The “Tokyo Game Show 2026” was held for five days from September 17 to 21, 2026, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture (on the 21st, the on-site event was canceled, and only a livestreamed event took place). This year’s game show was also a huge success, featuring a variety of exhibits and events.
At the Square Enix booth, visitors could try out *Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United*, which was announced recently.
This title is a full remake of the Super Famicom RPG *Romancing SaGa 3*, originally released in 1995. Players choose one of eight distinct protagonists and experience a single story centered on the “Child of Destiny” from each character’s perspective.
In addition to 3D graphics, the remake features a complete overhaul of the battle and game systems. The difficulty level is now adjustable, making the game more accessible, and full voice acting for event scenes brings the ensemble drama of the characters to life more vividly.
In this article, we bring you a play report from the highly anticipated hands-on demo of *Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United*, as well as an interview with the game’s producer, Shinichi Tazuke!
*Romancing SaGa 3*: Accessible and Beautiful in 3D
For this hands-on session, two modes were available: [Find the Lost Gon!], where players can enjoy the game’s world and story, and [The Evil Dragon Gweyn], where players can take on a formidable foe.In [Find the Lost Gon!], you play as the protagonist, Catalina, and embark on an adventure to find Gon, a boy who has gone missing in the Demon King’s Palace.
The opening features conversations between party members like Katarina and Thomas, allowing you to fully enjoy the game’s fully voiced cutscenes. The towns and dungeons, reborn in 3D graphics, are stunning, and with items scattered throughout, you can fully appreciate their beauty as you explore the map.
The destination, the Demon King’s Castle, is a very deep dungeon, but this exploration covers only the shallowest sections. However, monsters roam the castle, so you must remain vigilant. The game uses a symbol encounter system, where monsters will charge at you if they spot you.Additionally, if you land a preemptive strike on a monster or successfully execute a sneak attack from behind, you can start the battle with an advantage.
Master the battle by keeping "Insights," "Elemental Affinities," and the "Timeline" in mind!
Battles in this game unfold as “Timeline Battles,” where the turn order of enemies and allies is displayed on a timeline. Each character takes turns selecting actions such as attacks, spells, or items. The core mechanics appear to incorporate elements from *Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven*.
In battle, in addition to normal attacks with weapons, you can also use skills and spells that consume BP. Skills and spells include powerful single-target strikes, moves that stun enemies, and area-of-effect attacks; if you exploit an enemy’s weakness, you can deal massive damage. It’s also important to make use of stun and paralysis effects to disrupt enemy actions.
Additionally, if a lightbulb icon appears next to an action, there’s a chance you’ll “come up with” a new move. Furthermore, if the combo gauge fills up during battle, you can activate “combo moves,” in which characters work together to unleash spectacular attacks on enemies.
Additionally, some monsters can unleash extremely powerful attacks, which are indicated by an “!” symbol on the timeline. One of the game’s greatest thrills is figuring out the best course of action—such as having your characters defend before that enemy’s turn comes up, or aiming to stun them to disrupt their actions—from the options available to you at that moment.
Each move in this game features unique visual effects, and the pacing is excellent, making combat incredibly satisfying! The game also includes elements like formations and terrain effects, as well as “Mastery,” which allows you to pass on learned moves and spells to other characters, so you can enjoy strategic and engaging battles.
Take on powerful foes on “Original” difficulty!
In another demo mode, “Evil Dragon Gweyn,” you play as the protagonist, Khalid, with the goal of defeating the powerful foe awaiting you deep within the dungeon. For this playthrough, I decided to take on Gweyn on the “Original” difficulty setting, which offers challenging combat faithful to the source material.
Gwain is a formidable foe who uses powerful moves such as area-of-effect attacks and two-hit combos. During battle, you’ll need to focus on maintaining your allies’ HP while dividing your characters into damage dealers and support roles, ensuring no party members are lost. Of course, you’ll also need to be aware of “Insights” and weaknesses, and use combo moves without hesitation once your gauge is full.
As expected, Gweyn is extremely powerful, and if you let your guard down even for a moment, your allies will be defeated in the blink of an eye. Fallen allies can return to the front lines as long as you have LP to heal them, but naturally, you’ll need time to regroup. It’s also important to consider the damage you’re taking from the enemy during the battle and decide who to heal and when to attack.
