SaGa Frontier Remastered

SaGa Frontier Remastered is a nostalgic trip back to the 90s that encapsulates the best and worst of retro JRPG design. There’s a ton of fun to be had here, but don’t be afraid to pull up a walkthrough if you’re stuck–and it is very easy to get stuck.

SaGa Frontier is as perplexing today as it was when it was released in 1998. No part of this game is welcoming. In no way does it try to help you figure it out. In fact, more often than not, it seems to actively try to get you killed by offering you opportunities you really just should not take on. Nonetheless, you'll be hard-pressed to find many RPGs that are so enthralling from a combat and mechanical perspective, that suck you in with a myriad of questions about more than just story, and ultimately compel you to do it again and again.

I enjoyed Saga Frontier Remastered, and it's unarguably the best version of the game, but you need to have some patience and a genuine fondness for PS1-era experimentation that fails as often as it succeeds. Saga Frontier is fun and interesting when it isn't being tedious or bewildering. Fans will probably be quite happy with the new version of the game, and it's the most accessible version of the game for newcomers. Don't be surprised if you pick it up and end up lost, confused, and wondering why the heck Lute got his own scenario.

The SaGa series is not for every RPGamer. Over 23 years after its initial release, the original game can be unwieldy and has not aged particularly well. With SaGa Frontier Remastered, Square Enix has demonstrated a skilled grasp at modernizing a gaming experience while preserving the foundation and integrity of the original. The improvements to graphics, gameplay, and story arguably make SaGa Frontier Remastered the most accessible entry-point for series newcomers while offering plenty to entice returning SaGa Frontier fans as well.

It essentially feels like Square Enix set a new standard with the SaGa Frontier remaster. It made up for lost time. SaGa series mechanics, with entries’ multiple storylines, battle systems that reward performing certain actions, and non-linear nature, were always ahead of their time. Back in the day, SaGa Frontier was among those that didn’t get its proper due. Now that the line as a whole is experiencing a renaissance, SaGa Frontier Remastered feels like something of a crown jewel.

When SaGa Frontier was first released in 1997, it was not magnificent, but it was memorable for its interesting attempts to do many things differently than the time-honored jRPG tradition demanded. When I played the remaster, I was pleasantly surprised how well the game stood the test of time. I wouldn’t call it an essential title every jRPG fan must play, but it is charmingly unpretentious and I enjoyed my time with it. [07/2021, p.42]

SaGa Frontier Remastered is a classic RPG with good stories, a combat system with many possibilities and a great soundtrack that may be a bit rough for the newest players but will delight the most veteran.