What Lies at the End of the Emerald Waves?

Do the emerald waves present potential paths? Or are they showing an unavoidable fate? And thus begin the sagas of our new protagonists…

Heaven, hell, the celestial realm, the underworld, fairyland… people have always sensed the existence of other worlds, giving them many names.

Yet these worlds were never separate – they are all connected, part of an infinite whole. Many worlds are unaware of this truth. Rather, people believe in the apparently self-evident truth that their world is the only one.

Heedless of people’s thoughts on the matter, the connected worlds continue to influence one another, forever in flux. And now, the stage is set for new change to arrive on the shores of the connected worlds.

Seventeen Worlds, Connected to The Beyond

There are seventeen worlds connected to a place known as the Beyond.

Guided by emerald waves, our protagonists pass into the Beyond before journeying to this plethora of worlds, each with their own history and culture.

Which doors will appear to which worlds? Which door will you choose? And what will you do in that world?

It all depends on your choices, creating your own, unique narrative experience

Emerald Waves — Signposting the Paths of Fate

The six protagonists, in five groups, follow the emerald-colored waves of light and travel to the seventeen worlds connected to the Beyond. In the worlds they visit, they will also find themselves presented by emerald waves with choices that will change their very destinies.

Sometimes the emerald waves will lead to several possible fates – but these choices may not necessarily lead in the direction you expect. Sometimes the waves will show the characters a red light, informing them of danger. As the player, you are free to avoid or intentionally face this dangerous light.

Your Very Own Story, with the Greatest Number

of Changes in the Franchise So Far

SaGa Emerald Beyond preserves an element of the SaGa series that players have come to know and love – a narrative that changes depending on player actions and choices.

Furthermore, as you visit different worlds, the worlds themselves will change. Different narrative developments will be waiting for you in the same world when you visit again in another playthrough, regardless of which protagonist you choose. The story of SaGa Emerald Beyond constantly delivers new experiences, with the most narrative changes in the franchise to date.

Select one of the five groups/six protagonists and start the game. The player’s choices and actions will change the narrative developments and the worlds that they’ll visit. Which of the 17 worlds you’ll visit depends on your own choices – and sometimes on luck.

Once you’ve cleared a protagonist’s path, you can select one of the five groups/six protagonists again and start a new game. If you visit worlds you’ve been to before, you’ll uncover new story developments.

Tsunadori Mido

A man who can manipulate kugutsu, protecting the barrier around his city.

Tsunanori comes from the long lineage of the important Mido family of Miyako City, aworld filled with traditional, old-fashioned city streets that sprawl out from the central Gokakudo Temple. He can control kugutsu, or animated puppets, which bear their own will.

The last great war destroyed the old societal and spiritual order alive in Miyako City, and ever since, the city has been plagued with all kinds of supernatural phenomena. Tsunanori is selected for the Cathedral Project to investigate other worlds and restore order to the spiritual realm. With the kugutsu accompanying him, he sets out on a journey to other worlds to find four elemental spirits to accomplish his task.

Ameya Aisling

A witch-in-training, living in secret as a schoolgirl.

Ameya visits Miyako City from the Witchdom Pulchra, a world ruled by witches, as part of her witch-in-training graduation exam.

While in Miyako City, she assumes the identity of an 11-year-old schoolgirl named Yumeha Izumi and lives with LoLo, her cat familiar. But after being attacked by an unknown man, she loses practically all of her magical power.

Will Ameya be able to get her magical powers back and pass her final exam?

Sigunas

The Dismal King, driven from his throne.

Siugnas is an immortal vampire who rules over Yomi, a world shrouded in darkness, as the Dismal King.

Betrayed and driven from his throne, when he awakens, Siugnas finds himself in Brighthome–the gathering place of dead warriors. Incorporated into the king’s army and sent into battle against the invading forces of disorder, Siugnas can’t help but wonder why he–an immortal being–now finds himself in the land of the dead. And thus, the Dismal King sets out on a journey to recover his powers, accompanied by the other warriors in his squadron.

