• Price: $29.99 (currently on sale for $26.99 until December 16th)
• Developer: Square Enix, Bullets
• Publisher: RED ART GAMES
• Release Date: December 9, 2025

A review code was kindly provided by RED ART GAMES on behalf of Square Enix and Bullets. We thank them for allowing us to cover something they’ve worked so hard on.

With the first entry in the SaGa series said to be the “first RPG ever released for a handheld gaming system,” the series has been around since 1989. Romancing Saga -Minstrel Song- Remastered was initially released on Switch in 2022, but now they’ve brought it back in a separate updated version with new languages included (hence the word “International” in the title). Speakers of Spanish, Italian, German, and French can now enjoy the game in their native language. Très bien! This version of the game also “allows players to experience its adventure with either the original Japanese or English voices.”

This will be my first time playing a SaGa game. They give you the option to play the game with or without the new content made for the remastered version, stating that certain visual effects and game systems are different from the original experience. You can also choose between slow and normal progression; this isn’t explained well, but a Google search seems to indicate that it’s best to have slow progression to prevent you from missing quests and events.

The game has a “free scenario system that lets you create your own storyline,” and you’ll select 1 of 8 protagonists to experience their story. (I like how there’s an even split of male and female characters.) They show you the beginning stats of each option, as well as a brief summary of that character’s background.

I chose to play as Gray, who comes with 2 party members. Upon arriving in the first city, I was instantly provided with the option to read through many pages of information on the game’s mechanics. I felt somewhat overwhelmed right from the start as a result.

Most of the (J)RPGs I’ve played over the years have been pretty linear, giving me at least some idea on where I need to go and what I need to do. -Minstrel Song- is on the opposite end of the spectrum, not providing players with much direction. If you like having more freedom and figuring things out for yourself, you’ll likely enjoy the gameplay here.

Personally, I prefer my games to be more linear, and I also had some trouble with the battle system. The game is interesting in that your characters don’t level up as they would in a traditional JRPG, instead having your party members’ stats increase at random at the end of battles. Additionally, when wielding a weapon characters may activate “Glimmer” and learn a new skill – also seemingly at random.

I do appreciate how different the growth system is, but I found battles way too difficult from the very first one I fought. I was often wiped out, which results in a “Game Over.” When a party member loses all of their HP they become “inactive,” and if they’re hit even more after that they’ll lose some of their LP. If their LP reaches 0 they’ll be removed from the party permanently.

I never managed to get any of my characters to 0 LP since I’d run over and have them restored at the inn before I reached that point, but because it seemed like it would be pretty easy to reach 0 LP if you aren’t careful I did not particularly enjoy this system. I tend to prefer games where you can eventually succeed through more effort (i.e. grinding, collecting materials and/or money for better gear, etc.).

Apparently enemies get a lot stronger as you win more battles, and without a leveling system this made it feel too difficult for my tastes. I guess you’re meant to focus on completing quests and not battle too much?

I just had a really hard time getting into this one; I couldn’t even manage to get through one playthrough. It has many good ideas, but I just couldn’t get past the lack of explicit direction and exposition, the difficulty, and what felt like an overwhelming amount of information on the systems.

I did have great appreciation for the artistic direction. The character designs are not my usual preference but I still found them charming. (I particularly liked some of the enemy designs, such as the dinosaurs!)

The battle animations and story CGs were nice, and they included a gallery section on the main menu with some gorgeous art. As far as the audio is concerned, the game includes voice acting; even the NPC dialogue is voiced, which is unusual but great to have! I also really enjoyed the soundtrack in this game.

All of the elements in Romancing Saga -Minstrel Song- Remastered International have the potential to come together quite well for the right player. If you’re a preexisting fan of the SaGa series – or if you’re a newcomer who likes a challenge – it’s likely that you’ll have a good time with this one.