The Legend of Dragoon

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The Legend of Dragoon
Cover of the US version.
Developer(s)	SCEI
Publisher(s)	SCEE, SCEA
Designer(s)	Yasuyuki Hasebe^[1]
Platform(s)	Sony PlayStation
Release date	^JP December 2, 1999 ^NA June 11, 2000 ^EU January 19, 2001
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen ELSPA: 11+ OFLC: G8+
Media	4 CD-ROMs

The Legend of Dragoon is a console role-playing game released for the Sony PlayStation in Japan in 1999. It was released the following year in the North America. The game took 3 years in the making with a development group of over 100 members.

1 Gameplay
2 Characters
3 Setting
4 Plot summary
5 Development
6 Reception
7 References
8 See also
9 External links

[edit] Gameplay

The Legend of Dragoon features three modes of play which are consistent in most RPGs: the world map, the field map, and battle mode. The world map is linear with the main character's movements, which is then limited to dotted lines from place to place. The field map is used whenever the player enters a town, dungeon, or landmark. It consists of 3D characters on a 2D pre-rendered background. Animations are overlaid to create motion such as the movement of water or light effects. Battle mode is a 3D field that compliments the current field map. Turn-based battles occur in this between playable characters and CPU-controlled enemies. Standard actions such as attack, magic, defend, item and escape are present though implemented in various ways.

[edit] Additions

Additions are unique from most turn-based RPGs in the fact that it allows multiple hits to be gained which affect the outcome not only in the damage dealt to the enemy, but also in the amount of SP or spirit points the dealer gains. When the "Attack" command is chosen, the character runs towards the enemy while two blue squares appear onscreen. One is stagnant in the center of the targeted enemy, while the other spirals in from the edges of the battle screen. The player must press "X" when the squares meet to continue the combo until the final move is done. If the player has a Dragoon Spirit, then additions will gain SP for their Dragoon gauge. Certain additions are more useful for dealing large sums of damage, while others are useful for gaining SP. Additions also level if you can complete them enough times, thereby doing more damage and gaining more SP.

A Counter occurs when the squares turn orange for one move. When this happens, the player must press "O" instead of "X" to continue the addition. If not, the addition stops and the character is knocked backwards by the enemy's counter-attack and receives damage.

In the Japanese version, the buttons are reversed.

Every character has their own set of additions gained at certain levels except for Shana and Miranda, who instead attack once with their bow & arrow which gains a minimal amount of SP based on their Dragoon level. The exception is the Detonate Bow that is an attack-all weapon. SP gain remains the same however. When all listed additions are completed successfully at least 80 times, a final addition will be accessible that outclasses all previous additions.

[edit] Magic

Players may win, pick up or purchase attack items that will cast various elemental spells. The strength of these items is determined in three ways. First, the strength draws off the magical attack stat of the character using it. This stat can be enhanced though stat-increasing equipment. Generally, the female characters have higher magical attack than the male characters. Second, some items require the player to rapidly press the 'X' button to power-up the attack to a maximum of 300%. Items listed as a powerful spell do not require the power-up. Third, attacking with the target's opposing element will do extra damage.

[edit] Dragoon

All playable characters eventually receive a Dragoon Spirit. This item allows a character to transform into a more powerful form when they have accumulated at least 100 SP. Various stats are increased depending on the character and they have access to powerful magic spells that use MP rather than items. However the character loses the ability to use items, guard or escape. Detransformation is only possible though exhaustion of SP or ending the battle.

There are two options as Dragoon, attack and magic. The addition system has been replaced with a dial. The player is required to press the 'X' button when the dial completes a rotation to a maximum of 5 rotations. This determines the strength of the attack. If a character uses 'Special' to transform all characters into dragoons at once, the character will automatically complete 5 rotations and attack at full strength.

Each character has a custom list of magic spells of their particular element. Casting these spells requires MP, MP can be recovered by resting at inns or through items. These spells have a % modifier attached and will be more powerful when used to target the opposite element of an enemy.

[edit] Multiple Use Items

Various multiple use items can be found throughout the game that will increase stats or cause certain effects for 3 consecutive turns, such as the 'Magic Signet Stone' prevents the enemy from carrying out any actions. Two additional items, 'Smoke Ball' and 'Psychedelic Bomb X' are escape and attack items respectfully. These items can be used once per battle and reappear in the selectable inventory come the next battle.

