I think it's fair to say we got a bit of an unexpected gift when Square Enix re-released Romancing SaGa 3 for Switch back in November of 2019.
While it may not generate quite the same level of excitement as your Final Fantasies (and that's understandable), Romancing SaGa 3 deserves any plaudits it gets for bringing a level of freedom and randomness to the RPG genre that was quite unique back in 1995. In fact, the whole series does.
With 3 in particular, we have a game that was bold, and still feels bold, in how it gave players a selection of eight protagonists to get stuck into the story with. Just like Octopath Traveler, and its (much better) sequel, you can journey through Romancing SaGa 3's narrative multiple times thanks to the clever, criss-crossing storylines that make for a genuinely engrossing experience.
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It helps that the actual story here is fairly strong as these things go to boot, with players assuming control of their chosen protagonist in the immediate aftermath of a Death Eclipse (or Morastrum), a horrifying event that occurs every 300 years that sees all newborns in the year of the Eclipse die, save for one, who becomes a Child of Destiny.
Right, I didn't come here to spoil the story, so that's enough of that. It's a cracker of a premise, and the game does a solid job of exploring it. Back in 1995, RPGs were very much still on-rails for the most part; they didn't allow for much in the way of "experimentation" in some of the ways that Romancing SaGa 3 does.
And it's experimentation that comes through allowing you to choose who to roll with, leading to events playing out from shifting perspectives, whilst also imbuing the whole endeavour with a striking sort of 'laissez-faire' attitude, thanks to levelling up systems that sort of just go "yeah, mate, eh...here, have some random boosts for your efforts." In true SaGa style.
Rather than being able to count on a fixed upgrade rate to any specific aspect of your character, here it's random all the way, and it feels great. There's a ramshackle sort of approach...perhaps ramshackle isn't quite the correct word as it feels organised, but there's certainly an attempt - and a successful one - to make things feel organic, to make the world feel like one you can inhabit and meander around in, rather than just blowing through in a straight, precise and calculated manner. So, maybe it allows you to approach it in a ramshackle manner is a more appropriate description.
The weapon "sparking" system (returning from Romancing SaGa 2) continues this approach, which gives each of the characters the chance to gain new skills randomly as they fight. Whilst some players may not gel entirely with this I personally love it, and I think it's a system that enhances the organic vibe in a smart way, whilst also ensuring that you still upgrade and progress.
Having said that, I do agree it probably works to the detriment of the overall focus of the gameplay loops, and that's something picked up on in our 6/10 review of the re-release. It can be frustrating and off-putting if you want to methodically improve and do the usual sort of RPG things with character progression. For me, though, it's successful in what it sets out to do with being a little bit free-wheeling, that the loss of some direction in the more traditional video game sense is acceptable.
I also love how the underlying ethos of all of this is carried into Kenjo Ito's soundtrack for the game. Again here, rather than have a plan or specific theme in mind, the composer approached it with the idea of allowing its sound to develop and evolve over time. It's all very zen, lads.
Have a happy birthday, Romancing SaGa 3. I'd ask you if you'd planned anything, but I don't see that being your style.
Have you played Romancing SaGa 3 in its original or remastered form? Agree that its uniqueness outshines its frustrations? Let us know!