Move Over Final Fantasy—Legend of Dragoon Deserves a Glorious Return

For some gamers, The Legend of Dragoon is, hands down, the best RPG ever. Released in 1999 for the PlayStation 1, the game initially received mixed reviews, but as the years passed, it garnered a devoted cult following. After years of pleading and begging, Sony caved last year, uploaded the original to their PlayStation Plus Classics Catalogue, and made the game available again. While fans were happy to have access to the game, it came with glitches. Sony was surprisingly fast in fixing these issues early last year, and with a much better version available, fans quickly realized, “Hey, wait a minute. We don’t just want a port and a few mild upgrades; we want a whole reboot.” Now, fans are desperately pleading for a next-gen remake of The Legend of Dragoon on the PS5.

What’s So Special About The Legend of Dragoon?

What makes The Legend of Dragoon a special JRPG and why so many prefer it over other, more well-known RPGs is the game’s unique gameplay, such as the ‘Addition’ feature, which requires players to time the velocity and power of their attacks using a rhythm-based timer to complete their moves. This simple innovation set the game apart and was one of many features that helped it garner its cult following. Other game characteristics, such as its beautiful lush backdrops and finely detailed character models, made The Legend of Dragoon more ambitious in its art direction.

This latest port featured enhanced upgrades such as up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters. Many were so excited, waiting so long to revisit this classic. Some fans of The Legend of Dragoon even love the game more than Final Fantasy and The Elder Scrolls, which confuses many unfamiliar gamers.

The depth of the lore features exciting characters and stories influenced by the Middle Ages, all of which combine with highly detailed world-building, such as the towns, villages, castles, and dungeons that feel authentic and transport you to another world. Today’s graphics and renderings are far better, but for a PS1 game, man, these were great features which set the game apart. 

We Need A Full-Blown Reboot or Sequel

Bluepoint Games teased a reboot in 2019, but fans have been sorely disappointed by how that story has progressed since then. For some reason, Sony only saw fit to release a port and has made no announcements concerning a reboot or, better yet, a sequel for PS5. Bluepoint would be the perfect studio to forge ahead with the project. 

They are well known for their fantastic remakes and remasters of games such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, Shadow of the Colossus, and Demon’s Souls. However, completing the AAA remake from the bottom up is a vast undertaking, and Sony would have to pour enormous resources and finances into making the game. Sony perhaps feels that The Legend of Dragoon is too close to Final Fantasy and other similar RPGs, which have sold better and have a more extensive fan base. 

Maybe the best option is for a small indie developer to update a reboot to current models as far as a medium-sized budget would allow. Sony may never remake The Legend of Dragoon. Still, fans should persist and keep pestering the company to listen to gamers and satisfy their desire to play a new version of the game that balances the elements that made it work so well with modern gameplay, as well as upscaled graphics and modelling. 

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Should Sony release a reboot of The Legend of Dragoon?