Square Enix Details SaGa Frontier Remastered’s Fuse Content
Square Enix put out some new details and media for the upcoming SaGa Frontier Remastered. The update focuses on Fuse, the new eighth playable character in the remaster.
The new story content for Fuse is written by series director Akitoshi Kawazu and writer Benny Matsuyama, with new music composed by Kenji Ito. As an IRPO patrolman, Fuse follows the journey of the other seven protagonists, while seeking to get to the bottom of a case. In order to unlock Fuse’s scenarios, players need to complete the storyline of the corresponding protagonist, with the ability to carry over character stats from the complete storyline.
Fuse’s storylines will add new elements to the conclusions of the original stories, including “if” scenarios detailing what would’ve happened had Fuse intervened. They will let players form previously-impossible party combinations, with some storylines branching into multiple endings depending on player choices. New party members available include Fuse’s fellow IRPO members and Emilia’s fiancé Ren. Players will also be able to challenge other protagonists’ final bosses in Fuse’s storyline, and potentially get all eight protagonists into the same party.
In addition, Square Enix asked some of the major development staff to provide messages regarding Fuse and the new content in the remaster, including selecting their favourite scenes:
Akitoshi Kawazu (SaGa Series General Director):
It looks like it’s time for Fuse’s arrival at last. Fuse’s storyline implementation ended up taking a different form than what I was expecting at the time of the original. However, being able to fight all the final bosses for the other protagonists and being able to become allies with all the other protagonists were ideas that we were able to incorporate just as I’d conceived. On top of that, we were able to have Benny’s full support on all facets of the scenario, which was not possible back then! I think that this Fuse is a more reckless, wilder, and cooler character than a Fuse depicted by me. The Fuse storyline can be enjoyed seven times. Drink in every last drop.
(Favorite scene) The scene where he has a conversation with Roufas about crab pasta. The reason why Gradius’s hideout is an Italian restaurant is because at the time, [SaGa Frontier Project Chief / Current CEO of Grezzo] Mr. Ishii* had a favorite restaurant that was in Meguro City, Tokyo. It’s still there, in fact.
Benny Matsuyama (Game writer/author):
SaGa Frontier, a title to which so many of you players have dedicated countless hours playing – with the Fuse storyline, we must have you enjoy that field even more. Keeping that in mind, I dedicated my efforts to see how engaging I could make this story that changes through the addition of Fuse. A crazy investigation diary that can only be portrayed through the medium of a game rather than a novel, with different endings that can be reached depending on routes taken and their resulting branches. I was aiming for a delightfully satisfying detective action drama. I hope you’ll play through all the characters to their fullest.
(Favorite scene) The playful interactions of Fuse and Ren at the start of Emilia’s storyline. I wanted to portray the relationship with Ren, which hadn’t been depicted much at all, so I wrote in the boisterously obnoxious moves of a bossy senpai. They ended up making great use of the punching motion, and Hughes is even more annoying that I’d imagined. The effects they added here are the best!
Kenji Ito (Composer):
At the time, there had been a drastic increase in the number of tracks from the previous title (Romancing SaGa 3), and I couldn’t even move for about a week after the end of production [smiles wryly]. For Fuse, I wanted to portray a masculine sex appeal and dandyism as well as a little comicality, and I remember struggling with that quite a bit. The new tracks… and in particular, the ending track, is somewhere I’ve infused those images into the main theme, so I would be very happy if you could take a look for yourself!
(Favorite scene) My personal favorite is the fight between Alkaiser and Metal Black III. “Glimmer” happens to Alkaiser, and he comes up with “Al-Phoenix X,” and when that fiery bird bursts forth onto Metal Black III, it’s really a rush [laughs]. It’s so much that I imagine this scene when I’m performing “Battle #5” live, which is the track that plays during this battle.
Hiroyuki Miura (Producer, SaGa Frontier Remastered):
For the new protagonist Fuse, scenario production began with Mr. Kawazu at the center, and was based on Mr. Kawazu’s ideas from back then. The scenario was amply captivating even at the stage of having just received it from Benny, but Fuse became an even more appealing character as the director and dev staff for this title implemented it and added effects. The addition of Fuse’s story makes the original SaGa Frontier’s story itself feel deeper and more captivating, so I hope you’ll look forward to that.
