The Legend of Dragoon has long deserved a return. Released by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Dragoon was a pioneer for both gameplay and cinematic quality but disappeared in the fog created by multiple Final Fantasy releases for the original PlayStation. The past decade has seen a shift from original AAA content to remakes or reboots of previous titles; though many remakes have felt warranted, with a classic title receiving improved gameplay and graphics, others presented fans with updates to titles that had been released relatively recently. Sony has shown particular interest in the latter for its first-party properties, having released a remake of 2013’s The Last of Us in 2022, alongside rumors that Sony has ordered a Horizon Zero Dawn remake.

This has led gamers to debate the criteria for remaking a game. Some believe that remakes must be justified by a certain amount of time passing so that the remake can update gameplay and improve accessibility for modern audiences. Sony has many titles in its back catalog, with quite a few having laid dormant for many years. The Legend of Dragoon is one such title and has been stuck in the past for decades, making it a great option for Sony's first-party "remake treatment".

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The Legend of Dragoon Was a Pioneer in Cinematic Storytelling

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The Legend of Dragoon follows Dart as he journeys alongside fellow dragon warriors, called Dragoons, to save the world from destruction. The game was released in Japan in December 1999 and in the US in June 2000, garnering average reviews. Its story and characters were compared unfavorably to Final Fantasy, despite their unique differences, and was dismissed by the multitude of US JRPG fans awaiting Final Fantasy 9's release just 5 months later. However, the title made a lasting impression on many who took the time to play it, largely due to its incredible cutscene animations. Today, one can argue that The Legend of Dragoon's cutscenes rank among the generation's very best.

The Legend of Dragoon took an approach to cinematic storytelling that stood in stark contrast to the JRPGs that preceded it. Cutscenes depicted the Dragoons as they fought in epic battles spanning the ground, sea, and sky, as well as poignant scenes of character development. The game’s visual style was realistic for the time, placing human characters in a sci-fi fantasy setting while sticking to a mature tone. What made the storytelling truly stand out, however, was the inclusion of full voice acting, a feature that would not premiere in the Final Fantasy franchise until Final Fantasy 10 introduced voice acting to the franchise on the PlayStation 2.

Given the power of the PlayStation 5, Sony could utilize a Legend of Dragoon remake to once again present the future of JRPG storytelling, doubling down after Square Enix's success with Final Fantasy 7 Remake. An announcement regarding The Legend of Dragoon could be upcoming, as Sony currently has 17 studios working on first-party PlayStation games, but there have been no official update from the company. The remake of Legend of Dragoon would be capable of combining its storytelling and gameplay into a single cinematic experience, with no cutscenes required.

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An Image From The Legend Of Dragoon

The Legend of Dragoon featured genre-defining gameplay in addition to its cinematic quality. Like many JRPGs, The Legend of Dragoon’s combat system is centered on turn-based combat. However, combat in Legend of Dragoon included a skill-based factor called “Additions". After players chose an attack or skill, the game required the player to quickly press a sequence of displayed button prompts to complete their attack. Failure to do so ended that character’s turn. To complicate things further, enemies could counter-attack during the "Addition" phase, requiring players to hit a different button to block the enemy and complete the "Addition".

The modernization of Legend of Dragoon's combat has significant potential. Though quick time events rarely heighten the gaming experience, a title that features combat built from an updated “Addition” system could be a different story. Legend of Dragoon's use of button prompt sequences gets players more involved in the game's action, providing the remedy to a longtime complaint about QTEs. Beyond investing players in the action, this updated “Addition” system could be used to provide a significant challenge to gamers of all skill levels. Sony could choose to reintroduce the IP as a Soulslike, introducing a more challenging version of Dragoon’s already skill-based combat to modern audiences.

Legend of Dragoon Deserves to Return as a Full-fledged Remake

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Following Legend of Dragoon’s nearly 50-hour story, fans were left with an experience unlike any other. To this day, Legend of Dragoon's cutscenes and combat are among the very best of the PS1 era. Despite this legacy, Legend of Dragoon has not been available on the PlayStation Network since the launch of the PlayStation 4. Nearly a decade later, fans and newcomers alike are required to play Legend of Dragoon on the PS1, PS3, or PS Vita.

Legend of Dragoon provided a strong foundation from which to build a remake, as it provided a unique approach to storytelling, a deep narrative, and a complex combat system. However, information surrounding a Legend of Dragoon remake has been sparse. Rumors of a remake have come and gone. The most recent rumor occurred in August 2022, when former President of Sony Interactive Entertainment Shuhei Yoshida retweeted an old tweet about Legend of Dragoon by one of the composers. However, there has been no word since.

For now, Sony appears content with remaking first-party titles that are fresh on the minds of its player base. Reviews of The Last of Us Part 1 were mostly positive, but there is a big difference between critical review scores and the necessity of a remake. Many argue that The Last of Us Part 1 was an unnecessary remake, despite delivering a polished update to the original. As Legend of Dragoon is more deserving of an update and has been absent for much longer, maybe there will be an announcement for the title soon. For now, fans need to hold on tight to their old consoles and hope that this current phase in Sony’s remake strategy doesn’t last too long.

Legend of Dragoon is available to play on PS1, PS3 and PS Vita.

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