Square Enix has many RPG series behind it, but of all of them, Saga is certainly the most experimental, unique and difficult to crack.
It started with the Game Boy, and was initially marketed as The ultimate fantasy spin-off in the West, the SaGa series is known for ditching traditional leveling and storytelling mechanics in favor of something a little more open-ended. While in the earlier games you chose characters and classes as blank slates, later entries had casts with their own individual stories.
These games aren’t easy to get into – but those who love them are really I love them. And we salute Square Enix for sticking with this series for years to give us a completely different kind of turn-based RPG. But the real question — what is the best SaGa game?
We asked you, dear readers, to rank every single SaGa game you’ve played that ran on a Nintendo system. That’s 10 titles — including the Collection of SaGa, which contains three GB of games, on Switch. This list does not include the mobile games or the two PlayStation exclusives, SaGa Frontier 2 or Unlimited SaGa.
The results are dazzling for you below, but remember: this ranking is governed by user ratings for each game in our database and is subject to real-time fluctuations, even after publication. This means that it is still possible to influence and change the order below. To do this, simply click on the game you want to rate and assign a score on the game page.
So, dear readers, let’s find out what your favorite SaGa game is:
Makai Toushi Sa・Ga, under the label Final Fantasy in the West, is the first game in the SaGa series. It’s an incredibly complex game for its time, but often silly by today’s standards. While its two sequels improved on the template set here, RPG traditionalists will still find a lot to like about the original game. Although designed to be a shorter experience more suitable for a portable machine, it’s a tough little game and still worth a look all these years later.
Romancing SaGa 2 is a really intriguing JRPG. The combat system has a great sense of depth thanks to its distinctive take on leveling, the inclusion of formations, and the way the player is held accountable for each party member. The kingdom management aspects also give a better sense of player influence and help differentiate it from conventional RPGs. Because of this design, the story and character development – including dialogue throughout – is not as refined as other Square Enix titles. Regardless, the whole concept has aged surprisingly well – even by modern standards.
Is Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend for you? Well, it actually depends on one big factor. Did you play these games as a child? If so, then this compilation might be worth a punt for a nice trip down memory lane. However, if you don’t fall into that camp, it’s hard to recommend picking this up. These three games are just okay at their best and quite disappointing at their worst. The hard truth is that both your time and money are much better spent on the mountain of new or old RPGs you can buy for the Switch. There are worse games, but there are also much better ones, and Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend really only has value as a curiosity or nostalgic piece.
Final Fantasy Legend III is a fitting end to the trilogy of Game Boy games; a very solid RPG experience that has a surprising degree of depth. If you like your missions long and your combat systems very basic and traditional in design, you’ll find a lot to like in this edition, even though it might seem little tiring if you are used to more modern RPG elements. However, RPG enthusiasts are old-timers when it comes to flirting with boredom in classic titles, and there’s still plenty to enjoy in this game – the finale in Saga of the series that will bear the nickname ‘Final Fantasy’ in the West.
Romancing SaGa – Minstrel Song – Remastered ambitions and achievements are still fresh today. The open world system is remarkably well implemented, and the multi-protagonist approach feels modern even in a game that’s been around for decades, but the control issues, vague nature of the game, and slow progression system drag it down. Unfortunately, this is a cult classic JRPG that is less than the sum of its parts.
SaGa Emerald Beyond has a deep and satisfying combat system that draws you in from the jump. There’s plenty of narrative content in his five adventures, as well as a diverse collection of characters, but very little that truly captures the attention. Still, if you’re a fan of the series, you’ll definitely love this one, and the combat is so rewarding that if you like tinkering, you might just fall for this one.
Final Fantasy Legend II improves on every single aspect compared to its predecessor. A brand new playable race has been added — robots, it’s now easier to get spells on mutant characters, and people now need to get stats instead of just buying them. This is also the most clearly defined story of the first three SaGa games and the trilogy — all available through the Collection on Switch — this is probably the easiest to get into.
SaGa Frontier Remastered sees Square Enix’s cult classic JRPG look and play better than ever, with a beautiful HD look and plenty of revamped content and quality of life improvements giving die-hard fans an experience they’re sure to enjoy. However, this is still a game that has aged quite badly in many respects; an idiosyncratic, eccentric and infuriating experience that refuses to guide you or help you in any way, and is ultimately quite difficult to recommend to anyone who isn’t already a fan.
It’s easy and hard to recommend Romancing SaGa 3 because it’s a love-it-or-hate-it title with very little room for a mediocre response. If you’re new to the RPG genre, we recommend skipping it and rounding it up later, as this is a game that assumes some basic RPG knowledge and rarely explains the mechanics to you in a satisfying way. If you’re more experienced with RPGs, we’d recommend it more, but with the caveat that this is a game that will require patience and careful study to fully enjoy. Either way, Square has done a great job of beautifying this delightfully obscure RPG for a Western audience.
As the first all-new SaGa game since the 2002 PS2 exclusive Unlimited SaGa, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions are absolutely fulfilling. The combat is exciting, the music is fantastic, and it still has all those SaGa quirks you know and love – or don’t. The story could be better, but overall, this is the most accessible SaGa game to date and the easiest recommendation we can give in this series.
Frequently asked questions
Which SaGa game should I play first?
Good question! Like many RPG franchises, no SaGa games are linked. This means you can play the SaGa series in any order you want. Even Romancing SaGa and Final Fantasy Legend, though they share titles, are not tied among the numerical entries.
However, if you want to start somewhere, we recommend the two most recent entries in the series — SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions or SaGa Emerald Beyond. Both are available on the Switch eShop and are a more modern version of the SaGa series formula, albeit with all the tropes and details. So you get a cleaner, more refined experience.
If you want to age a bit, Romancing SaGa 3 is also a great place to start. Of the SNES games, it’s the most polished and accessible. But don’t expect any game to be easy.
Are SaGa games hard?
Difficult may not be the right word for it, but they are definitely a bit difficult to get into. The SaGa series forgoes traditional experience points and most games do not follow a linear story. They also don’t hold hands much. So aside from games that have set character stories – think SaGa Frontier or the two Switch titles – they’re very non-linear and you have to work out a lot of different things.
Is SaGa related to Final Fantasy?
Not really, but you could argue that it’s Final Fantasy whether us SaGa.
Akitoshi Kawazu, the creator of the franchise, worked on Final Fantasy II — the second NES/Famicom entry — as a game designer, coming up with many of the newer battle and leveling mechanics. Although many who worked on Final Fantasy did not enjoy these new mechanics, they live on in the SaGa series.
As far as western naming conventions go, Square decided to call the first SaGa game The Final Fantasy Legend to try and attract more eyes to the game. Simple as that. By the way, the two franchises are not related.
Is SaGa Frontier 2 Coming To Switch?
Probably! Well, nothing is definitive yet, but series creator Kawazu has been teasing a remaster of the PS1 RPG for a long time now. Which would make sense considering SaGa Frontier Remastered is on Switch.
In fact, recently on April 1, 2024, Kawazu told fans to “Please be patient.” (over it Gematsu) In the same breath, he also said this isn’t a remaster announcement,” but that’s as close as you can get without saying “here’s an announcement,” right?
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