SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions is an average RPG that is held back by its dull plot and disappointing visuals. While combat can be engaging and the soundtrack is excellent, the characters, world, and narrative of Ambitions make it a slog to play.
SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions
Developer: Square Enix
Price: $25
Platform: PS4 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was supplied with a PS4 code for review.
Just recently, I reviewed the excellent JRPG Romancing SaGa 3. I liked almost everything about that game, and as it was my first SaGa experience, it made me excited to see that my next review on the board was for another game in the series, SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions. Unfortunately, I left this one feeling disappointed, especially after having so much fun with Romancing SaGa 3. While Ambitions has its moments, it’s hard to recommend for a plethora of reasons.
Ambitions starts by asking you multiple strange questions. The answers you give determine which of the four protagonists the game thinks you should pick first, which is theoretically a fun way to match your own personality to that of a protagonist’s. The problem is that none of the characters feel particularly interesting. It may be their basic stories or the odd dialogue, but I never found myself getting invested in any of the main characters. Even the side characters are largely forgettable, though this may be because some of them seem to share the same fairly generic models with only slight color changes.
The world of Ambitions feels disappointingly small. Towns have been streamlined into what are essentially menus, with a few different still images of models that serve as the town’s residents. Improving armor and hearing rumors is a lot more rewarding when you do it while physically exploring a new town, which makes navigating menus and static images all the more lifeless. It may sound like a small detail, but exploring towns and finding new items and sidequests by talking to people and plundering homes is a tradition that just doesn’t work as a series of streamlined options on one screen.
“The character models have an off-putting style to them, and would feel more natural in a mobile game or an IMVU banner ad.“
The combat in Ambitions is absolutely the best part of the game. Your party consists of up to five characters, who can be placed in a number of different formations that change their stats depending on their placement. You and your opponents swap attacks, buffs, and debuffs with each turn. Turns can be rushed or delayed depending on which attacks are used or what status conditions you may have. This leads to some very fun and strategic battles where you need to think through each move carefully, especially since Ambitions can be fairly difficult. You’re also able to swap characters in between rounds or on the world map through your Retinue, which lets you use any character quickly and easily.
Characters learn new skills for whatever weapon you equip to them through “sparking”, like in Romancing SaGa 3. Using moves with each specific weapon have a chance of granting your character a new ability. This makes every battle exciting, as your rotating characters essentially always have a chance of gaining new techniques.
Visually, Ambitions is disappointing to say the least. The character models have an off-putting style to them, and would feel more natural in a mobile game or an IMVU banner ad. There’s something unsettling about their eyes and expressions, which is what you’ll be seeing the most through the various dialogues you have with stilted character models. The pop-up story style of the world map is pleasant to look at, but it harshly clashes with the rest of the game’s aesthetic. The music is excellent though, which nearly makes the visuals tolerable.
The Final Word
SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions is a disappointing RPG that falls short because of its boring story, mediocre visuals, and nerfed world. The combat and music are excellent, but it’s not enough to make Ambitions worth recommending.
MonsterVine Rating: 3 out of 5 – Average
