In the 15 or so hours it took me to finish Revenant Saga, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of missed potential. None of the mechanical ideas, from character transformations to customization of weapons felt fully fleshed out, balanced, or compelling. The interesting plot is hampered by one-dimensional characters and endless text boxes in which characters talk a lot, but say very little. That all said, Revenant Saga is a slightly above-average throwback RPG on Switch, with a 10-20 hour main quest (there is also a post-game dungeon if you’re into that sort of thing). For a budget-priced retro-style JRPG on Switch, Revenant Saga mostly delivers what it promises. Just don’t expect to see anything new or done better than the games it was inspired by.
Revenant Saga is a by-the-numbers JRPG that will scratch your itch for a portable 90s-esque game with its charming characters and entertaining turn-based combat. However, those that want a meatier role-playing experience should look elsewhere for their fix.
Revenant Saga sets out to offer a simple, throwback JRPG on Switch, and while it certainly ticks those boxes it doesn’t actually end up being very fun to play. An unremarkable story, uneven presentation and interface issues hold this already unambitious effort back, and while it brings some excellent ideas to the table — like battle Transformations and single-handed control — they’re not enough to recommend the experience. If you’re starved for an old-school RPG on the Switch, I Am Setsuna is still your best bet at the moment — otherwise, the 3DS’ treasure trove of turn-based adventures awaits.
Revenant Saga contains a worthwhile story premise that tragically gets lost in the midst of an altogether poor experience. JRPG fans may find some enjoyment in the combat mechanics, but for everyone else, not even its reasonable price should tempt you into this.
There’s an understandable temptation to get Revenant Saga because it’s currently one of the cheapest RPGs on the Switch. But as my granny used to say, “if you buy cheap, you get cheap”, and there’s really nothing remarkable about this one.