We analyzed the revision of the title released in 1995 for Super Famicom and that had not reached the west until now.
“Once every 300 years, the Rise of Morastrum (Morastrum zenith) endangers the existence of our world. All who are born that year are doomed to die before it ends. However, there was an occasion when a child survived and used his deadly power to conquer the world, although one day he disappeared. Another 300 years passed and another creature challenged fate. That girl became known as the Matriarch. 300 strange years have passed since she appeared. Now humanity is at the precarious point of balance between hope and despair. Will there be another child of destiny?
In 1995 Romancing SaGa 3 was launched for the Super Famicon (Japanese Super NES) exclusively for the Japanese market, and it was not until 2019 that this ambitious title has finally seen the light in the rest of the world. According to their creators, the initial decision not to launch this title in America and Europe in its time was due to the large amount of text that Romancing SaGa 3 presents, which would make its location very expensive, as well as the high level of difficulty, which has been the reason that other games, such as Super Mario Bros. 2 (known in America and Europe as The Lost Levels), never reached the West. Now it does it on different platforms maintaining the essence of the original delivery.
And this title is really ambitious. At the beginning, we will be given a choice between eight different protagonists, and the choice we have will completely change the plot's direction. Although the stories of all these characters are intertwined and share some key moments, if we want to fully know the world that this videogame offers we will have to play it again from the perspective of the rest of the cast. And not only will we be given the choice of the protagonist, but also his star of destiny (something similar to the class system of the Final Fantasy series) and the weapon in which we want our leader to specialize, giving rise to a very personalized experience.
Thanks to this, Romancing SaGa 3 has great replayability, especially through the addition of New Game +. This is not the only novelty that the title presents with respect to the 1995 Japanese original: the graphics have also improved significantly, an additional dungeon (Phantom Maze) has been added, and there are new narrative lines that will surprise even the veterans who have already played To this jewel.
The combat system works in turns, in which the protagonist will choose the actions of the five characters of his team first and these will follow afterwards depending on the speed attribute of each. To this is added a tactical element thanks to the ability to choose the formation of the battalion or the position of each team member, creating several different ways of fighting depending on the preferences of the player. To this is added a war simulator that we can see if we choose Mikhail as the protagonist of the adventure, which will remind us of the combat system of games like Suikoden.
To make the experience even more personalized and interesting, we will move through a free world in which we can choose the direction that history will take and the way in which we want to face both the main plot and the secondary missions. Another aspect that shows the depth of Romancing SaGa 3 is the fact that here we do not have to gain experience to level up, but our statistics will improve depending on the way we play, the magic we use, the weapons with which we Let's equip … And beware, the amount of equipment and spells presented to us is so extensive that it can rival a triple A title of this generation.
Special mention deserves the soundtrack, by Kenji Ito, which has a rare complexity in the middle. And it is that each character, each city or event will have its own leitmotif that will perfectly acclimate each scene and each situation, characterizing even better the places and characters we encounter. The musical composition is of such magnitude that, although the game has taken so long to reach the West, we will surely recognize many of the themes of Romancing SaGa 3 thanks to the great impact they have had on popular culture.
But not all are positive points, and this title has some problems that make it difficult to enter this adventure. And, just as it happened in 1995, the Romancing SaGa 3 team has had to face the same problem they had then: the tremendous cost of locating a game that presents a truly overwhelming amount of text. This is why the title has only been translated into English, which can be a major obstacle for those who want to enter this adventure without mastering the Anglo-Saxon language.
Another tare that we will discover very soon is that the level of difficulty is really high, even at the beginning of the game. This means that we will have to grind for hours to be able to face some dungeon boss, as well as use the equipment and spells very strategically to face each challenge. This implies that those who will enjoy this game the most are the most patient and persevering JRPG fans, while those who are looking for a light adventure to hang out will not enjoy this title so much.
It is also important to note that, contrary to what most RPGs do when they reiterate again and again the goal of the player and how to reach him, Romancing SaGa 3 does the opposite: it leaves you a lot of freedom at all times , but this usually means that sometimes we will feel lost and we will not be clear where we should go or what we should do.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is a highly recommended game for all lovers of the RPG genre. Romancing SaGa 3 was not only the best that was created during the SNES stage, but it is still entertaining and fascinating. However, the high level of difficulty and the language barrier can present insurmountable obstacles for players who are not accustomed to this genre. But those who choose to immerse themselves in this adventure will find a gigantic world full of possibilities with as many ways to play as there are players.
THE BEST
- Much content and high level of replay
- An excellent soundtrack and graphic section
- A plot and an open world full of possibilities
WORST
- The game is only available in English
- Excessive difficulty level, especially for inexperienced players
- Sometimes it is very confusing on how to move forward
Good
It meets the expectations of what a good game is, it has quality and does not present serious failures, although it lacks elements that could have led to higher levels.