(Favorite scene) Orlouge is arrested by Fuse!? The unprecedented nature of him being an investigator who goes into the world of mystics, which feels extraterritorial, as well as the question of whether the concept of “arrest” even applies to “Orlouge”? What words will Orlouge offer Fuse in return? I was full of excited anticipation for what would happen next as I played. Play to find out what happens next!
Naofumi Ueno (Director, SaGa Frontier Remastered):
One of the concepts of Fuse’s storyline is to reveal the secrets of SaGa Frontier’s world. There were several areas that hadn’t been discussed in much depth during the original title and had remained mysteries, and some of these are now being delved into from the unique perspective of Fuse as a member of IRPO. Additionally, there are fun little tidbits [alt: Easter eggs] incorporated here and there that those who notice them won’t be able to help but grin at. There are also stories that reach a different ending as a result of Fuse joining, so every route of the protagonists is finished to a very satisfying quality. I hope you’ll see all of them through to the end and steep yourselves more deeply in the world of SaGa Frontier!
(Favorite scene) The scene where Fuse, having been sent to the Dark Labyrinth for certain reasons, encounters Red Turnip. There were characters whose appearances were not planned during the plot stage, but in the end, we were able to include everyone in one place or another. The cutscene with Red Turnip, whose role was the most difficult among them to cast, is particularly memorable for me.
SaGa Frontier is the seventh game in the SaGa series and released for PlayStation in Japan in 1997 and North America in 1998. Players choose one of the eight protagonists to play as, all of whom exist within the game’s setting, a planetary system called The Regions. The game will release digitally for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android on April 15, 2021. It is available to pre-order now, priced at $24.99.
This was the game that taught me never to play rpg’s that don’t have a central narrative. I went against my better judgement by playing through octopath, just wanting a new rpg to check out, and it cost me dearly. Not sure why game still do this other than they don’t have a strong game director with a defined vision.
The advertisements for the original were spectacular though.
To offer the alternate perspective, I loved both SaGa Frontier and Octopath Traveler for their individual narrative arcs. The “characters come together to save the world” trope has been employed ad nauseam. Experiencing characters as individuals vice the group dynamic is a welcome reprieve. Hopefully SaGa Frontier finds a wider audience this time around.
As a ‘third’ opinion, I played ever arc of the original SaGa Frontier with a friend. He did Blue, Riki, and Asellus and I did Red, Lute, Emilia and T260G. We loved how each character had their own story and sometimes each ‘main’ character would occasionally make a cameo appearance in other stories. We also liked the fact that many of the areas were recycled since there were so many locations to visit and so many spells and runes to acquire depending on which character you were currently playing. We also truly liked that each character was quite unique and the other ‘supporting’ characters were predictable which made choosing them an easy task. Also, after going through a story a piece we each took different opposing magic schools to try them out and settled on favorites for future characters. We also loved how each main character, probably besides Lute, had huge personal areas that only they could visit and the whole world belonged to every character.
It’s a very strange game with a very odd leveling system, to be sure, but there was nothing more exciting than getting your butt whooped in a fight and having a character get that lightbulb over their head and learn a new skill at just the right time to turn a losing battle around.
Also, we loved SaGa Frontier but didn’t care for SaGa Frontier 2. It just didn’t have the same catch that the first one did.
I’m highly anticipating this games release. I love the original Saga Frontier. I’m really surprised what they ended up doing with Fuse. Each of the storylines are fun and short and you can tailor your party how you choose. It isn’t as polished as Minstrel Song was, but it’s shorter from scenario to scenario allowing you to sink in a couple dozen hours or less and complete the game, or do it again with new characters and a different storyline. All the while you are building up your characters with the exciting and addicting glimmer system or using the robots monsters or mystics and their unique systems. What makes the game feel fresh is that there’s enough randomness in how your characters develop, and enough variety of choice in who you bring along, that if feels like your own crafted party and experience. And like I said, it’s short enough to where you aren’t necessarily on the hook for 30+ hours to see the conclusion.
The replayability is enhanced from each scenario having a different final boss, storyline and playable characters. What games like this ( and roguelikes) understand is that having a lot of options at the start is what makes a game fun to replay from the beginning over and over. I haven’t beaten all of the scenarios but I can’t wait to pick this up and try a different one. I’ve beaten T260G, Red, and Emelia. Emelia was really fun because she has different costumes that allow her to spark with different skill branches. And she has my favorite final boss music.
Ok I’m done