26 Years Ago Today, Sony Delivered One of the Most Underrated RPGs Ever Made

In 2026, Sony Interactive Entertainment (formerly Sony Computer Entertainment) is widely associated with the PlayStation narrative-driven video games, like God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Before their modern approach to video game design, back in 2000, Sony released an often forgotten RPG that laid the foundation for several games to come after.

Today, June 13, 2026, is the 26th anniversary of the North American release of The Legend of Dragoon. This classic turn-based RPG would put a unique spin on turn-based combat, adding quick-time events to attacks and making combat feel more interactive, which would go on to be the foundation for future games by other companies.

The Legend of Dragoon follows Dart, a young man hunting a monster that killed his parents when he was a child. Soon, he is forced to team up with a woman named Rose on a journey to save the world and fight as a dragoon.

During combat, players must input additional button presses, referred to as "additions" in the game, in order to increase attack strength. The Legend of Dragoon, along with Super Mario RPG, are usually regarded as the founding fathers of interactive elements in traditional turn-based combat systems.

According to Metacritic, The Legend of Dragoon is currently sitting at a 74 metascore, but an 8.7 user score. Many critics were divided on the game's use of random encounters, combat, story, and themes.

Since its initial release, The Legend of Dragoon has often been cited as an inspiration when designing a turn-based RPG. Future games like Shadow Hearts, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, and, of course, the recent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, would all take inspiration from the game for combat, level design, and party dynamics.

While The Legend of Dragoon never got a proper sequel or remaster, the game has been referenced in PlayStation's recent smash-hit Astro Bot, and the game is also available as a PlayStation Classic on the PlayStation 5, making it available on modern consoles.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 12:50 PM.