25 years later, this forgotten RPG masterpiece has FINALLY returned, and long-time fans can’t contain their excitement! 😱 Are you ready for the revival?

The original PlayStation, nnow retroactively known as the PS1 or PSX, marked Sony’s entrance into the video game console market. It followed an aborted collaboration with Nintendo to develop a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and initially competed with the Sega Saturn. By the end of the 1990s, however, the PlayStation had clearly won out against the Saturn and was competing strongly with the Nintendo 64. Part of this was due to the PlayStation’s large library of video games, which gave players plenty of choice. In contrast, the Nintendo 64 had a paltry library, and the Saturn’s was largely not exported.

Image by Morena Perez Vitale

Perhaps the best video games available on the PlayStation, if not in all gaming, are the Final Fantasy games. Especially with Final Fantasy VII, the series maximized what the PS1 was capable of and created a larger story with an equally large world. The Final Fantasy games were so successful that many imitators tried to copy their success. Sony even threw its hat in the ring by releasing The Legend of Dragoon. While the game was initially spurned as a low-quality ripoff, many have come to recognize it as a worthy hidden gem in the PS1 library, though it still hasn’t received the level of attention it deserves.

The Legend of Dragoon Was Clearly Inspired by Final Fantasy

It’s a Game That Could Have Been a PlayStation Legend

Image via Square Enix

In 1997, legendary video game developer Square moved its iconic Final Fantasy series away from Nintendo’s consoles and toward Sony’s fledgling PlayStation console. This marked an important development in making Sony a dominant player in the video game industry; it helped that they published Final Fantasy VII outside Japan. The later PlayStation entries in the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX, were nearly as successful as Final Fantasy VII, with the series becoming some of the best-selling PlayStation titles.

The financial success of these games wasn’t lost on Sony, and with the games being exclusive to the PlayStation, they helped bolster both the reputation and profits of the company and the console. Looking at these strong back-to-back successes, Sony was eager to create its own first-party take on the Final Fantasy games.

Final Fantasy Game
Release Date
Sales (Units)

Final Fantasy VII
Sept. 7, 1997
10 million

Final Fantasy VIII
Sept. 9, 1999
8.6 million

Final Fantasy IX
Nov 14, 2000
5.5 million

Development of The Legend of Dragoon had actually commenced before the launch of Final Fantasy VII, but the latter’s success meant production on the former ramped up by 1997. The game was developed by Sony via its in-house Japanese studios, which later spun off to become Japan Studio. It was the penultimate video game produced by Shuhei Yoshida, who had led the development of some of the most iconic PlayStation titles, including Crash Bandicoot and Gran Turismo.

Legend of Dragoon‘s budget is estimated to have been roughly $16 million, which was more than half of Final Fantasy VII‘s budget but still sizable for any video game at the time. The game launched on Dec. 2, 1999, in Japan, was released in the United States on June 13, 2000, and eventually made its way to Europe on Jan. 19, 2001.

The Legend of Dragoon Is Set in a Unique Fantasy World

It’s Clearly More Than a Final Fantasy Clone

 

Image via Sony Image via Sony Image via Sony

The Legend of Dragoon is set in Endiness, a fantastical world that doesn’t appear to belong to a particular time period; its aesthetics and creatures suggest a setting inspired by the Middle Ages, but there are strong steampunk influences as well. Many species inhabit Endiness, including humans and, more importantly, dragons, along with a myriad of others that contribute to the world in various ways.

The game’s main protagonist is Dart, a warrior on a quest to find a kidnapped friend. There are eight other playable characters in The Legend of Dragoon: Lavitz Slambert, Shana, Rose, Haschel, King Albert of Basil, Meru, Kongol, and First Sacred Sister Miranda. Each of these characters is forced to confront recent events that threaten to tear apart the fragile social fabric of Endiness.

The story of The Legend of Dragoon follows Dart, who, when not searching for his kidnapped friend, is also hunting the Black Monster, the creature that killed his parents when he was a young boy. Unfortunately, this search has yielded no results so far. A more immediate problem for Dart is the recent attack on his home and the destruction of his town, which prompts him to investigate the cause.

During his journey, as he expands his party, Dart gains the ability to become a Dragoon. a dragon and human hybrid that grants him special powers in battle. This ability proves crucial for Dart and his allies as they navigate the increasingly tumultuous Endiness. Ultimately, Dart discovers that his mortal enemy is far more deeply connected than he ever imagined.

The Legend of Dragoon Lives Up to Its Name

The PS1 RPG Lets Players Transform Into Dragoons

Image via Sony

As far as gameplay is concerned, The Legend of Dragoon is initially not too different from the average JRPG, especially as a Sony-centric take on the Final Fantasy games. For one, its mapping system is similar to Final Fantasy VII in that, despite an outwardly open presentation, the paths are largely linear. In addition, there are more than enough statistics to keep players focused on collecting items and especially winning battles.

For that matter, the battle system isn’t far off from how it works in games like Final Fantasy VII, with battles occurring at random during the player’s journey. However, despite these similarities, The Legend of Dragoon stands out in one respect: the ability to transform into a Dragoon, which grants the player new and special powers.

Before turning into a powerful Dragoon, the player must first gain a sufficient number of spirit points, which are earned by attacking enemies in battle; spirit points can’t be gained while already in Dragoon form. Superficially, becoming a Dragoon means earning wings and gaining the ability to fly, which may not seem like much at first. However, that’s only the beginning, as transforming into a Dragoon provides significant long-term benefits.

In Dragoon form, the player deals more damage and gains greater resistance to enemy attacks. More importantly, additional attacks become available that aren’t accessible in normal human form. Overall, the Dragoon is a useful and well-designed game mechanic, since without it, The Legend of Dragoon would be almost indistinguishable from the Final Fantasy games.

The Legacy of Legend of Dragoon

The PS1 Game Has Earned a Reappraisal, But Still Deserves More Attention

Image via Sony

The Legend of Dragoon was released in the United States on June 13, 2000, months after the PlayStation 2 launched in Japan but months before its U.S. release. This timing is notable, as the original PlayStation was entering its lame duck stage, making it important for new PS1 games to justify why players should stick with the older console.

For what it’s worth, The Legend of Dragoon was a solid reason, selling over a million copies since launch and performing especially well in the United States. However, the game’s critical reception was less enthusiastic, with many drawing inevitable comparisons to the Final Fantasy games. This lukewarm reception didn’t help the game’s otherwise adequate commercial performance, and with the PlayStation 2 on the horizon, many were willing to wait for the newer console.

Come twenty-five years later, however, The Legend of Dragoon is now seen as one of the most underrated PS1 video games, as well as one of the most underrated RPGs available on the PlayStation. Its salvaged reputation has been noted by Sony, who have gone out of their way to reference The Legend of Dragoon wherever they can.

A more recent example is the game Astro Bot, which is filled with references to a myriad of PlayStation properties, both past and present. Notably, there is a segment in Astro Bot that serves as both a loving reference and a pastiche of The Legend of Dragoon. While it’s nice that the game is getting some recognition, The Legend of Dragoon hasn’t seen a sequel or any spin-off since its release. The closest thing is a manga adaptation that came out the same year. Twenty-five years later, it’s about time for a new Dragoon game or even a full remake of the original title.