The Legend of Dragoon was Sony’s try and crack the traditional turn-based RPG method on the unique PlayStation, however it wasn’t a part of some grand push into new genres. The way in which ex-PlayStation Studios veteran Shuhei Yoshida talks concerning the cult hit, apparently the formidable fantasy journey principally took place accidentally.
“Ultimate Fantasy VII was already already introduced and using 3D graphics for the fight and the pre-rendered 3D CG—stunning CG—for the backgrounds was superb to us,” he mentioned in a latest interview with YouTuber Kyle Bosman (through Gamesradar). “Like ‘oh, that is next-generation form of sport.’ We had been younger and we had been naïve, and fortuitously I used to be given the task to develop the interior workforce. I used to be assigned to make the studio bigger. I used to be given a free price range, virtually, to rent folks.”
Whereas Yoshida was The Legend of Dragoon’s producer at Sony Laptop Leisure of Japan, the important thing artistic pressure behind the venture was Yasuyuki Hasebe, who had lately left Sq. Smooth after designing the battle system for Tremendous Mario RPG. “When he joined us, I requested him, ‘What do you need to do?’” Yoshida mentioned. “‘I need to make a brand new RPG.’ And that’s how I began gathering much more folks to start out making The Legend of Dragoon.”
It was uncommon for builders in Japan to go away their corporations, Yoshida famous, making Hasebe a uncommon discover. The remainder of the studio was then principally populated with recent graduates. “I didn’t actually have a price range once I began, as a result of it was an inner manufacturing,” Yoshida mentioned. The Legend of Dragoon workforce would ultimately be 100 robust and find yourself costing Sony $16 million.
Quite a lot of the trouble by that giant workforce went towards the sport’s notorious half-hour of, on the time, beautiful CGI cutscenes. Whereas the prerendered backgrounds and polygonal character fashions had been trying roughly on par with what Sq. was doing on the finish of the PS1’s life, the cinematics helped elevate into a way more epic and lavish-feeling sport total. The opposite spotlight was the timed battle mechanic that turned fight right into a mini-rhythm sport, an evolution of what Hasebe had created for Tremendous Mario RPG (and which continues within the fashionable Paper Mario video games).
“Ultimately, we recouped that (value), due to gross sales exterior Japan,” Yoshida beforehand advised Kotaku. “The gross sales within the U.S. had been very robust.” Sadly not robust sufficient to manifest a sequel or religious successor. Luckily, The Legend of Dragoon is playable in the present day after coming to PS5 a few years in the past, although deep down in my coronary heart of hearts I’m nonetheless hopeful we’ll ultimately get The Legend of Dragoon 2.
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