Legend of Dragoon

In 2000 Sony decided it would not merely host other people's JRPG hits - it would build its own rival to Final Fantasy. The result was The Legend of Dragoon, a hefty four-disc epic adventure that to this day stirs passionate nostalgia and loud calls for a remake.

The most striking feature is the combat system built on timing. Instead of passively selecting attacks from a menu, you watch the animation and press the button at the precise moment - a system called „Additions“. Hit the rhythm and the combos continue and grow stronger; miss and the attack collapses. It is suspenseful, it demands concentration and it turns every ordinary battle into a small test of skill.

The second pillar is the transformations into dragon knights - Dragoons. At key moments your characters change into winged warriors with powerful spells and devastating attacks, which lends combat a fitting epic grandeur. The game does not skimp on animations or effects and for its time came across as a magnificent spectacle.

The story follows the hero Dart and his party across a vast world in a narrative that shamelessly draws on tried-and-tested genre schemes - a lost princess, an ancient prophecy, the threat of the world's demise. It is not the most original scenario of its time, but it is told with determination and heart across four discs that will keep you busy for dozens of hours.

Although the game lived in the shadow of colossi like Final Fantasy IX at the time of its release, it created a devoted fanbase that to this day tirelessly lobbies for a modern remake. That very loyalty is perhaps the most compelling proof that Sony did not build its own JRPG rival in vain.

Why play it: For active timing-based combat and grand dragon spectacle - a classic JRPG with a face of its own that deserves a second life.