his former master Sigfrei after he vows to be reborn seven times following his first execution. Each protagonist is accompanied by a variety of companions recruited along their journey. The plot of Scarlet Grace is non-linear, with most events being missable by the player or changing depending on previously-activated events. In routes involving Sigfrei, he is revealed to be the human incarnation of the Firebringer, determined to create an age controlled by humanity. Key items across the game are the Scarlet Shards, fragments of the Firebringer's power which grant his titular "Scarlet Grace". Two significant characters are the Celestials Marigan and Macha; the respective patrons of warriors and mages, they are veterans of the battle against the Firebringer and once shared a close sibling bond. Each has some involvement with a protagonist's story, with Marigan in particular wanting to steal the Firebringer's power and set himself up as the supreme ruler of all. Each route eventually ends in a battle with the Firebringer in Ei-Hanum. In the wake of his defeat, the protagonists return to their former lives and their companions go on to different fates in a war that engulfs the land. Development The SaGa series had been dormant since the releases of 2002's Unlimited Saga and the remake of Romancing SaGa in 2005, both for the PlayStation 2 (PS2). Series creator and executive producer Akitoshi Kawazu's commitment to other projects within Square Enix, including the Crystal Chronicles series, prevented him from pursuing further SaGa projects. Kawazu had created a concept for Scarlet Grace some time before, but no-one in the company was willing to develop the game with him. At the same time, Square Enix staff member Yoshimitsu Inagaki noted the surge of casual mobile titles and felt challenged about what kind of game he should make next. With this in mind and following the completion of another project, Inagaki decided to revive the SaGa series, which he had worked on during production of the PS2 games. Inagaki approached Kawazu, and the two agreed to create a new SaGa game. The game was co-developed by Square Enix Business Division 3—the division then in charge of the SaGa series—and Studio Reel. Further development assistance was offered by Opus. The game's director was Studio Reel's Masahiro Kataoka, a former Square Enix employee who worked on the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series. The producer was Square Enix's Masanori Ichikawa, a