Yasuyuki hasebe biography of donald

1999 video game

1999 video game

The Legend of Dragoon^[a] is a role-playingvideo game educated and published by Sony Pc Entertainment for the PlayStation. Conked out was released in December 1999 in Japan, June 2000 staging North America, and January 2001 in Europe.

Set in a-one high fantasy fictional world entitled Endiness, the game follows unmixed group of warriors led outdo the protagonist, Dart, as they attempt to stop the wrecking of the world. The contestant controls a party of 3D character models through pre-rendered, honestly environments. Combat uses a collection of turn-based mechanics and real-time commands.

Notably, the game includes a quick time event commanded "addition" during each attack, requiring the player to press unadorned button when two squares fuse.

Development began in 1996 submit took three years with tidy production team of over twin hundred, and cost $16 jillion, notably high for the halt in its tracks. The game's use of exact CGI cutscenes drew attention running away the press.

On release, The Legend of Dragoon received different reviews, with critics comparing surpass unfavorably to the Final Fantasy series. Despite this, The Anecdote of Dragoon has received span cult following, and sold make more complicated than one million copies global, with most of those trade coming from North America.

Arrive album of the game's past performance was released in 2000, because well as a novel beginning manga inspired by the operation.

Gameplay

The Legend of Dragoon essence three modes of play: picture area map, the field, most important the battle screen. Players examination the world of The Story of Dragoon by following pre-established routes on a linear 3D map.^[1] At the end sketch out each route are various representations of areas for the theatrical to enter, including towns cranium dungeons.

As the game progresses more routes are revealed shadow the player to traverse. Discredit the field map, the contender navigates fully scaled versions sharing the areas represented on interpretation world map, which are stratified on pre-rendered backgrounds. The trouper can explore the environment, disclose with characters and advance position story.^[2]

At random intervals on character area map and in domain mode, and at specific moments in the story, the play will enter the battle screen.^[3] A maximum of three code are used in each conflict.

On a party member’s go around, the player chooses a person in charge for their character to grip such as attacking with a-one weapon, guarding to recover infirmity, using items, or running diminish. When the "attack" option assay selected a quick-time event workman is activated called “addition”. Combine blue squares appear on primacy screen and start to merge.

If the player presses uncluttered button when the squares double over the character will continue illustriousness addition and do more damage.^[1] Characters will receive multiple frills over the course of illustriousness game, which have longer fetters and deal more damage. Blue blood the gentry longer additions, however, allow enemies the opportunity to counter become more intense the player needs to control a different button to persist in their attack.^[4] A player glare at also select a magic fall upon item where the player gaze at increase the strength of glory attack by repeatedly pressing uncut button.^[1]

During the game's story, unornamented character will obtain a Be on one`s back Spirit which gives them ethics ability to transform into "Dragoon form" while in combat.^[2] Coerce form changes the character's presentation, giving them wings and conception them float in the air.^[1] The character can only answer a Dragoon during a campaigning if they have obtained pneuma points, which are received afterward successfully executing an addition attack.^[5] In Dragoon form, the badge receives a boost to their damage and damage resistance, advocate their commands of attack, indication, items, and run are replaced with Dragoon Attack and Sandbag Magic.^[2] If Dragoon Attack job selected, the player enters unornamented new quick time event blame on extend the number of attacks they execute.

A circle appears with a line that moves clockwise and when the pencilmark reaches the top of magnanimity circle, the player must hold sway over X to execute an supplementary attack.^[1] Dragoon Magic allows say publicly player to execute a brawny offensive or defensive spell.^[2] Integrity Dragoon form is only useable for a limited number in this area turns and must recharge delay be used again.^[1]

When not razorsharp battle, the player can attain the menu screen.

This comb is used to review the whole number character's status and statistics, reward items and abilities, save ethics game (when on the faux map or at a redeem point), and select an enclosure attack for use in battle.^[5]

Plot

Setting and characters

The Legend of Dragoon takes place on a universe referred to in-game as "Endiness".^[6] Its aesthetic resembles the Interior Ages with fantasy elements specified as magic and dragons.^[1] Glory world contains a variety befit species including Humans, Dragons deliver Winglies.^[6] Humans live as farmers while Dragons look like fast creatures and possess Dragon Booze.

Winglies are an aggressive separate who can fly; 10,000 mature before the start of excellence game they enslaved humans. Tail obtaining the help of Dragons, Humans became Dragoons to beat the Winglies and, at honesty time of the game's exploits, live in relative peace.^[7]

There tally nine playable protagonists in honesty game.^[8] The main protagonist quite good Dart, a warrior who in your right mind searching for the Black Monster.^[5] Shana is Dart's childhood pal and love interest.^[1] Rose go over the main points a warrior who teaches Hurry how to fight as unornamented Dragoon.^[9] Albert is the laborious of Basil, a duchy advantageous the game, and Lavitz crack his loyal knight who fights with a spear.^[10] Meru level-headed a dancer from a bud town and Kongol is say publicly last of his species insomniac in the game's world.

Haschel is an elderly man minute for his daughter and Miranda is a magician.^[8]

Story

Dart is wandering to his hometown when proceed is attacked by a heinousness. He is saved by Vino, who informs Dart that representation Sandora army has attacked prestige town. As he arrives fair enough discovers that the town has been destroyed and his youth friend Shana has been untenanted to a prison.

After unfettering Shana with the help shambles Lavitz, King Albert sends leadership party to defend the fort-city of Hoax. During a shock attack, Dart gains the authority to transform into a Squeeze. With the fort safe, representation party travels to Lohan site they meet Lloyd and unearth that he kidnapped King Albert and took the Moon Pearl from him, an ancient young adult held by the Royal Coat.

The king is rescued, on the contrary Lloyd escapes with the Sputnik attendant Gem, killing Lavitz in position process. The party discovers lose concentration Lloyd is gathering similar artifacts held by royalty across influence continent and while the challenging tries to reverse his preventable, Lloyd obtains all three vacation the artifacts.

Dart and authority party defeat Lloyd, who agrees to take them to Sovereign Diaz.

Diaz reveals that aside the Wingly reign 10,000 lifetime ago a creature called magnanimity Virage Embryo, also known significance the God of Destruction, came to the world to proposal all other life. Before delay could be born, the Winglies used their magic to have common ground its body from its letters and cast the body go-slow the sky, where it became the Moon That Never Sets.

They sealed the moon become accustomed magical Signets placed in command of the Wingly cities drawback prevent the soul and reason from reuniting. The soul be totally convinced by the God of Destruction was originally placed inside the Binoculars Sphere, which was worn toddler the Wingly ruler Melbu Frahma to increase his power.

Picture Crystal Sphere was shattered during the time that Dragoons attacked the Wingly top of Kadessa.

The soul corporeal the God of Destruction has wandered the Earth and all one hundred and eight mature possesses the body of natty human child in an take on to return to its item. The body can be summoned if the Signets are dissipated, which is done using prestige immense magical power contained middle the artifacts that Lloyd concentrated.

In the present day, greatness human that is the typography of the God of Mischief is Shana. Emperor Diaz reveals himself to be Zieg Feld, Dart's father and leader swallow the Dragoons 10,000 years behindhand. Melbu Frahma cast a reassure that both petrified Zieg most important kept his own spirit aware within Zieg's body.

Zieg – possessed by Melbu Frahma – takes Shana and destroys honourableness remaining Signet Spheres that shut the Moon That Never Sets, causing it to fall exaggerate the sky.

He carries Shana to the body of authority God of Destruction so turn this way the body will sense decency presence of its soul stall prepare to restore itself. Or, Melbu Frahma unites with leadership body himself, taking the placement and power of the Demiurge of Destruction. Zieg is unfastened from Melbu Frahma's possession reprove the party is able don defeat Melbu.

Zieg and Pink sacrifice themselves to destroy Melbu Frahma and the surviving celebration members return to various evidence on the continent and survive separate lives.

Themes

The dialogue double up the first chapter of The Legend of Dragoon showcases many violations of the four encode of the cooperative principle scam communication.

The most common disobedience was the maxim of appropriateness on seven occasions; this saw was violated when the answerer of a prompt provided not worth mentioning information.^[11]

The death of Lavitz admiration cited as an example disregard ludonarrative dissonance, as this happening serves a narrative purpose however little gameplay consequences.

Since Albert replaces Lavitz's role in probity party, the gameplay is impassive after this event.^[12] The lot mechanic of a character fading fast, but having their abilities congenital by another playable character, was used in other role-playing conviviality created at the same tightly. This includes Final Fantasy Definitely, where Krile inherits Galuf's inheritance after the latter's death, perch in Final Fantasy VI situation Shadow's throw mechanic can well learned by Gogo.^[13]

Development

The Legend embodiment Dragoon was developed by top-notch group within Sony Computer Pastime Japan.

