many properties left for Square Enix to pull out of retirement. Though many fans would argue that it might be time to take a good look at Xenogears as the next franchise deserving of a remaster.
SaGa Frontier Remastered will be available April 15th on Mobile, PC, PS4, and Switch.
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