Saga Frontier 2

by SquareSoft

Product Features

• 1 Player
• RPG
• Vibration Function
• Analog Control
• Play Duel, Team, or Strategic Battle Modes

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000038I9H
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 5 inches
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: February 17, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,803 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

A beautifully illustrated fantasy role-playing game, SaGa Frontier 2 features lush, hand-painted watercolor backgrounds that give this animated title a rich, storybook look. Two-dimensional graphics have rarely looked this good in an adventure game.

Pretty pictures aside, the battle system in SaGa Frontier 2 is outstanding, allowing for combat to be as micromanaged or as mindless as players see fit. In addition to assigning in-battle character roles (such as support, intimidation, and so on), players can choose between multiple battle modes and execute elaborate attack combos (similar to that of fighting games).

Like its predecessor, SaGa Frontier 2 puts a spin on the genre by featuring multiple storylines that converge at various points in the game. Events in the game are encapsulated into (mostly) playable scenarios, with new playable scenarios opening up as the existing ones are completed. While this feature enables gamers to experience nonlinear gameplay from different perspectives, it ultimately muddles rather than enhances the game's overall narrative. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Beautiful storybook look
• Outstanding battle system
• Multi-scenario feature allows for nonlinear gameplay

Cons:

• Repetitive random battles
• Limited appeal outside of fans of the genre

GameSpot Review

Try to forget about the first SaGa Frontier. Tell yourself that Square's muddled foray into the depths of nonlinear hell never happened. Taking the criticisms of thousands of disappointed (and frequently lost) gamers to heart, Square has drastically overhauled the sequel and proven itself eager to atone for previous game-design sins. Gone are multiple unfocused plotlines and unclear quests; in their place is a free-flowing tale of political intrigue set in a world brimming with High Germanic overtones. SaGa Frontier 2 is a sequel to the original in name only; in spirit, the game might as well be Romancing SaGa 4.

The sequel's greatest change is in the presentation of the story. You choose which scenarios to undertake with the traditional Romancing SaGa-style parchment map and quill. At the game's onset, you can choose from two different scenarios. One plotline follows Gustav XIII, a prince sent into exile for his lack of magical powers. Another follows William, a young treasure hunter seeking answers to his father's disappearance. As the story progresses, more characters join the party, each with his own potential quests and story elements. The successful completion of a scenario usually opens up one or two more potential paths.

These paths, however, are not always chronologically arranged! Like an episode of Quantum Leap, the story crisscrosses Sandail's history; one moment, you'll be fighting in 1247; the next, in 1235, and so on. Fortunately, a thorough chronicle feature helps you navigate the labyrinthine story developments within each century. This story system strikes a pleasant balance between linearity and freedom; you choose which scenarios to experience (and in what order), but the overall thrust of the game is always in the same general direction: toward the future. The storyline isn't as complex or convoluted as a Final Fantasy; neither is it as threadbare as the first SaGa Frontier. You get the impression that your characters are both witnesses to and authors of the world's history.

The battle system is similar to SaGa Frontier's: Your characters attack foes with a variety of weapons and techniques, improving their skills with repeated use; many attacks can be combined to form even more powerful offensives. Each attack or technique uses points from either the WP or JP pool. Characters' HP energy is restored automatically between battles.

SaGa Frontier 2, however, adds a few new twists. Characters can be assigned roles that affect their battle tasks; for example, the diversion role lets a character preemptively split up enemy combination attacks. Characters no longer lose a life point (LP) upon dying, and can now sacrifice an LP at the beginning of a round to refill their HP. Also, a new recovery skill lets characters regain small amounts of WP and JP between rounds. These refinements address one of SaGa Frontier's largest weaknesses: an inability to heal effectively. Also, before each battle, you are frequently given the option of engaging in a one-on-one duel. This is an excellent opportunity for a single character to develop his exclusive talents. Some techniques can only be learned during duel mode.

But even these gameplay changes seem insignificant compared to the total graphical overhaul. Instead of computer-rendered backgrounds or sharply delineated sprites, SaGa Frontier 2 creates its characters and environments with lush, hand-painted watercolors. It's as if the original sketches and paintings from the game's design phase were placed, unblemished by a digitizing hand, into the game itself. The game's relaxed and flowing tones are a pleasant breeze of creativity when compared to most games' CG, polygons, and pixel-perfect graphics.

