xXBChaceXx
|-Game
News, Reviews, and Rants-|
==Much Needed Sequels==
One of my favorite games, and the sole reason I
loved my Play Station more than any other console I had growing up. This is a
game with so much untapped potential. A game that Sony, unfortunately, let slip
into obscurity, despite it’s ever increasing fan base, ever hopeful for another
installment, or reboot. The game has even reached ‘cult’ status among Play
Station loyalists, and we, the gamers, WANT more of this game- The Legend of
Dragoon.
The Legend of Dragoon,
developed by Sony Computer Entertainment, was a gem of the Play Station era.
Released in December 1999 in Japan, and June of 2000 in America, this RPG was
meant to compete against the juggernaut, Final
Fantasy. Spanning across 4 CD-ROMs, the game contained a large number of
pre rendered maps, and full-motion cut scenes. Three and a half years in its development
and with over 100 employees working on the project, with 10 of those dedicated
to drawing concept art. It was clear that SCEI wanted to show America that they
could produce an amazing, Triple AAA gaming experience.
The story begins when Dart is heading home from a five-year-long journey to
pursue the Black Monster who killed his parents and destroyed his birth city of
Neet. On the way, he is attacked by Feyrbrand, a dragon controlled by the
Sandora, a rebel faction in the Serdian civil war. After Dart gets hit by the
dragon, he makes an attempt to flee, and is saved by a mysterious female
heroine (Who you know to be Rose), though they soon part ways. When he arrives
at his hometown, Seles, he discovers that it has been destroyed by Sandora, and
that Shana, Dart's childhood friend, has been taken away. Dart sets out to
rescue her. Throughout the game, he is periodically joined by people that he
helps along the way. (This is only a brief summary of the opening, the story is
actually rather complex.)
The Legend of Dragoon
featured innovations to the turn-based style combat that was well-known in the
90s. The typical turn based combat was dull, clunky, and lacked player
interaction. With the implementation of Additions (DOUBLE SLASH!), precise
button presses during character attack animations, with a single miss press
would result in reduced damage, and ending the combo abruptly. NPC enemies
would also have a chance to counter an attack, which also required an alternate
button press, with stricter timing. This system was praised by RPG fans for
making combat more engaging and requiring more player input, but also heavily criticized
for its difficulty, especially with more advanced combos (Blazing Dynamo ring
any bells?) which required the most precise button presses, and extended the
length to upwards of 7 hits. Additions were an important part in building SP,
or Spirit Points, which granted characters access to their Dragoon
Transformation. Successfully completing Additions rewarded players for their
efforts with increased SP gain, and higher damage.
Dragoon Transformations
were quite the determining factor during boss fights and hard encounters, and
involved the most artistic, and graphically intensive in-game battle cut scenes
and battle animations. Players were left in awe as they watched Dart transform
in a fiery eruption, or Lavitz’s transformation within a gale, and leaves
gusting all around him. Upon becoming a Dragoon, a character’s attack, defense,
and magical stats are all increased, and they are granted access to two new
powerful abilities- Dragoon Attack and Dragoon Magic. Dragoon Additions were
much harder to execute, but the most entertaining to watch when they’re
successfully executed. As the circular gauge would reach the twelve o’clock
position, the player was required to press the ‘X’ button, with strict timing.
One mistake and the Addition would be significantly weakened in damage. Dragoon
magic was another visual treat (Divine Dragon Cannon, Wuaah!) and was
unfortunately the least engaging aspect of combat, however, did massive Area of
Effect or Single Target damage. When all three characters in the party reached
their maximum SP, a command called ‘Special’ would appear. The character that
activated the ‘Special’ ability would have a 100% chance of completing their
Dragoon Additions and their attack and defense stats would receive an
additional boost. The background would also change to that Dragoon’s element.
The Legend of Dragoon
received positive, yet, mixed reviews after its release. IGN scored it 7 out of
10. The game was praised for its gorgeous in-game graphics and cinematic cut
scenes, however, was unfortunately criticized for its unique Addition system,
which was quoted to require “Too much precision,” by the reviewer, and the
Dragoon Transformations were quoted to be “often superfluous,” and the random
encounters were said to be far too frequent. GameSpot was far more critical of
the game, and considered it to be a “highly generic RPG” and also stated that the
game “borrows too much from other games, and lacks a ‘hook’.”
Despite the mixed
reviews of the game, it sold well, much better than you, a highly probable fan
of tLoD (The Legend of Dragoon), would expect. In North America alone, the game
sold 960,000 copies, and in Japan, the game sold 280,000 copies. In total, that
would be 1,240,000 copies sold between both North America and Japan. Even in
today’s standards, that is actually quite an impressive number, also
considering that tLoD was a console exclusive title.
Since its initial
release, the game has amassed a passionate fan base of dedicated gamers, who
have produced several petitions for a prequel/sequel to be produced by the
original team. However, Sony, or the original development team, have no commented
or made any statements about continuing on with the franchise with a
prequel/sequel, or any plans of a reboot in the future. This I find to be
disheartening, being a big fan of tLoD, I was always hopeful that Sony would
produce another installment.
To this day, I remain
hopeful that, with the introduction of the next generation of consoles, and the
never-ending console war, that perhaps Sony will, in fact, release a new
installment of The Legend of Dragoon on their popular console, the Sony PS4. As
underrated as the game was, its cult following shows that it has quite the
install base. With refinements to the Addition system, new graphics, and
upgraded tech, SCEI could, in fact, develop a First-party game that WOULD be a
system seller.
This is a bit of reminiscing,
but, I do remember quite a bit in 5th grade, my close friends (Shout
outs to Clinton Lisboa, Bradley Mello, Jared Sears, and others) and myself were
heavily endeared to the game. The story itself was touching, deep, and moving,
and the gameplay, sound effects, and BGMs brought us back through many
playthroughs of the 40+ hour RPG. Clinton, being the artistic kid that he was,
would draw comic panels for sequels, which revolved around Shanna and Dart’s
son (this is hinted at the end of the game.) Being a writer since I was in 2nd
grade, Clinton put me in charge of dialogue, and a fair amount of the story.
Our concepts, although juvenile at the time, were passionate. We put a lot of
effort forth, and we even had a book (Which I still have, as a matter of fact)
of design ideas for a sequel for the next game, with new Dragoon
Transformations, characters, and weapons. tLoD was a big part of my life growing
up, as it was for them, too! (Ramblings of a hopeless fan, sorry about that!)
The Legend of Dragoon
was an innovative game of the new millennium. It redefined what it meant to be
an ‘RPG’ and, I do very much believe, rekindled the love that gamers had for
the RPG. It sparked my creative imagination, brought me closer together to my
elementary school friends and, most of all, told me a story about a man, named
Dart, and his quest to save the world of Endiness.
I best end on this
note, before I get all nostalgic, and rant on for another few thousand words or
so.
Once, and always will
be, a dedicated fan.
-Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment