The Legend of Legacy

Editor's Notes

Digital 3DS version reviewed.

Introduction

It's been a while since the West has seen a localized SaGa title. The series never really had a solid following outside of Japan, and there are a number of reasons as to why that's the case. For one, the first set of games released under the name 'Final Fantasy Legend', making it hard to recognize the actual SaGa brand (though probably raising sales a bit by using the popular franchise name). On top of that, SaGa games are known for incredibly odd and usually obtuse gameplay mechanics, making them relatively difficult for new players to get into. For these and other reasons, the SaGa series has seen spotty localization efforts at best, leaving fans yearning for more.

Thankfully for those fans, they'll soon have another SaGa game to play on their hands. Created by mostly the same team that made the first SaGa titles, with the same unusual gameplay mechanics and a tough difficulty curve, 'The Legend of Legacy' is a new SaGa game in all but name.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

The beginning of 'The Legend of Legacy' changes up a bit depending on the character the player chooses at the beginning. Regardless, the chosen character ends up at a mysterious island. This land has barely been explored, with humans only making a tiny foothold of a town, run by the King of Adventurers. It's there that this legend begins, as the seven party members begin to uncover the land's secrets.

Honestly, though, there is so little narrative in 'The Legend of Legacy' that players will not get much beyond that. Sure, little snippets of the chosen main character's backstory and bits about the island's past are eventually revealed, but within a game that’s the full length of an RPG, the occasional flavor text about the dungeons to be explored and short quips about character motivations may not be enough for players to stick through to the end.

And 'stick through it' players must, as 'The Legend of Legacy' is quite difficult. This is shown right at the beginning of the game, with the inability to save until players work through some of the first area, running the risk of dying and having to restart the entire game for at least an hour. There is a very real risk of death too, as improper play will result in party members dying quickly. 'The Legend of Legacy' pretty much starts with a trial by fire, as players that don't learn most of the nuances and mechanics of battle by the time they run across the first boss (which will happen before being able to save) will be in for an infuriating time.

There's little doubt that this 3DS RPG leans more towards old-school tendencies, and that's understandably going to scare some gamers away, while attracting others. 'The Legend of Legacy' does not pull any punches, and the difficulty does not lighten up at any point. There are a few modern concessions made after the tutorial though, like the Quick Save players can use at any time, and the ability to always be able to run away from a battle… although it sends the party back to the beginning of the dungeon.

The game's learning and difficulty curves are both accentuated by the battle mechanics, which may have as well have been lifted out of a classic SaGa title. Characters do not gain levels in the traditional matter—instead they earn stat increases by performing certain actions such as attacking, and learn new weapon skills by repeatedly using the weapon of choice. Some party members can be more proficient in certain weapons and elements than others, but it's ultimately a small difference, and any party member can eventually be melded into any role.

There is a bit of a flaw in this leveling up mechanic. This may not be the case, but learning new skills and gaining stats feels incredibly random. Whatever numbers or equations 'The Legend of Legacy' uses to determine when a new skill is learned are completely hidden from the player, so it's difficult to tell when a character will learn something. I've had many occasions where I may be trying to learn a new magic spell, and not learn anything for hours, only to learn two spells and three sword abilities on the same character in the same boss battle. It makes character progression feel extremely wonky, and the feeling of a lack of character progression combined with a bare-bones narrative can make many players feel as though they are making no progress at all.

Most of this will be business as usual for the average SaGa fan. While the plot may still come as a bit of a disappointment, the general gameplay is extremely similar to the unusual RPG series. Of course, since SaGa is largely known as a series filled with offbeat design decisions, it will come as little surprise that 'The Legend of Legacy' doesn't stray from this heritage.