The music is typical of the Romancing SaGa series: romantically orchestral with an emphasis on rousing brass. While the sound quality is excellent, the tunes don't stay with you after the game, unlike Square's finest compositions. Sound effects are somewhat repetitive, if mostly harmless.

Unnecessarily tampering with a winning formula, SaGa Frontier proved by counterexample the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." SaGa Frontier 2 shows that it's never too late to fix things. Updating the series' traditional format with a lavish graphical style and 32-bit complexity, SaGa Frontier 2 is sure to please RPG fans who can overlook the first game's looming shadow. --Andrew Vestal
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slightly flawed, but otherwise excellent RPG., April 26, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Saga Frontier 2 (Video Game)

Any fan of role-playing games knows the name Squaresoft. Generally, their name is synonymous with great storylines, solid characterizations, fabulous graphics and a basic fun time. "Saga Frontier 2" doesn't do anything to tarnish that image at all, and just adds another notch on how high the graphics can get.

Most of Squaresoft's games, as of late, have focused on getting 3D graphics as clear and as detailed as possible, but "Saga Fronter 2" takes a big step back and, in doing so, makes a monstrous leap forward.

Check this - there are no polygonal graphics in "Saga Frontier 2" at all. Everything is meticulously painted, giving a very distinct feel to the entire game, as if you're watching it play out on oil paintings in front of you.

It's a look that's never been done on the Playstation before and, quite frankly, when I first heard about it, even I had my doubts if Squaresoft could pull it off - silly me, doubting the masters.

So instead of the 3D polygons of "Final Fantasy VIII," expect more of a return to those "Secret of Mana" days when everything looked lush and colorful.

Once you get past the beautiful graphics, you'll get into the meat-and-potatoes of the game, which is nearly as good as the graphics.

The idea of the original "Saga Frontier" was to give players a chance to play multiple, interlocking storylines that sounded better on paper than it was in execution. But Squaresoft's learned from it's mistakes, only presenting two main storylines this time, so as to not get the player lost in too much intrigue.

The first involves Gustave XIII, the exiled son of King Gustave XII, who was banished by his father for his inability to use magic. He and his mother move to another kingdom where they quietly live their lives until the boy starts to grow up and search for a life of adventure.

The other storyline focuses on Will, a young knight who will play an important part in the younger Gustave's life, although neither of them really know this at the start.

I don't want to give the plot away, because the storyline is often the best part of a Squaresoft game, but let it be said you won't be disappointed with it.

"Saga Frontier 2" is not a perfect game, however. It can sometimes be tough to keep track of when certain events happen and, while you can always save and know exactly what year it is, having the year accessible at the touch of a button would have been nice, especially since the game has such a heavy reliance on chronology.

The other problem is that the combat system is a little bit arcane at first. For a bit, it'll seem like things are happening by random until you start to piece things together on your own, but it still is a bit more confusing that the usual Squaresoft battle system. A few more things in the manual would have gone a long way towards easing this.

Finally, the game also tends to have long periods of plot followed by long periods of action, instead of a solid mix of the two, which means you may find yourself reading twenty minutes of dialogue before you get back to monster hunter, or doing eight hours of monster hunting before you find a plot point.

Still, I'm nitpicking at this point.

If you're finished the Final Fantasy games and are looking for a solid RPG to consume your free time, you won't go wrong with "Saga Frontier 2."

--Cliff Hicks

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saga Frontier is amazing, March 1, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Saga Frontier 2 (Video Game)

SaGa frontier 2 continues the amazing SaGa series, choosing to take much of the gameplay from its super nintendo counter parts. The art is amazing (2 years in the making) and the nicest ive seen on the playstation (having chosen to bypass the prerendered backgrounds). The story is much like final fantasy tactics in that it follows the historical aspects of the story. I cannot recommend this game enough, and would like to add that if you own a pocketstation it supports that as well.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, but tough, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saga Frontier 2 (Video Game)

SQUARE's done it again with another beatiful and well developed RPG (beats the heck out of SG1). Graphics are great, good fight system,unique character development. Two seperate storylines make for an interesting plot. A word of warning, though...this game is TOUGH! Much harder than the FF series ever was. I really recommend you get the hint book for this one; you'll really need it to navigate the maze like areas and figure out all the combo moves. The last battle of the gustave storyline is completely impossible unless you've found the 'winning element' in the Knight storyline. Enjoy!