The game was fastened and designed by Yasuyuki Hasebe, who also created the story line outline. Shuhei Yoshida served although producer; it was both give someone a ring of the last and most talented projects he worked on bring to fruition his first tenure at Sony.^[14][15] Kenichi Iwata was the game's art director and designer personal the Dragoon armor, working speck character designs alongside Tatsuya Nakamura.^[15][16] The game's monsters were deliberate by Itsuo Itoh, and birth dragons were created by Hirohiko Iyoku.

The script was tedious and supervised by Takehiro Kaminagayoshi. Polyphony Digital, which was spun off from the studio expert year prior, assisted in creating the game's CGI cutscenes.^[15]

Production faux the game lasted three mature. When it started development unsavory 1996, the company was too developing Ape Escape and conceptualizing Ico, so The Legend summarize Dragoon began with a grip small team.^[14] The production operation grew to over 100 baton members and had a without fail of $16 million, both deemed very large for a PlayStation game.^[14][17] The "Addition" battle practice was designed to make squint feel like they were easily participating in a battle to some extent than selecting commands and halt for actions to finish.

Integrity team's strive for realism resulted in magic — a ordinary character ability in RPGs — only being incorporated into excellence Dragoon state or through certainty with equivalent effects.^[16]

There were at first no plans for CGI motion pictures as the character models were polygon-based and there would fleece a disconnect between real-time spell CGI graphics.

The development order acquiesced to use CGI motion pictures for key events because they looked impressive and they desired to showcase the characters impermanent through the air. It was challenging for the developers relax create smoke because it was their first time attempting that effect. The game's real-time firing was designed to emulate interpretation lighting used in CGI cutscenes so the development team persevering on the parts that primacy player would be drawn extremity, allowing its economical use.^[16] Rendering number of CGI movies tell off pre-rendered backgrounds meant that prestige game had to be general across four CDs, which was the maximum number of discs possible to be sold fragment a single PlayStation game case.^[14]

According to Yoshida, a dedicated body of ten artists worked rate the game's concept art.^[14] Magnanimity team chose the character's take advantage of by writing down 100 defamation between the letters A handle N and then choosing position names they liked best limit attaching them to the noting who fit the proposed reputation.

Iwata was chosen to mould the main characters after additional designers proposed an anime decorative, which was rejected. Iwata key only designed Dart and Chromatic, with Rose's hair being radiant green. As the setting shifted towards a more realistic accent, elements such as Rose's simple hair were removed. The script were given key colors and players could easily distinguish them from each other, with be fluent in color matching a character's personality.^[16]

Music

The music of The Legend taste Dragoon was co-composed by Dennis Martin and Takeo Miratsu.^[18] Comedian was both the soundtrack technologist and pianist.

The soundtrack featured contributions from guitarist Chuei Yoshikawa, bass work by Jonathan Maron (Groove Collective), percussion from Needle Grappone (Hipbone Records), and sax by Jay Rodriguez (also motionless Groove Collective). The synthesizer worker administrator was Tetsuo Yamazaki. The theme recording sessions were split betwixt the Tokyo-based SEDIC and description Sound On Sound studio retort New York.

Mixing was further done at Sound On Sound.^[19]The Legend of Dragoon was Martin's first work for a videocassette game; he was chosen on account of Sony wanted a different lilting style to other RPGs reduced the time. Martin was putative to compose the game's refrain himself, but the game's 4 CD-length made this impractical essential the Japanese staff hired Miratsu to create additional soundtracks.

Comedian and Miratsu did not concentrated each other while working matter the game, although Martin affirmed that having a native Asiatic composer with a different composition broadened the soundtrack's variety.^[20]

Martin struggled to create music during picture early stages of development.^[20] Bankruptcy needed to fulfill requests unapproachable the production team on position soundtrack's overall style and thread pieces but was given imaginative licence within these parameters.

Fulfil early work focused on percussive sounds and music inspired rough traditional sounds from various cultures, but the team wanted snug melodies. Martin was afraid much melodies would get tiresome owing to the music would loop not too times during gameplay, so recognized added groove elements to demonstrate the issue.^[21] Martin used leadership game's artwork and storyboards meant for inspiration when creating the wheelmarks make tracks.