The largest hindrance of these items is the limited inventory space in the North American version. With only 32 spaces available, close to a third of inventory can be eaten by these items. However, some such as the 'Magic Signet Stone' are practically mandatory for defeating rare monsters.

[edit] Stardust

Stardust is described in the game as "a magical wishing stone", and whoever can obtain it make their dreams come true. The game keeps a tally of how many stardusts the player finds during play, shown on the save screen, but is really of little importance to the overall game. The player can find stardust in all sorts of weird places over the course of the game, and give them to a traveler named Martel who will appear in one city depending on which disc the player is on. Respectively, these cities are: Bale, Fletz, Deningrad, and Rouge. As the player accumulates stardust, Martel will reward them for each 10 the player gives her. The items for 10 through 40 stardust are simple character accessories, but the item for 50, the Vanishing Stone, is imperative in defeating the game's ultimate hidden boss, the Magician Faust. The item destroys Faust's mirror image, making the real Faust visible, and thus, able to be damaged. There is nothing the player can do with the stardust themselves, their only purpose is to be traded to Martel.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of The Legend of Dragoon characters

The main playable characters in The Legend of Dragoon are also the titular Dragoons. While there are 9 playable characters and 8 Dragoon Spirits, there will never be more than 7 selectable characters at one time. Due to storyline events, Lavitz and Shana are replaced by Albert and Miranda, respectively. Both acquire the stats of the character they replace. The final party will consist of Dart, Rose, Albert, Haschel, Meru, Kongol, and Miranda.

Several villains are pursued over the course of the game but the two predominate ones are Lloyd and Zieg. The villains are also capable of using Dragoon Spirits: Greham, Lenus, Doel and Indora (which can also be achieved by buying from a merchant in Lohan previously) all use Dragoons Spirits in battle which pass on to party members after their defeat. Ultimately, the party fights Melbu Frahma and the God of Destruction.

[edit] Setting

The Continent of Endiness is the large landmass in which the game's epic story takes place. It consists of four countries: Serdio, Tiberoa, Mille Seseau, and Gloriano. There is also a desert-like region, which has an arid climate, known as the Death Frontier.

In the beginning of the game Serdio is split up into the Duchy of Basil (North of Serdio on the World Map) and Imperial Sandora (South of Serdio on the World Map) as Serdio is currently in a civil war. (There are a few exceptions to this rule, for example the Village of Seles which is controlled by Basil but is in South Of Serdio) It has a temperate climate. This is the main area explored in the first chapter.

Tiberoa is the western country in Endiness, neighboring Serdio. Its ruling family consists of King Zior and the Princesses Emille and Lisa. It has a desert climate, only a portion of the country is inhabited, and most of its people have very dark skin and are overly celebratory of their ways. This is the main area explored in the second chapter

Mille Seseau is the largest country situated at the top of the continent. This is the home of Dart, Shana, Meru and Miranda. Mille Seseau's capital is in Deningrad which houses a huge elaborate complex maze-ish palace made out of fine clear crystal; the palace was formerly a part of a Wingly city. It has a very cold climate, especially in the winter, consisting mostly of forests and snowy forests, but not quite as snowy as Gloriano which happens to get more precipitation in the winter.

Gloriano (an entirely icy region) was the base of operations for the holy Emperor Diaz, who led the Humans during the Dragon Campaign. It is also where Dart and his friends meet Zieg when he is under the guise of The Emperor Diaz himself. Gloriano and Mille Seseau are the main areas explored in the third chapter.

The Death Frontier is a desert-like region in the Continent of Endiness. The only location that is in this region is a Wingly City, where Melbu Frahma's older sister Charle talks about the five Signet Spheres and wants you to guard them so that The Moon That Never Sets will not fall and prepare the birth of the God of Destruction. The final chapter starts in Death Frontier and eventually ends at the Moon That Never Sets.

[edit] Plot summary

The story begins when Dart, the protagonist, is heading home from a 5 year long journey to pursue the black monster, who killed his parents and destroyed his birth city, Neet. On the way, he is attacked by Feyrbrand, the Green-Tusked Dragon controlled by the Sandora, a rebel faction in the Serdian civil war. Dart is saved by a mysterious female heroine named 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 (and later in the game, his love interest), 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.

