With the advent of smart phones, PCs, and other digital devices, an access to a calendar is something that most all of us can easily enjoy. That’s why I’m able to glance to the corner of my screen and see that it’s currently February, 4th 2014. Sadly, upon seeing this, the only thing I can think of is this: why do I not have a remake/prequel/sequel, or rather ANY addition to, The Legend of Dragoon yet!?! It has been 13 years!
The Legend of Dragoon was released in 2001 when I was just a kid. I’ll never forget walking into Walmart with that typical, giddy smile suggesting, “Oh boy, Mom and Dad are letting me buy a game today!” I didn’t know which game I was going to choose. Back then, unless you subscribed to some sort of magazine, news on the recent gaming launches were often lost information. For this reason, you simply walked in, gazed through the glass, judged them on their cover, and made a choice. Perhaps you would read the back of the case, but that was about it.
The Legend of Dragoon was no different. That day I decided to buy TWO games. (Yes, it was a good day for my 12 year old self.) I bought both The Legend of Dragoon and Chrono Cross. Little did I know, I was making a purchase that would become my personal favorite console game for years and years to come.
Ever since I journeyed through the LoD universe and grew closer to its characters, I’ve wanted some addition to this awesome game. It’s for that reason that, in no particular order, I’ve compiled my top 5 reasons why this game needs a sequel. Sony, take notes please:
5. It’s Not Too Late:
Perhaps the thoughts behind this process is that it’s simply too late to add onto the franchise. Wrong! The fact of the matter is that this game still has a strong following. Hell, it’s one of the ONLY disc-sets that I actually took care of as a kid. (I was kind of rough on my CDs.) It has been 13 years and I still hear of friends and family who are picking the game up for the first time.
4. Perfect its Imperfections:
Ok, give me a minute to explain. The release of The Legend of Dragoon was met with some harsh criticism, particularly from critics. Common complaints suggested that the title’s graphics weren’t on par with the technology of the time, the addition system (combat) required users to be too precise, and that the story was somewhat of a cliché. With new technology, the PS4 and the team at Sony have a chance to rectify some of these (some unwarranted) claims.
3. It Just Made You Feel Epic
Yes, I just mentioned that many reviewers felt the story was somewhat of a cliché. As a kid, I didn’t see that. What did I see? A story packed with epic moments that were simply awesome. *Spoilers* For example, the first time playing through Dart’s transformation scene made me want to rush out and save the world. Even better, as you climb the mountain to fight the dreaded Divine Dragon (I’ll admit, some of the boss names weren’t so creative), a monster that you’ve brought YOUR WHOLE TEAM to defeat, you realize, through the sounds of war, someone is already fighting it! Lo and behold, it’s your rival fighting it by himself, who you now know, is a serious badass. It’s moments like this that The Legend of Dragoon captured so well, and I would love to see them presented with a new finish.
2. There’s Room for Additions:
The Legend of Dragoon’s plot allows for extra content. Throughout the game, we grew so close to the characters that we wanted to know more. There are many loose ends that could still come to light.
*Spoilers* For example, and for those who you who adore the game, you’ll know what I’m talking about, there’s a part where Haschel and Dart both mention that their daughter and mother respectively were both named Claire. We as viewers understood that this meant Haschel was Dart’s grandfather, but at no point in the game did the characters acknowledge their relationship. Users would love to see a sequel where the two are able to discover this bond, or at least I would. Also, and again *spoilers*, the death of Lavitz was an event many users had trouble stomaching, and near the end of the game, users were presented with a picture of Lavitz. Why? We don’t know! No one knows why we got this item and it left speculation that perhaps there’s more to his demise, or general story arc, than we realized before. Couple these loose ends with the fact that that there’s a span of nearly 10,000 years between the events of the game and the Dragon Campaign and you’re left with some serious wiggle room.
1. There’s a Market!
Search “The Legend of Dragoon 2” on Google and see what you find. I can tell you: forum posts, discussions, and petitions. As I mentioned before, The Legend of Dragoon was met with harsh criticism from critics. However, at the end of the day, their reviews count for nothing when compared to the users’. For example, Metacritic gives a metascore of 74/100 for the game. The users? 9.3/10. Hindsight is 20/20 and this was great game.
I understand that Sony has considered creating a sequel in the past. Their struggles to produce one have been well-documented. However, as gamers, we really don’t care. We want our sequel and given the fact that there is such demand, we have a difficult time understanding why we don’t have one. Find a way! Make it happen Sony!
Please take a moment to comment below discussing The Legend of Dragoon with me. What was your favorite part? Does it need a sequel? Also, what are some other games you feel needs additions? I would love to hear about them!