Square Enix is a well-loved company known for making fantastic role-playing games. While they’re most famous for the Final Fantasy series, they’ve also created other classics like Chrono Trigger and Illusion of Gaia. However, some of their lesser-known games, such as The 7th Saga, haven’t held up as well over time.
Although The 7th Saga is now a beloved cult classic, it received a mixed reaction when it was first released in 1993, particularly in the United States. The North American version of the game had a significant problem that still makes it challenging to play even today.
The 7th Saga Turned Its Poor Localization Into a Global Problem
The game The 7th Saga was published by Enix, the company that later merged to become Square Enix. However, the game itself wasn’t made by Enix. It was developed by Produce!, a Japanese game studio that has since closed down. Produce! worked with Enix as well as other companies like Hudson Soft.
Enix was responsible for bringing the game to the U.S. and significantly altered it in the process. They felt the original Japanese version of The 7th Saga was too simple, so they made the North American release much more challenging.
Although some players enjoy really tough RPGs, The 7th Saga became frustratingly difficult due to changes made when it was translated for English-speaking audiences. The developers lowered the stats of the heroes and boosted the stats of the enemies, turning what could have been a fun game into a tedious and repetitive experience.
Beyond the significantly altered gameplay, the story suffers in this version as well. This is largely because the characters’ histories were removed, making it difficult to care about them. These story problems also connect to the game’s increased difficulty, making the experience less enjoyable.
Issues with the game’s story and how it plays unfortunately make the experience even more difficult and tedious, especially for those not in Japan. If the game hadn’t been changed from its original Japanese version, it probably would have been better received. Currently, many players outside of Japan find The 7th Saga unengaging.
The 7th Saga Is Still a Great RPG in Itself
Okay, so The 7th Saga definitely had some rough translation issues, but honestly, I still had a blast playing it. It was a really ambitious RPG, and the gameplay felt super unique compared to other Japanese RPGs from that time. The story takes place in this world called Ticondera, 5,000 years after they beat this really bad demigod named Gorsia.
The tyrannical Gorsia was defeated by the kind demigod Saro, beginning a thousand years of peace in Ticondera. Saro became a legendary figure, and his son, Lemele, continued his father’s work. When the game starts, Lemele is over a century old, incredibly popular, and searching for someone to take his place.
Following five years of preparation, seven individuals are competing to succeed Lemele as the ruler of Ticondera. The candidates – humans Valsu and Kamil, dwarf Olvan, tetujin Lux, alien Wilme, demon Lejes, and elf Esuna – each possess unique qualities and viewpoints, and one will be chosen to lead.
So, once you’re picked as the hero, the main goal is to find seven runes that are hidden all over the world of Ticondera, which used to be ruled by this guy named Saro. The problem is, a lot of these runes are held by really tough, evil rulers. You basically have to go around and beat them to get the runes!
While playing The 7th Saga, you’ll do typical RPG things like exploring the world and completing quests for people you meet. What really sets The 7th Saga apart is its originality – it introduced features that haven’t been widely copied in other Japanese role-playing games.
The game’s guidance system is a unique crystal ball, but it can make the story feel very predetermined. If more people had played the original version of The 7th Saga, it might be better known today. Unfortunately, it’s currently so difficult to play that it’s almost impossible to get through.
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2026-03-10 04:16