Romancing Saga Re;univerSe,the latest iteration of theRomancing SaGaseries,is nowavailable globallyon iOS and Android. For the occasion, DualShockers had the opportunity to speak withSaGaseries Producer Masanori Ichikawa. We were able to ask him about multiple aspects ofRe; univerSe, including the game’s story, accessibility for newcomers to theSaGaseries, and how the global version will be handled compared to the Japanese version.

Iyane Agossah:The story ofRomancing SaGa Re;univerSeis set 300 years after the events ofRomancing SaGa 3. Moreover, “300 years” is an important period of time in theRomancing SaGa 3lore, meaning there should be a strong story link between both games. Can players who didn’t playRomancing SaGa 3still enjoy the story depicted inRe;univerSe? Is it not too spoiler-ish for players who will tryRomancing SaGa 3later on? In turn, what hints and nods are there for players who did play the game?

Masanori Ichikawa:Hello. I am Masanori Ichikawa, theSaGaseries producer at Square Enix. Thank you for interviewing me, DualShockers, and also for playingRomancing SaGa 3. I decided to releaseRomancing SaGa Re;univerSeoverseas with the hopes that it would help increase theSaGabrand awareness outside of Japan. I can assure you that people who haven’t playedRomancing SaGa 3yet can still enjoy this game without worrying about things like spoilers. That said, people who have playedRomancing SaGa 3or otherSaGatitles can enjoy the game even more.

Iyane Agossah:Multiple artists are working onRomancing SaGa Re;univerSe’s illustrations alongsideSaGaseries iconic illustrator Tomomi Kobayashi. Could you tell us more them?

Masanori Ichikawa:Satoshi Kuramochi, a character designer forSaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions,handled the illustrations for the main characters in this title. PUMP, a popular artist in Taiwan, handled the illustration for the character that acts as the player’s guide. There are multiple other Japanese artists who have contributed as well.

(Editor’s Note: Pump is also a talented Mecha and Mecha Musume artist, and handled the illustrations on rhythm gameVOEZ. and you’re able to check theirTwitter account here )

Iyane Agossah:SaGagames are known for their incredible soundtracks by Kenji Ito. I’ve noticed some of the tracks from pastRomancing SaGagames have been rearranged forRe;univerSe, some by Kenji Ito himself. Could you tell us more about the music and composers who worked on the game?

Masanori Ichikawa:  There are, of course, in the game tracks from past titles that were composed by Kenji Ito, but also new tracks.  And in Japan, we’ve released manySaGaarrangement albums in the past, featuring such arrangements as rock and orchestral, and these kinds of tracks are included in the game, too. Furthermore, we’ve pulled music from theSaGaseries as a whole, so tracks from composers such as Nobuo Uematsu and Masashi Hamauzu are also included.

[pullquote]“When I look at how the Western fans are enjoying theSaGagames, it seems they enjoy them in the same way Japanese fans do, so I simply hope that more people become aware of how fun these games are and get to play them."[/pullquote]

Iyane Agossah:TheSaGaseries as a whole is known for its very intricate and hidden battle system elements. I imagine it must be quite the challenge to keep these elements for longtime fans, while making the game systems more accessible. Especially as some players might experience their firstSaGagame withRe;univerSe.

Masanori Ichikawa:  TheSaGaseries’ battle systems have made an impact on many games and creators in Japan. Such elements as “glimmer” and “formations” are iconic to the series, but we’ve constantly provided new types of battle systems in each of theSaGainstallments. I hope you give them a try. We took theSaGabattle elements of the past 30 years and incorporated them into a readily accessible form—this is how we came up with the battle system forRomancing SaGa Re;univerSe.

It’s a very accessible battle system that can be enjoyed by anyone, but at the same time, it has a great deal of depth to it. This also ties in with the character enhancement system. Unlike many other mobile games, you’re able to dive in deep and enhance your favorite characters to your heart’s content.

[pullquote]“The global version will have adjustments made on parts that we feel we could have done better. Additionally, we will also be implementing in-game events at 1.2 times the pace of the Japanese version. We hope to run the game in a more exciting fashion than in Japan."[/pullquote]

Iyane Agossah:Romancing SaGa Re;univerSewas first announced in Japanat Tokyo Game Show 2018and launched there in December 2018, but I was honestly quite surprised to hear the game is now coming west, especially seeing theSaGafranchise is much less popular than other Square Enix IPs outside Japan. Could the releases ofRomancing SaGa 2, 3andSaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitionshave shown there’s a bigger interest for the series in the West?

Masanori Ichikawa:  Thank you very much. I do know that there are hardcore fans in the West, but I believe the brand awareness is still low. I feel there are various reasons to this, but I’d like to do something about it. When I look at how the Western fans are enjoying theSaGagames, it seems they enjoy them in the same way Japanese fans do, so I simply hope that more people become aware of how fun these games are and get to play them. I hope to increase theSaGabrand awareness throughRomancing SaGa Re;univerSe, as arguably it is the most accessibleSaGagame to date. If you find theSaGaseries interesting through this game, I hope you try out the otherSaGatitles as well.

Iyane Agossah:In terms of events, characters and content updates inRomancing SaGa Re;univerSe, can we have more details regarding how much time it will take for content from the Japanese version to reach the global version?

Masanori Ichikawa:We plan to provide the same content as the Japanese version but after making balance adjustments and such. And because of this, there will inevitably be a time lag. That said, since we’ll implement the content first in the Japanese version, the global version will have adjustments made on parts that we feel we could have done better. Additionally, we will also be implementing in-game events at 1.2 times the pace of the Japanese version. We hope to run the game in a more exciting fashion than in Japan.

Iyane Agossah:Re;univerSefollows the releases ofRomancing SaGa 2, Romancing SaGa 3,andSaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions.Is it safe to assume we’ll be regularly gettingSaGagames in the West now?

Masanori Ichikawa:I hope to release moreSaGatitles in the West. We developedRomancing SaGa Re;univerSewith the hopes of increasing the SaGabrand awareness. The players’ voices will make this possible. I hope you all give theSaGaseries a chance.

Iyane Agossah:Do you have a specific message you would like to share with theSaGaseries Western fans and the readers of DualShockers?

Masanori Ichikawa:Though not many people still may not be fully aware, theSaGaseries is a popular JRPG series in Japan from Square Enix. My wish is to have people around the world experience how fun theSaGaseries is. Since the games are highly difficult and have points that make it feel challenging to get into, our expansion into the overseas market has taken some time. That said, it’s a very fun series once you really get into it, so I hope you give it a try. Additionally, thank you to all of you who have supported us. It’s because of you that we were able to expand into the overseas market in recent years. And thank you, DualShockers!

Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe,available now on iOS and Android, is the latestRomancing Sagagame to date and is celebrating its 1.5th anniversary in Japan.

Romancing SaGa Re;univerSeis definitely an interesting endeavor and I wish it all the best for its global version. I’ll personally try outRe;univerSeas well as I greatly enjoyedRomancing SaGa 3.I would like to thank once again Masanori Ichikawa for answering our questions, along with Jacqueline and all of the Square Enix PR team.