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If you are familiar with the portmanteau "Sqenix", you then would know of its two game company names:

Square - Creators of more than a lion's share of the games that are discussed, drawn, and written about- namely the Final Fantasy series. Chrono Trigger, Ehrgeiz, Kingdom Hearts, and the saGa series can also be placed under the Square umbrella.

Enix- This is the little brother, so to speak, of the portmanteau. Dragon Quest, Star Ocean, and early versions of Fortune Street are this company's claims to fame.

Since their merger in 2001, the force of Sqenix seems to be unstoppable.

In this funny little culture we called the "gamer" culture, we find games we love, and games we loathe, and no company who has produced for a long period of time has ever not dipped from one side to the other. Enix hit its stride with DQ 4, 5, and 6, but right around that time they were designing and releasing these games, they gave birth to a very obscure twin, a game (and franchise) called the 7th Saga. This game was one of those rare love/hate games that's ever been produced.

Unrelated to the saGa series (which gave us Romancing saGa and SaGa Frontier), this game was definitely unique in many aspects. The synopsis is fairly simple, but very fascinating indeed:

On the world of Ticonderoga, King Lemele has charged seven potentials to collect the Runes of Power from various monsters and tyrants so that he may choose an heir to his powerful empire. You can choose any one of the seven representatives as a player character to search for these runes and gain ultimate power. You can work against (sometimes directly, going so far as to kill one of the others) or with the others to acquire these runes.


As usual, I don't give a numerical ratings system, just try to use an adjective that best describes my feelings toward this aspect of the game.

Spoilers coming!!!

Concept

Excellent- Being an alien, elf, dwarf, human, or even a robot who travels the world collecting these runes to gain some sort of ultimate power? and hell

Story

Mostly Great, but the Ending Ruins it - This game actually has a few twists and turns through its course, including

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

A bounty hunter hired by a randomly determined adventurer sent to kill off the player character

.

As you work you way through the game, things begin to reveal themselves, right up until the gut-wrenching and vomit inducing ending

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

Where the evil demon of old, Gorsia, had actually killed king Lemele,. and was masquerading as him the whole time. After being defeated, they decide to lock the player character into a time loop!

Gameplay- if it ain't broke, don't fix it- It's very standard stuff, mostly operated via menu (this is a Super NES game after all) during the battle scenes, and the encounter system is identified through a radar on your screen. The movement is fine, and the magic system isn't overly powerful, but nor is it too weak.

Graphic and sound - Average - Eh, nothing to write home about. short animations for spell casting, and tried and true pose changes for badly wounded enemies don't really add too much to the game.

I'd recommend giving 7th Saga a playthrough. it's not a horrible game, save for the ending, but for me, I could never bring myself to play it ever again. Maybe you'll think differently.

This post has been edited by chevleclair on 26th March 2015 06:27

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"So, are you a fan of the Fett?"

"Nah, I'm more of a Star Wars guy."

Square and Enix merged in 2003, not 2001.

I don't know if there was ever a forum topic about it, but 7th Saga is definitely a weird, interesting SNES RPG. Quite difficult overall. The radar was a pretty cool method for managing encounters. CoN's very own Caesar is a 7th Saga expert that's beaten the game with everyone, but I think the furthest I ever made it was the 5th rune, using the Dwarf. He and the robot guy were my two favorites.

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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

I haven't played 7th Saga, but it's seemed to me that Enix definitely had a good share of those weirder and more interesting ideas, with games like E.V.O. and Terranigma.

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current games (2024-02-19):
Fairy Fencer F ADF
Pokémon Perfect Crystal

finished so far this year:
Gato Roboto
drowning, drowning
New Super Mario Bros.
TMNT 3: Radical Rescue

tabled: Lost Ruins

I loved The 7th Saga! I will say that the battle system was pretty cool in it, if not simple. Loved the idea that you could join up with another party member or not, your choice. I was always prone to want to play Esuna, thought she was pretty weak so I think I'd pair her with Kamil or the robot-alien stone golem. The towns and the music in that game were actually pretty stellar. Actually, the monsters were awesome too.


The 7th Saga, for, me, falls into the category of "I like this game a whole lot, but instead of picking up where I left off and actually beating, for no good reason I like to restart from the beginning and go through it until I get too busy for it again"

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You're telling me that there's no hope.

I'm telling you you're wrong.

Oh goodness.

My best friend introduced me to this obscure title back in the day, when they were getting me in the Final Fantasies and Secrete of Manas and the Ogre Battles and the video gamez and thingz and stuffz!

But yeah, I thought, although it's hecka tough, it was a gem!

Until this day, I've lauded the idea that there isn't just ONE legendary hero out there being, well, THE hero! It's cool that there was an element of competition and conflict, depending on who you were and such.

I really wish more games instituted that idea. I mean, I like playing D&D and everything else and being awesome and outstanding, but it's hard not to imagine that elsewhere in this gaming world another couple of folk are also above-average heroes pursuing a similar goal. But no, they're usually just NPCs that are so strong to dissuade you from robbing them... haha

On that note, MMOs kind of key into it, but it's just not the same, really.

No, 7th Saga had an unique idea and it made the world matter that much more. And with it's Phantasy Star-esqueness, and like RelmArrowney said, the music, it's a joy to be in!

I think I'm currently rocking a save with the Alien, who's name escapes me, and I've got Lejes and the Titujin in my party at the moment.

I just went to a retro gaming expo here in town and it awakened the nostalgia beast within and THIS topic isn't helping me stave off the want, nay, NEED to play some classics!

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Games on the Go
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy: Four Warriors of Light
Baldur's Gate

Too much to play, so little time!

Greg