The sights, sounds, and inhabitants of SaGa Frontier’s unique universe

SaGa Frontier’s tale is actually seven separate stories all of which take place in the same planetary system. Before introducing them, we’ll give a full-hearted nod to artist Tomomi Kobayashi, one of the great, unsung creative minds in JRPG history. Her art is the foundation of what gives SaGa Frontier and indeed the entire SaGa series the edge that more generic franchises lack.

Red – Red’s tale takes is cues from Japanese takusatsu television shows like Kamen Rider. As a young man, Red and his father are attacked by a terrorist group called BlackX, and only Red’s life is spared thanks to a superhero turning up and giving him superpowers at the last moment. Under the guise as an airship assistant, Red uses his time “in port” to uncover the secrets of BlackX and thwart their activities wherever they turn up as his alter ego, the mighty Alkaiser!

Of course, he wants to avenge his father as well. (Pro-tip: Red’s story is the easiest to break your teeth on and get acquainted with the world of SaGa Frontier)

Blue – Cover-boy Blue is a prodigy magician from the Magic Kingdom. He was separated from his much more social twin brother Rogue at birth, and the two are raised by rival magical regions to become polar opposites. For every spell that Blue learns, Rogue learns its counterpart. If Blue learns Light magic, Rogue learns Dark magic, and so on.

At the peak of their powers, the brothers are destined to duel each other to the death, and only when one perishes will the other stand a chance at defeating the evil controlling their intertwined destiny.

Asellus – Asellus is a young woman from the city of Shrike who unfortunately dies in a freak carriage accident. Very strange for a modern city like Shrike. However, she is saved from death when the carriage’s owner, the Mystic Lord Orlogue, replaces her human blood with Mystic blood, granting her immortality.

At the cost of her continued existence, Asellus finds herself trapped far underground in an eternity of servitude for Orlogue, and her human half starts to rebel. A daring escape sets her on the run all while the inner impulses of her two incompatible races combat one another. Meanwhile, the dreadful Mystic servants of Orlogue are always right behind her.

Emelia – Emelia is a fashion model who has it all: wealth, beauty, and a loving fiancé. All of this is taken away in a flash when the love of her life is killed by a shadowy figure. The mysterious being, believed to be the terrorist Joker, flees and leaves Emelia to take the blame.

In prison, Emelia meets up with a resistance group called Gradius who is dedicated to chasing down the very same man named Joker. What is the connection between Joker and Emelia’s hubby?

Riki – Riki is a monster from the land of Margmel, and he is tasked with saving his dying world by collecting seven mystic rings. Naive and innocent of the evils that control the realm of humans, Riki finds himself outmatched by society and turns to a gunslinging knockout by the name of Mei-Ling to teach him about the worlds he must overturn.

From there, this is the most “normal” of JRPG tales, very linear and not overly fun since you’re forced to use Monsters in your party. Save Riki for last if you don’t want to spoil SaGa Frontier for yourself.

T260G – A mech created over a millennia before the game’s events, T260G winds up in a junk pile 10,000 years after his spacecraft crashes into a world simply known as Junk. It befriends the local children, but missing data from its files leave T260G without a mission or a purpose for existence. When the local crime lord threatens the children, T260G’s true origins, that of an all-powerful combat model built for mass destruction, reveal themselves.

T260G realizes that a cozy life with the children is no longer possible while the threat of her mission objective lurks somewhere in the galaxy. The mech sets off with drunken swordsman Gen to uncover its objectives and complete its prior mission once and for all. (Pro-tip: this is the best of the stories)

Lute – Lute is a carefree youth from Yorkland, a land of lazy people who party, play music, and get drunk off their local brews every day. His adoptive mother, sick of him being a slacker, kicks him out and tells him to find direction in his life. Lute forms a friendship with an airship Captain by the name of Hamilton, and the two set out on an open world adventure with no real goal for purpose… just to level up and be strong enough for a final boss fight.

Along with the seven main characters, one minor character by the name of Fuse was also originally intended to have an eighth story, but like many pieces of SaGa Frontier’s original pitch, it was cut due to budgetary and time concerns. Fuse is an IRPO agent whose story was supposed to tie all of the loose ends from each of the seven other tales together.

Call me ill-informed, but I like how open SaGa Frontier is left as it allows for more imagination to fill in the gaps. I don’t need an omnipotent narrator telling how to connect the dots. I can do that on my own, thanks.

The game also has other popular characters like Gen, Annie, Rogue, Liza, Roufus, Dr. Nusakan, and Fei-On, but I would rather you get to know these supporting cast members on your own.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2017/07/16/the-sights-sounds-and-inhabitants-of-saga-frontiers-unique-universe/