Lastly, Mystics absorb enemies into their mystic gear to gain new abilities. Monsters gain abilities and upgrades from eating other monsters, which is randomized to a frustrating degree. Character progression is tied to race-humans gain stat point boosts based on what they do in combat, while Mecs abilities are based on what gear is installed. Unfortunately, Saga Frontier expects you to play by the rules set back in 1989 from the original Legends games, with little to no explanation. The cross encounter interactions also make the world feel lived in and show the cast existing outside of their own story, something that was missing from Square’s newest offering Octopath Traveler. The interactions are unique within each scenario, giving depth to the cast and letting you build your own party however you like.
Despite them being separate characters and stories, in any one storyline you can find and interact with the other characters as well as a colorful cast of B-plot characters with their own development and plots. Starting with the main menu, you are able to select up to 7 different scenario storylines following a singular character and their journey. This allows for open world interactions with the same characters across multiple scenarios, giving the world a more dynamic feel and letting you tailor the gameplay to your own personal style. It’s a wide open world utilized fantastically within the game’s “Free Scenario” System. It’s a vibrant world varying wildly from vampire mystic castles, high stakes casinos and treacherous swamps. Saga Frontier takes place in a universe called “the regions:” A collection of planets and areas traversed by fast travel spaceships or boats. This is an exciting prospect for people like me who harken back to Square’s hay day with rose colored glasses. Now remastered on the Nintendo Switch, it’s been updated for HD and added back previously cut content, characters and scenarios. The new iteration brought a brightly colored cast of characters, a wide web of contextual interactions and a new “Free Scenario” system that pushed what soon became “open world” games. Sandwiched between Final Fantasy Tactics and Front Mission 2, and entering the hallowed halls of what came before it.
In that vein, we have Saga Frontier, released originally in 1997 on the Playstation 1.
The Saga series quickly established a fan base of their own due to the varied character mechanics, intricate progression systems, and detailed world building. Over the years, the Legends brand became known as the Saga games (the proper moniker in the East.) These were turn based like their predecessors, but came with their own set of rules that set them apart. December 1989, they took a version of their lauded Final Fantasy series and brought them to Game Boy, under the title Final Fantasy Legends. The peak of Square’s rule over role playing games came in the 90’s where they released game after game, almost monthly.
They have created some of the most pivotal series of the genre that include Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire*, Chrono Trigger - the list can go on and on. Square, or Square Soft as it was once known, has a storied history with JRPG’s.