The word about the development of the latest installment to Square Enix’s SaGa series, SaGa Emerald Beyond, may come off as a surprise for most of us. That is, if not for the recently held Tokyo Game Show 2023. But it comes even more surprising knowing that the game has been in development since around 2017, according to the most recent issue of the Famitsu magazine.
Per lead artist Satoshi Kuramochi and director and lead writer Akitoshi Kawazu, SaGa Emerald Beyond began its development soon after SaGa: Scarlet Grace was launched on the PlayStation Vita.
According to Kawakazu (thanks to NoisyPixel’s Ryuji for the translation), the planning for SaGa Emerald Beyond started after the release of SaGa: Scarlet Grace. However, the actual development of the game did not take place until around 2017. Coincidentally, the development coincides with the expanded version of Scarlet Grace (SaGa: SCARLET GRACE AMBITIONS).
Kuramochi, meanwhile, claims that he was hinted that a new project began when asked to draw a certain style of image. But he claimed no inkling of what the project was at the time.
In a nutshell
In SaGa: Emerald Beyond, players can take on the role of six different protagonists. Each main character comes with a unique and engaging storyline. But set within an expansive universe, the protagonists’ uncanny ability to perceive emerald waves provides them with choices that would play a role in molding their destinies.
With 17 interconnected worlds, it is up to the players to discover the events that take place therein. To elevate the experience, the developers are giving players rich storytelling, dissected by different paths.
Combat in this game adheres to the tried-and-true tradition of a turn-based RPG, with the ability to form combos for greater damage output.
SaGa Emerald Beyond is slated to release on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, in addition to other platforms, in 2024.
