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The Legend of Dragoon (review)

© Chuck Bednar

I'm sure you've all heard the knocks on The Legend of Dragoon, the big-budget Playstation RPG developed by hundreds of Sony's finest. The game is nothing but a Final Fantasy VII rip-off. The story is dull and cliché. The characters are weak stereotypes. The translation and voice-overs are among the worst in RPG history, and the game as a whole deserves to be buried next to the ill-fated Shadow Madness in the gaming graveyard.

You shouldn't believe everything you read.

Yes, the game does look and play quite a bit like the aforementioned Squaresoft classic. Yes, the translation is bad, especially early on when it feels far too uptight and stilted. However it does improve as the game progresses, and while it doesn't compare with the work done on Lunar 2 or Final Fantasy IX, it doesn't really hurt the game (although using the name 'Lloyd' for an antagonist does cause me to cock an eyebrow). And yes, the voice-overs probably good have been better, although my only gripe is that the dialogue used during cutscenes was recorded too low and thus was difficult to hear.

In spite of its flaws, though, Legend of Dragoon is easily one of the best RPGs of 2000.

The criticism regarding the story is completely unfounded. Dragoon tells a magnificent story, and while it might not get many points for originality, it does have plenty of twists and turns to give it a unique feel.

As the game starts, our young hero Dart is returning from an unsuccessful five-year sojourn, as his search to find the monster that destroyed his village was unsuccessful. On the way he encounters a fierce dragon, is saved by a mysterious lady clad in armor, and then learns that his hometown has been ravaged by the forces of an evil emperor. Worse yet, his childhood friend Shana has been imprisoned, and it is up to him to rescue her.

And that's just in the first 15 or so minutes of the game. The fast and furious pace of this game is what makes its plot so effective. Hardly a moment is wasted. The concept of a world map has been all but scrapped, allowing you quick access from one area to the next and keeping the story constantly flowing. New twists and turns are always popping up, and some of them will take you by surprise. The best thing about the plot is that everything makes sense. You won't be left with any questions by the time the credits roll.