SaGa: Scarlet Grace - Ambitions

Unconventional and risk-taking, Scarlet Grace houses a great battle system and interesting world, but its flaws get in the way

Akitoshi Kawazu and Square Enix have crafted one of the most innovative RPGs in years, and players owe it to themselves to check it out.

At times brutally difficult, and others frustratingly random, SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions takes some big risks to ensure it's highly satisfying and incredibly rewarding to play through.

The graphic quality is no better than average, but the sound design was good enough to remind you that you’re enjoying the SaGa series and its unique style of gameplay. As one of the original JRPGs, there are plenty of unique scenarios which include several sub-events to explore. The battle difficulty was a little harder than expected and its flow of action seems to be inconsistent, but there are more positives than bad which completes the puzzle to make it become a true SaGa universe.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions is an ambitious game that hides a lot of content beneath its surface whilst offering one of the best combat systems and strongest replay values for an RPG.

In SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions, a fantastic match makes a title that may not seem like it has much to offer, becomes a magnificent experience that one who likes a good tactical system cannot miss.

We enjoyed our time with SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions, but we think Romancing SaGa 3 is a much better title overall and we recommend newcomers to begin with that one. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a difficult and somewhat unique JRPG, you can't go wrong with this one.

While it is nice to see a brand new SaGa game after the franchise laid dormant for years, it is still struggling to find common ground and the experimental nature of the gameplay means this is not meant for everyone.

What SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions lacks in its plot, it more than makes up for in its difficult and complex battle system. Make no mistake, this is a hardcore RPG. You'll be retrying battles over and over just to barely scrape by, and while it can be too difficult at times, the combat system is still a blast the whole way through.

When all is said and done, SaGa: Scarlet Grace: Ambitions proves why the franchise is often overlooked in favor of its more familiar RPG cousins.