Publisher: Sony
Developer: Prokion
Release Date: 3/17/1999
Date Played: 8/16-10/4/2019
Region: USA
Time Played: 23 hours
What’d you think?:
Legend of Legaia often feels like the results of someone playing JRPG Mad Libs, generic and not very special. But there’s something I can’t help but like about it. It’s trying. Some little things are really nice. I really love the look of the dialogue boxes. There’s occasional cinematic flourishes, one in-engine cutscene features a man in full armor rushing into a mayor’s office to deliver news and we briefly see the camera swoosh down to his first-person perspective as he rushes up some stairs to crash into our party. The news that man delivers is regarding a character who is actually three small sleeping children who awaken to deliver prophecies, so the game can get remarkably weird when it isn’t being generic and boring, which it also does all too often.
After every major story beat the monsters you get into random encounters with undergo a level-up and palate swap. For the most part, gear is just something you upgrade when you can afford to, with no real thought beyond that. Combat is turn-based and pretty typical, with a few twists. Physical attacks involve choosing a series of inputs from different cardinal directions. Certain combinations result in special “arts”, which do more damage. Some of these combos are taught to the player by various NPCs, but they’re the same for every game and can be done immediately. They cost AP, a battle meter charged by taking damage or electing to “Spirit” during one’s turn, which will also lead to taking half damage from any attacks, key to surviving the telegraphed charge moves that bosses in this game love to do. Magic in this game is acquired by beating monsters. Some monsters are able to be absorbed by anyone in the player’s party and then cast for their effect in future battles. Nothing special, but nothing awful like Legend of Dragoon’s timing minigame for Every Single Hit.
The story, too, is nothing special, nothing awful. There’s a character named Grantes, which I appreciate, as someone named Grant. I unfortunately didn’t finish my one try, losing to a boss fight in the game’s third act. If I revisit failed games, this one will surely be given a shot.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8OIYTfquVfdL_-cFEo6Ec2hFqBIlhbsx