Diva No. 5

A songstress mech who has lost her singing voice and her body.

Diva No. 5 is a mech designed to sing and dance from the world of Avalon, where industry developed around the royal capital.

She was the perfect entertainer, capturing the hearts of all those who saw her perform, until one day, she sang a forbidden song that she found in the Royal Museum, causing her memory and singing functionality to be sealed away. In one fell swoop, she loses her livelihood and music itself.

In her despair, Diva discards her “human” body and soon receives an invitation to join a secret society. Going with the flow, she joins the group and leaves Avalon behind.

Bonnie Blair

&

Formina Franklyn

Two new recruits on the police force, investigating an assassination attempt.

Former marine, Bonnie, and renowned sharpshooter Formina are two police officers working together to find the truth behind the assassination attempt on the President of Capitol City, a world studded with skyscrapers.

With a key person of interest in the case claiming the president is a traitor and a mysterious triangle piece as their only clues, they set off on a journey through other worlds to uncover the hidden truth behind the incident.

Evolution of the Combat System

SaGa Emerald Beyond further refines the highly strategic timeline battles introduced with SaGa Scarlet Grace, with series mainstays such as the spontaneous ability acquisition Glimmer system and the retinue-enhancing tactical ally placement known as Formations.

Whilst managing BP, a resourced shared by the party that changes with each turn, players will be able to create their own personal strategies as they adapt to the ever-changing situation.

Will you align ally turns, aiming for a United Attack? Focus on obstructing enemy tactics? Or intentionally isolate yourself from allies and enemies alike?

Highly Strategic Timeline Battles

SaGa Emerald Beyond uses a unique timeline battle system, where the turn order and planned actions of all enemies are displayed before the turn begins.

Selecting certain actions as the player allows you to change this turn order. You can use this to your advantage when planning out your preferred strategy – use the turn order to create United Attacks between party members or interrupt enemy actions to interfere with their plans.

Using abilities or skills costs BP (represented by ★), and the entire party shares a pool of BP that can be used each turn. If one character uses a skill that costs a lot of BP, some party members may not be able to attack.

United Attacks, Where Action Order

and Skill Selection are Crucial

The green gauge under each character’s icon on the timeline shows the scope of their chosen skill or spell. If the green areas for the skills of different party members connect or overlap, a United Attack will be triggered.

However, your foes can also use United Attacks. You’ll need to pay close attention to the turn order and scope of United Attacks.

More Battle System Features

Learn new skills in battle with Glimmers.

Sometimes during battle, characters will awaken to a new skill. This is known as the Glimmer system.

The Glimmered skill can be used from the next turn onwards. A new skill may turn the tide of battle in an instant!

Apply a wide range of effects with Formations.

Formations grant all kinds of effects during battle. There are a wide range of options to be selected depending on your foe and strategy – for example, there are formations that reduce the cost of skills, those that increase the party’s defense, or those that strengthen only some characters.

An Opportunity for Furious

Onslaught in Unchallenged Isolation

When there are no enemies or allies within two tiles either side of a character’s icon on the timeline, they will enter a state of unchallenged isolation known as a Showstopper. In this state, characters can create combos by using multiple skills and abilities that they know. As such, they become extremely powerful. However, as with United Attacks, enemies can make use of this mechanic as well – so you’ll need to pay close attention to positioning on the timeline.

Due to the conditions required to trigger this state, it occurs more readily in the later stages of a battle, when there are fewer combatants on both sides. Sometimes, it may even decide the ultimate outcome!

Different Races Add Further Depth To Battles

SaGa Emerald Beyond features a multitude of races alongside its human characters, from monsters to mechs, from kugutsu to the Ephemerals. The different races vary greatly when it comes to conditions for skill acquisition and character growth.

Some races have unique skills available to them, and utilizing the unique characteristics of each race allows for even more advanced strategies.