Unlimited Saga - Development

Development

Unlimited SaGa was directed and produced by Akitoshi Kawazu, the creator of the SaGa series. The character designs and art direction were done by Yusuke Naora, who was the art director of Final Fantasy X. For the graphics, Square partnered with Adobe Systems to create "Sketch Motion" during battles. Using programs such as Photoshop and After Effects, hand-drawn 2D designs were combined with 3D models to create a unique hybrid look. As with other games in the series, director Akitoshi Kawazu chose a non-traditional way of designing the game. He stated, "As far as Unlimited Saga is concerned, we said let's tackle the basics of game design once again. We didn't try to emphasize the realistic details, but rather symbolize, and cut out the parts we didn't need. We thought, let's dare to do a 'not express' thing and we calmly to that route."

The music was composed by Masashi Hamauzu, while synthesizer programming was done by Ryo Yamazaki. The two previously collaborated on the soundtrack for SaGa Frontier 2 after the departure of previous series composer Kenji Ito. Because the game uses streaming audio, it was possible for the sound team to use real acoustic instrument sounds in place of a synthesizer. Three pieces, including "March in C", were written for full orchestra. Live recording of ensembles of tracks such as "Feel Uneasy About the Wonders" and "Battle Theme IV" pitted solo instruments against one another to create what Hamauzu considered a Latin sound. The ending vocal piece "Soaring Wings" was written specifically for singer Mio Kashiwabara. Unlimited Saga features five-channel surround sound support from Dolby's Pro Logic II. The game's soundtrack consists of 58 songs spanning two discs. It was released on January 22, 2003.

Unlimited Saga: Limited Edition was released in Japan on the same day as the regular version of the game. It included a promotional Unlimited SaGa Maxi Single CD, a three-song CD. Unlimited Saga Collector's Edition was released in Europe and included a bonus DVD titled Eternal Calm Final Fantasy X-2: Prologue. A number of books were published by DigiCube, including Unlimited Saga: The First Guide Book for Beginners, a strategy guide; Unlimited Saga Material Collection: Lead to the Destiny, an artbook; and Unlimited Saga: Visual Arts Collection, a book containing CG images. Studio Bent Stuff also published a companion book. A set of postcards and posters was released by Square via its DigiCube distribution service. To promote Unlimited Saga in North America, Square Enix held the "Hall of Valor" contest beginning on the game's release date, June 17, 2003 and ending on July 27, 2003. It consisted of three challenges where players would have to send in answers to difficult questions related to the game. Prizes included products by electronics manufacturer Denon.