•Square Enix has unveiled its first 1990s-era remake slated for 2027, a reworking of the SNES title Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United”>Romancing SaGa 3, during a 30-minute preview event at New York Comic Con.
The studio has leaned heavily on revisiting its ’90s catalog in recent years, from the HD-2D reworking of Live A Live”>Live A Live in 2022 to this year’s diorama-inspired remake of Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined”>Dragon Quest 7. The SaGa follow-up is known for its non-linear storytelling, multiple protagonists and unconventional minigames.
The preview offered a choice between an early story-focused section or a more combat-heavy mid-game slice. Opting for the latter, players navigate a subterranean cave where enemies can be slipped past or engaged in turn-based battles.
I was instantly pulled in by the game’s charming visuals and its unique riff on turn-based combat.
Gamer24h Polygon preview
The combat rewards aggression with escalating damage figures. Standard attacks and spells deal thousands of points, while combos and charged team-up strikes push totals into the five-figure range.
Doing 34,000 damage at once just feels better than 340.
Gamer24h Polygon preview
Image: Square EnixThe presentation carries a whiff of gacha-style spectacle reminiscent of Final Fantasy Resonance”>Final Fantasy Resonance, though the studio stresses this is not a gacha game.
Romancing SaGa 3 abandons the traditional experience point system. Instead, characters gain health and stat attributes after each battle, with builds shaped by repeated actions in combat. New abilities are unlocked through the Glimmer system, which marks certain skills with a light-bulb icon. Limited skill slots force players to swap weaker techniques for stronger ones.
The game’s most unconventional systems revolve around HP and revival mechanics. Health regenerates automatically after battle, but Battle Points used for skills and magic do not. When HP reaches zero, characters can be revived with a standard healing item at the cost of a Life Point (LP). Each character has a fixed number of LP; losing them all before reaching an inn or recovery point means permanent removal from the roster.
You are what you eat.
Gamer24h Polygon preview
Players can field up to five party members: one of eight main characters plus four optional recruits. The preview featured Khalid, a swordsman with a long ponytail; Robin, described as Zorro-esque; and Flurry, a snowman composed of two white spheres topped with frowny eyebrows.
Image: Square EnixSquare Enix and co-developer Xeen Inc. retained this deliberately simple character design amid the otherwise lavish visual overhaul. The game reportedly includes numerous oddball recruits, including a lobster-person and an overweight Robin impersonator named Fat Robin.
I love him.
Gamer24h Polygon preview
The remake features visuals with a candy-colored sheen similar to Dragon Quest 11″>Dragon Quest 11. The studio describes it as a significant leap forward from the 2019 pixel-art remaster.
This definitely feels like a massive step up from the 2019 remaster.
Gamer24h Polygon preview
Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United launches February 16, 2027 for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
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