Let me put it this way. The jump from Romancing SaGa 2 to Romancing SaGa 3 is kind of like the jump from FFV to FFVI. There will always be people who find 2 more charming or more unique or enjoy some of its individual elements more, but 3 is the better package and the one the majority of people tend to remember more fondly.
When they were released, RS2 was the better game mechanically. RS3 was "what if I made RS1 again, but this time, not horrifyingly bad?" with very pretty graphics.
The problem was that RS3 was clearly unfinished and bugged, while RS2, as an experience, is as perfect as could be at the time.
In 2019, RS2 is still a fantastically unique game if you manage to look past the dated visuals. Nothing quite like that has ever been made since (though Oreshika came close), and it has a long legacy behind it. I think Scarlet Grace is the first game of the series that really topped it.
RS3, especially if the remake fixes the issues and adds the events that were blatantly missing from the original game, is much more palatable to the non-initiated. Its general framework will be reused in Saga Frontier 1 (with more scenario, the chain system, and horrible pre-rended graphics) so more western players should be familiar with the general idea.
The progression in RS3 is easier to understand, the visuals (and the music!) are some of the best of the entire era, and you can still get a taste of what Japan was playing 20 years ago.
Personally, Scarlet Grace > RS2 > Minstrel Song > RS3 > Unlimited >
Wild Cards > Frontier 1&2 > the GB games >>>>> RS1.
If the remake fixes some of the issues I have with the original, it would overtake Minstrel Song.