After rescuing Shana King Albert sends the party to defend the fort-city of Hoax against attacks from Sandora. Among the attacking Sandora is Kongol, that last survivor of a race of giants known as the Gigantos. It is in his battle with Kongol that Dart first gains his ability to transform into a Dragoon using the Dragoon Spirit of the Red-Eyed Dragon. Kongol is injured, but survives and retreats. With the fort safe, they travel to the City of Lohan. In the city, they meet a man named Lloyd, supposedly the greatest swordsman in the world. Later they discover that he kidnapped King Albert and took the Moon Gem from him, an ancient artifact held by the Royal Family. The king is rescued, but Lloyd gets away with the Moon Gem.

They soon discover that Lloyd is gathering other artifacts held by human kings since the days of the Wingly Empire, and at the same time, causing disasters in the lands that he visits. While the party tries to reverse Lloyd’s work, Lloyd manages to obtain all three of the artifacts, and also manages to obtain the Dragoon Spirit of the Divine Dragon, the most powerful dragon in the world. Dart and the party finally manage to defeat Lloyd, who then agrees to take them to Emperor Diaz, ancient Emperor of Gloriano during the Dragon Campaign. Emperor Diaz reveals several things to the party.

During the height of the Wingly Empire over eleven thousand years ago, a creature called the Virage Embryo, a.k.a. the God of Destruction came to the world to end all other life. Before it could be born, the Winglies used their magical power to separate its body from its soul, making it unable to destroy them. They then cast the body into the sky, where it became the Moon That Never Sets, and sealed it using several magical Signets, one in each of the Ancient Wingly Cities, to prevent the soul and body from reuniting. The soul of the God of Destruction was originally placed inside the Crystal Sphere, which was worn by the ancient Wingly ruler Melbu Frahma to increase his power. However, during the Dragon Campaign, when the Dragoons assaulted Kadessa, the capital city of the Ancient Winglies, the Crystal Sphere was shattered during the fight between Melbu Frahma and Zieg Feld, Leader of the Dragoons.

Ever since, the soul of the God of Destruction has wandered the Earth and, every one hundred and eight years, possesses the body of a human child in an attempt to return to its body. The body can be summoned if the Signets are destroyed, which can be done using the immense magical power contained within the artifacts that Lloyd gathered, called the Divine Moon Objects. At this time, the human that is the soul of the God of Destruction is Shana. Emperor Diaz then reveals himself to be Zieg Feld, Dart's father and Leader of the Dragoons that fought alongside Rose in the Dragon Campaign. After Zieg defeated Melbu Frahma, Melbu cast a spell that both petrified him and kept Melbu's spirit alive within Zieg's body. Finally, it is revealed that Rose is the Black Monster that destroyed Dart’s village, in an attempt to kill the person carrying the soul of the God of Destruction.

After all this is revealed, Zieg (or, more accurately, Melbu Frahma, who is now possessing Zieg's body) takes Shana away and proceeds to destroy the remaining three Signet Spheres that seal the Moon That Never Sets, the flesh of the God of Destruction, causing it to fall from the sky and land on the Divine Tree. He then carries her to the body of the God of Destruction, so that the body will sense the presence of its soul and prepare to restore itself. Instead, Melbu Frahma unites with the body himself, taking the form and power of the God of Destruction. Zieg is released from Melbu Frahma’s possession, and aids the party in their attempt to defeat Melbu. The party defeats him, but at the cost of Rose and Zieg who sacrifice themselves to destroy Melbu Frahma. Everyone else is able to return home to live their own lives.

[edit] Development

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[edit] Reception

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The Legend of Dragoon for the most part received mixed reviews, though generally more positive than negative. PSM called it "easily one of Sony's most impressive projects yet." Most of the game's criticism stems from the Dragoon system, which many think requires too much precision with timing to execute, though it was not the first time that timed button presses had been implemented in a battle system. Fans have suggested there is high demand for a sequel, but no information has been released by Sony as of yet.

Among both fandoms, The Legend of Dragoon has often been compared to Final Fantasy VII.