Metascore
58 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 23
  2. Negative: 2 out of 23
  1. The game emphasizes role-playing over subscribing to the underlying story, and that is what makes Romancing SaGa such a terrific experience to be had.
  2. 87
    A unique and aesthetically appealing work of art.
  3. Some people are going to hate it on sight, but I believe that like SaGa Frontier before it, Romancing SaGa has a welcome place in the gaming library of anyone who appreciates a completely free-roaming experience and isn't above being patient with the quirks of gameplay it holds.
  4. Between the exploration and customization, players will have plenty to keep themselves busy for a very long time.
  5. Most certainly a pleasant console role-playing game of a faded breed. [Jan 2006, p.89]
  6. Offers a wide variety of things to do, but no real direction in a lot of important areas. Romancing SaGa is ultimately a role-playing game with a lot of gameplay substance but no cohesive storyline to back it up.
  7. Romancing SaGa has areas that may prove to be interesting in the future, but the lack of a story and uninteresting characters prove too much to overcome.
  8. The game falls short in areas such as voice acting, graphics, story and actual fun!
  9. Now, if they could just manage decent graphics-the game slides dangerously close to PS1 territory at times-ditch the freakish characters, and pen a halfdecent tale to go with the gameplay, SaGa could finally become a series worth paying attention to.
  10. Romancing SaGa is ultimately a role-playing game without any substance.
  11. 60
    Romancing SaGa will please those gamers who want a very long game. There are many locations to discover and explore, and each is delightfully designed, although the tedium of fighting the same kinds of monsters may get in the way of leveling up.
  12. 60
    At best, Romancing SaGa is an eight-part RPG miniseries contained in one overflowing DVD. At worst, it's an unbalanced snooze-fest whose surface you won't feel too compelled to scratch.
  13. Lacks everything which makes the genre fun and engrossing.
  14. Square Enix's track record is questioned here, as the update to the 'SaGa' franchise fails miserably due to a disjointed plot and lack of directions.
  15. The story isn't worth a second of your time. A crappy story makes for a crappy RPG. Artistically Square Enix is on par with their top titles ("Final Fantasy," "Parasite Eve" and "Xenogears" excluded – they're still the best). But no matter what I do I can't get past the story.
  16. It's an expedition into the rugged unknown - not a luxury vacation. [Jan 2006, p.72]
  17. Barely even a game. [Nov 2005, p.154]
  18. Without a good story, interesting characters, a good design or enveloping world, Romancing Saga fails as an RPG.
  19. While the open ended gameplay is a good concept, it falls flat because players often end up lost or on an incorrect path. Romancing Saga almost focuses entirely on being open ended and it neglects all the other RPG mechanics like a solid story.
  20. 50
    Moderately pretty graphics and average sound don't offset the labored frustration that follows playing this stilted title. [Nov 2005, p.146]
  21. Too much choice, not enough direction, and the characters are really creepy looking. [Dec 2005, p.118]
  22. This could have easily been a great tribute to its SNES predecessor, had it paid any heed to what makes the tedium of an RPG tolerable... and that lies squarely in the saga that this game fails to describe.
  23. Most traditional RPG fans will find themselves bored and frustrated with SaGa's extremely open-ended and unforgiving game design, but those select few who find themselves excited by these prospects will proclaim this one of the most satisfying experiences in recent memory.
User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. jason
    1
    This is one of the worst games ive ever played... attempted to play. It is almost impossible to do anything considering the spinning wheel of actions that almost never lets you do anything you want, an uninteresting cast of characters that you have to play each of. It takes out the story and character development and fun gameplay and all it leaves in grinding and a wheel. There is no fun to be had here and anyone whop gives it a high score suffered through the whole game and cant let all that time they spent seem like a waste. Full Review »
  2. TorlisB.
    10
    Romancing Saga is an awesome game and should definitely be played by all people who are big RPG fans, you won't be disappointed! The Battle system is awesome and different from other RPG's. IT ROCKS! Full Review »
  3. KevinS.
    9
    If you liked SaGa Frontier, you will almost surely love Romancing SaGa. It gives you the same sort of freedom and customization. Fantastic.