Even as a fan of SaGa, the first game in the Romancing series is a serious undertaking. Even with the Minstrel Song remake, and even with the additional tweaks afforded by the latest version, Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered. It’s a real doozy of a game in a doozy of a series. But as JRPG diehards may know, there’s plenty of cool stuff to uncover if you’re willing to put the time and effort in here. I’m not gonna tell you what that cool stuff is (that’s half the fun), but I will give you some tips on how to get by long enough to get there.
Tips and Tricks for Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered
Above All, Relax
If you look too much into what’s going on in Romancing SaGa, it’s easy to be intimidated. It’s easy to walk through the door worrying about fifty things at once. This will ruin the experience for you. Instead, try to think about this game in similar fashion to Breath of the Wild (for a contemporary parallel). You’re meant to just dick around and see what happens, then figure out the nitty gritty later. Just run around and explore! Get your ass kicked and go in a different direction when you reload. See what does what by just doing it.
When in Doubt, Reload
One of the best new additions to this remaster is autosaving. Minstrel Song will autosave after every enemy encounter, regardless if you win or if you run away. So if you’re grinding and a fight goes south, there’s no shame in reloading the last autosave right in the middle of the battle. The game loads fast, so you’re barely out of the action and ready to try again or change course. It’s your best defense against RNG.
It’s Called Minstrel Song for a Reason
Whenever you need to rest up, or when you arrive in a town for one reason or another, make sure to stop by the tavern. Stuff can randomly go down here, from uncovering new events and quests to recruiting new characters. The bard himself might join your group for a little while too. You never know what you’ll find in these buildings or when.
Read the Manual
Well, there is no manual. But every time you enter a town or other populated area, there’s a… strange child who will give you all kinds of tutorial options. If there’s something you aren’t sure about, check with these kids and chances are they’ll have what you need. Stats, battle terms, systems, and more are all here.
Get the Points
The most important aspect of surviving this SaGa in literal terms is understanding the different “points” and paying proper attention to them. There’s LP, BP and DP, all of which you need to manage in a fight. DP is weapon durability, BP is basically just MP and LP is analogous to lives. LP is the most important, since running out means that character is dead forever. Some skills consume LP, and characters can have wildly varying LP pools. DP is also important because some weapons let you restore DP and some don’t. So depending on if you’re trying to progress or grind, you might want to move your weapons around. And don’t break them by accident!
New Game Plus
Another new feature for Minstrel Song Remastered is New Game Plus. All that stuff I said before about relaxing? Here’s the ultimate tool for that. If you’re determined to see all the things, NG+ is here to help facilitate that without making you endure a bunch of stressful runs. Go through blind once, figure things out on your own, then grab a guide and take it easy with subsequent runs. It makes way more sense to do this instead of breaking your back to do it all at once.
Related: Interview: The 2021 State of SaGa With Akitoshi Kawazu, Masanori Ichikawa and Hiroyuki Miura
Considering how much of a reputation Romancing SaGa has for being difficult, it’s a pretty straightforward game. There’s a lot to wrap your head around, but there’s only so much happening in the moment to moment gameplay. It’s mostly a mental hurdle compared to anything else, and your mileage may vary depending on how you deal with obtuse videogame structure. I recommend giving it a shot though, as Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered is a deeply fascinating game. Hope this helps!