The party for the Guwein battle in the demo consisted of Khalid, Ellen, Robin, the Fairy, and the Snowman—a diverse group with unique abilities. We focused on using characters with healing abilities as our main support, while also using healing items like healing potions when necessary. It was a tough fight, but we managed to defeat him successfully.
It was a truly dramatic conclusion—we were pushed into a very dire situation, but a powerful move that came to mind late in the battle proved to be the deciding factor. This game is fascinating because it lets you find a ray of hope even in the midst of a tough fight, and thanks to the beautiful, flashy visuals in this installment, I was able to enjoy some incredibly thrilling battles. I’m so glad we won…!
“Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United” Producer Interview
――Please tell us what you aimed to achieve with *Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United*.
Tatsuki: We received such warm feedback from many fans for *Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven*. I wanted to make sure this title lived up to those expectations just as much.
Since the original version was released in 1995 and remains a popular title to this day, we want to create a game where fans of the original can feel both a sense of “nostalgia” and something “new.” Of course, we’re also designing it so that new players can enjoy it as well.
――Please tell us what the development team considers to be the appeal of *Romancing Sa・Ga 3*.
Tatsuki: While the previous title, *Romancing SaGa 2*, features the unique “Emperor Succession” system as its main appeal, I feel that the protagonists’ individual characters weren’t emphasized as much as they could have been.
In *Romancing SaGa 3*, there are eight highly popular protagonists, and I believe their individual personalities are a major draw. We thought that adding 3D models and voice acting to this installment would make it even more appealing.
――What elements did you carry over from *Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven*?
Tatsuki: The fast-paced combat was a feature that received high praise. *Romancing SaGa 3* features many spells and techniques not found in the previous game, so we focused on bringing out the best of those elements during development.
The series’ signature flair is also a major draw, and with this title’s “Mastery” system for skills and spells, there are now more ways to level up during battle. I believe we’ve managed to carry over the best aspects of combat while adding new appeal unique to this installment.
We’ve also faithfully reproduced the differences in monster appearances across the series, so I think fans of the original games will be pleased.
――Could you tell us about any challenges you faced during the development of this remake?
Tatsuki: *Romancing SaGa* was a free-form scenario game, which was rare at the time, and I think that was a major reason it was so highly regarded.
However, there are many games with similar systems nowadays, and in *Romancing SaGa 3* as it was originally released, there are some parts where the explanation is a bit lacking—for example, regarding the “Child of Destiny” or “why the protagonists are fighting the Four Demon Nobles and trying to close the Abyss Gate.”We struggled with how to supplement the existing story in a way that was easy to understand.
――Are there any surprises in store for players of the original version?
Tatsuki: That’s still a secret. Please look forward to future updates.
――Since there are eight characters, I imagine many players will play through the game eight times. How will the game’s carryover features work?
Tatsuki: I can’t go into details on that yet either, but I’ll just say that there’s a reason to play through the game multiple times.
――During the official livestream, it was mentioned that while the remastered version won’t include the “Labyrinth of Darkness” as an additional feature, the items and enemies from it will appear in the game. Will the labyrinth’s boss also make an appearance?
Tatsuki: As for that part, I’d like you to use what was shared during the official livestream to form your own impressions.
――What kind of reactions did you get from fans following the announcement of this remake?
Tatsuki: Since *Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven* was well-received, there were high expectations for this one, so it seems many people thought, “So they really were making it after all.” As developers, that made us very happy.
――Finally, please share a message for our readers!
Tatsuki: I think there are many ways to enjoy the game and many different charms to discover—whether it’s a nostalgic experience for those who played the original, or a natural continuation of the fun for those who played *Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven*.
The *SaGa* series might have a reputation for being difficult, but it’s now easier to play thanks to difficulty settings like Casual Mode that let you adjust the challenge to your preference. There are also plenty of elements unique to this series, such as “Inspiration,” where you learn new techniques, so even if you’ve never played the series before, please use this game as an opportunity to give it a try and experience its charm for yourself!
――Thank you very much!
*Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United* is scheduled for release on February 16, 2027 (February 17 on Steam) for PC (Steam/Microsoft Store),PS5,XBOX Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
