Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered arrives on PS5 with the confidence of a cult classic returning for its bow on modern hardware. Unfortunately, what should feel like a triumphant reintroduction instead plays more like an academic reprint: technically interesting, historically notable, and baffling to most people who didn’t grow up studying its peculiarities under controlled laboratory conditions.
Gaming Heaven
The premise remains irresistibly grand. Eight protagonists wandering a divinely scarred world, each with their own opening chapter and thematic flavour, should in theory provide a feast of replayability. The free-scenario structure is still commendably bold, letting you roam Mardias with almost no guard rails. The remaster adds a few modern conveniences – faster battles, cleaner UI elements, a visible Event Rank gauge, and a smattering of restored content. Combat, at its simplest, is turn-based comfort food, and the occasional spontaneous learning of a new technique can still spark a moment of genuine delight. If you squint hard enough, you can see why die-hard fans revere it.
Gaming Hell
However, living with the game is rather like moving into a listed building: charming at a distance, structurally alarming up close. The infamous Event Rank system still looms over every step you take, advancing as you win battles, quietly locking quests away with all the warmth of a deadline set by someone who hates you. Its explanations remain as clear as fog, assuming players enjoy being both rushed and lost simultaneously.
The art style is another hurdle. Characters appear as though sculpted from marzipan by someone unfamiliar with human faces, while the world’s watercolour textures clash violently with the low-resolution assets the remaster can’t quite disguise. The result is a visual identity best described as “storybook fever dream”. And despite the “International” label, returning players will find almost nothing new beyond extra languages.
Final Judgement
Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered on PS5 is certainly faithful, but often to a fault. Beneath its sprawling ambition lies a game determined to test your patience more than your skill. Admirable, yes – enjoyable, less so. For newcomers it’s a wall; for veterans, a rerelease in search of a reason to exist.
