Developer: Square Enix, ArtePiazza
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Switch 2
Tested on: Switch 2
Romancing SaGa 2: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack – Review
The Switch 2 has only been out for a few months, but between The Legend of Zelda and Mario Party, we’re no strangers to paid upgrade packs for OG Switch games anymore. While plenty of games have received free upgrades, having the “Switch 2 version” moniker implies that there is more to be found here than a simple bump in performance. There are always outliers, of course, and in this case, that outlier is Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. Not only is it a game that came out fairly recently on the OG Switch, but where other upgrade packs add new features or additional content, Romancing SaGa 2 only has visual and performance upgrades to offer. On the Nintendo eShop, there is no difference in RRP between the OG Switch and Switch 2 versions of Romancing SaGa 2, so picking up the latter should be a no-brainer. Is it worth paying for the upgrade if you already own the original, however? In fact, are the technical improvements worth a return to Avalon, either to go through the motions a second time, or to take care of unfinished business?
Full disclosure: Since there is no new content included in the Switch 2 upgrade pack for Romancing SaGa 2, we won’t be revisiting the game itself and instead refer you to our original review. After all, this is still the same sprawling, generational RPG with its mix of experimental mechanics and obtuse systems that we reviewed less than a year ago. Alongside the upgrade pack, a minor balance update arrived for the game, but that isn’t exclusive to the Switch 2 and is available across all platforms. The pack itself focuses entirely on improving the game’s visuals and overall performance. It’s quite sizable too, as the pack by itself is nearly 16 GB, more than doubling the size of the previous release. That may seem like a lot for what is a simple performance upgrade on paper, but having played both versions of the game, we can tell you that the difference really is night and day.
The most obvious differences are in the game’s graphics, of course. In our original review, we remarked that Romancing SaGa 2 was subject to a lackluster visual performance, with stuttering and muddy visuals, particularly in handheld mode. This is no longer the case here. The bump is immediately noticeable. The game now targets native 1080p in handheld mode, and scales up to 4K when docked. The result is sharper, deeper, and far less fuzzy. That extra crispness really does matter, making the character models pop in a way that doesn’t feel like a compromise. HDR support also adds some welcome depth when it comes to colors, particularly in magic-heavy battles, where spell effects really light up the screen. In handheld mode, the color depth doesn’t quite match that of the OLED Switch, but the improvements elsewhere do make up for it.
The other area where the upgrade pack makes a huge difference is performance. On the OG Switch, Romancing SaGa 2 generally ran well, but during busy and demanding battle sequences, the frame rate would dip below 30 fps. On the Switch 2, the game now targets a rock-solid 60 fps. While it does still occasionally drop under that under specific circumstances, these instances are rare, and combat in particular feels significantly smoother. The game’s loading times have also been cut nearly in half across the board. Booting up the game, entering battles, or jumping between areas all feel much snappier. These changes aren’t transformative in the sense of altering the gameplay, but they do make Romancing SaGa 2 a much more pleasant experience.
Getting nothing but a lean and straightforward performance upgrade might sound barebones, especially since Dragon Quest III HD-2D, which is also from Square Enix and was released around the same time, got its Switch 2 upgrade for free. Between the amount of time since Romancing Saga 2 launched, the absence of a physical version of the newer release, and the fact that new players can pick up this new version of the game on the eShop for the same price as the OG, we’re inclined to agree that yes, this upgrade should have been free. Having experienced it for ourselves though, we can say that if you’re going to return to Avalon, however, the differences are big enough that this one is still worth the price of entry.
Conclusion
As far as modernized remakes go, Romancing SaGa 2 was already up there with the best of what Square Enix had to offer. The Switch 2 upgrade pack makes the game shine even brighter. While it doesn’t change the game at its core, the bump in resolution, improved frame rate, and shortened loading times make this one hands-down the best version to play. At €9.99, the pack provides the kind of upgrade we didn’t know we needed. If you’re looking to start your imperial dynasty anew, then making sure your game takes advantage of the improved hardware is well worth it.
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[…] we previously looked at Switch 2 editions of preëxisting games, like Romancing SaGa 2 or Tears of the Kingdom, we kindly referred you to our reviews of the originals before diving into […]