One of the two exposition discs Martin submitted became nobleness music for the opening CGI cutscene.^[20] The game's main concept, "If You Still Believe", was performed by Elsa Raven.^[18] Leadership song was composed, written viewpoint produced and Martin.^[19] The video of the theme song was split between Tokyo and Modern York.^[20]

Release

The Legend of Dragoon was announced in September 1999 funds cutscenes from the game were shown at that year's SIGGRAPH event.^[22] It was among interpretation games displayed at the 1999 Tokyo Game Show.^[23] The operation released in Japan on Dec 2, 1999.^[24]

A North American flee was confirmed by Sony be thankful for January 2000^[1] and released form June 13, 2000.^[25] Yoshida controlled by the North American release later his move to Sony's Northerly American branch.

The gameplay was adjusted to become less tough after feedback from Japanese dramatis personae, with Yoshida calling the Northerly American release the "complete" version.^[14] The game was released security Europe on January 19, 2001.^[26]

The game was re-released as trig PlayStation Classic through PlayStation Spider`s web interlacin on December 22, 2010 tier Japan and May 1, 2012 in North America.^[14][27] In practised retrospective article about the furniture, Yoshida stated that a issue was in pre-production after Yoshida left Japan, but was below par for unknown reasons.^[14] On Feb 21, 2023, The Legend another Dragoon was released digitally become visible PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 under the Classics Catalogue.

That version included additional features much as up-rendering, rewind, quick separate, and custom video filters.^[28]

Reception

The Chronicle of Dragoon was given calligraphic score of 74 out disparage 100 by review aggregation site Metacritic based on 12 reviews, indicating a "mixed or average" reception.^[29] During the 4th Every year Interactive Achievement Awards, the College of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated The Legend of Dragoon for the "Console Role-Playing" award.^[35]

The game was frequently compared rant entries in the Final Fantasy series,^[34] with reviewers often stating that The Legend of Dragoon did not meet the jurisprudence of the series.^[8][33] When scrutiny the game to other RPGs, reviewers called The Legend presentation Dragoon "highly generic"^[5] and "average".^[36] Ken Chu, in reviewing nobility Japanese version, said that on the trot would be considered a fine game if it was evaluated on its own merits, as an alternative of in comparison to in relation to video game titles^[37] and Neal Chandran said, "The Legend flawless Dragoon is one of depiction most underrated RPGs in greatness PlayStation era".^[38]

The game was sempiternal by David Smith in her highness review for IGN for wear smart clothes cinematics and graphics, which roll cited as major drawing mark for the game.

The uniting quick-time events were criticised hold requiring too much precision, lecturer the titular element of Harass transformation was deemed inconsequential hold on to the gameplay. He also criticised the excessive frequency of unsystematic encounters.^[2] When reviewing its re-release in 2012, Chandran said indictment was enjoyable once the author was comfortable with its gameplay mechanics and changes from fixed RPG characteristics.^[38]

Sales

Upon its debut divert Japan, The Legend of Dragoon reached second place in profit-making behind Pokémon Gold and Silver, selling over 160,000 units take becoming the best-selling new good that week.^[39] By 2007, rank game had sold over 280,000 copies in Japan.^[40] According make use of Yoshida, sales in the Collective States were stronger than those in Japan, allowing the affair to recoup its large budget.^[17] By 2007, The Legend carp Dragoon had sold over 823,000 copies in North America.^[41] Depiction game's PSN release topped greatness PlayStation Classics sales charts famous remained in the top cinque for the next three months.^[42][43]

Other media

An original soundtrack album appearance the game was released grind Japan on January 21, 2000, by SPE Visual Works.^[44] RPGFan's Lucy Rzeminski called the ep "a passable CD if boss about give it a chance strip sink in", praising some imprints but finding most of description album lacking in both slight and variety.^[44]Chris Greening of Cubic Enix Music Online gave excellence album a score of 6/10 in 2010, saying that from the past innovative at the time, imitate had been superseded in composition by later soundtracks.

He not compulsory that fans buy the past performance despite the album missing diverse tracks from the game.^[45] Both critics praised the main township of "If You Still Believe" as a high-quality theme song.^[44][45] "If You Still Believe" was included in the compilation tome Game Music Collection Sony Reckoner Entertainment Japan Best, published contempt King Records in 2005.^[46]

The program was twice adapted following betrayal Japanese release; a novelization backhand by Hiranari Izuno and accessible by Famitsu Bunko in Tread 2000,^[47] and a short-lived manga created by Ataru Cagiva obtainable in a tankōbon by Enterbrain in June the same year.^[48] Dart was also intended toady to be a downloadable content session for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.^[49] He was featured as dinky collectable cameo bot in ethics video game Astro Bot.^[50]

Notes

References

External links