Feminist
Pro-Queer
Anti-Racist
Gaming

The first time I played this game (many many years ago), I thought it was amazing. It had been awhile so I wasn't sure if my memory about the aspects of the game were correct. So I decided grudgingly to replay it... curious and afraid of what I would find. To my surprise, I rediscovered an amazingly rich, well designed, and mesmeric game with a kick-ass battle system.

Now, I know that there is sort of a divide in the gaming community about this game. People tend to either fall madly in love with it or are moved to fits of verbal rage. I fall into the former category. To begin with, the game play is excellent. The battle system is very engaging and features a form of fighting that includes actual hand-eye coordination to excel at it. All playable characters (with the exception of the two archer characters) have 'additions'. These are various forms of attacks that require the player to hit the X button at the exact moment to complete an attack. These additions become progressively more complicated (and enraging at times) as the character masters the other additions and gains levels. I hated it at first, but since I am an RPG completionist, the large amount of time I spent leveling felt far more rewarding than in any other RPG I've played. The other neat thing about the battle system is that enemies can counterattack, requiring you to be vigilant and quick. Although many say that the battle system copied off of FF7- I say, aren't all RPG battle systems similar to a Dungeons & Dragons turn based battle system? Really, how much variety can you have if you're using a turn based battle system? The other unique aspect to the battle system is that, as the title implies, you can transform into Dragoons. Despite the transformations being interesting to watch, it can get a little repetitive as they go through it every time. However, you play an RPG for extended, in-depth play, right? The only true qualms I had about the game play were that there were a few glitches after boss battles, you can only carry 32 items (but over 200 pieces of heavy ass armor and weapons), and you cannot freely explore the world map. Despite the structured exploration, you do get to see beautifully composed locations that attest to the three years this game spent in development. For it's release date (2000), I thought the normal game graphics and the FMV's were gorgeous and I have to admit, some of them still get me a little teary-eyed. Even by today's standard, I still found them to be exceptional and personally feel that they surpass FF7 and 8 which were released only 1-3 years earlier. As far as side-quests go, there are only three real big ones but they enrich the plot and character development so much that they make up in quality what they lack in quantity.

The story begins with a FMV of a village getting burned and at first, the voices of the characters (yes! voices! no creepy miming over-dramatic FF FMVs!) seem really hokey. But the scene hooks you right away and more importantly, keeps you hooked. The story is very detailed and unlike many RPGs, has a world history that is rich, and, dare I say, very sharp on its criticism of real world history and modern ideas and practices. Themes of racial supremacy and subjugation, agnosticism, political corruption, and philosophy pervade the plot and although some of the dialogue is a little stilted at times, much of it is very moving. I was astonished at the level of depth the plot was able to achieve. The characters, including villains and secondary characters, also all had interesting and rich backgrounds and went through actual development! What more could you ask for?

As an added bonus for mythology fanatics like me, you will find several different world mythologies used as a basis for various religions in the game and a few of the town names in which these religions operate correspond to the areas from which these mythologies originate in the real world. Swish.

Overall game-pay- 4/5
Story- 5/5
Graphics- 4/5
Soundtrack- 3/5

Feminist Critique

Since the game is quite old, I wasn't sure it would be at all relevant to review it but I felt it really needed to be given a feminist critique.

The first and most important thing I have to say is that this game has black representation (!). In a position of power, no less, who is an adept, empathetic leader and has brought her nation security and prosperity. Oh, and she has three women who serve her and they all rule in a kind of collaboration. I know you're all thinking "surely you jest!", but I assure you, I do not.

Moreover, there are non-white secondary and location filler characters and three non-white playable characters. Frankly, I found this awesome and logical. It has always aggravated me that in other RPGs when you go adventuring, you never meet too many (if any) non-white characters. So, what the developers of those games are saying is that melanin does not exist in the gaming world. Because despite it being an entire world you are exploring, you will only encounter humans and they are all white? Melanin is forbidden! In this game, however, it makes sense. When you head to southern continents or explore merchant towns, you are exposed to other races. Gasp! You mean there is such a thing as racial diversity?

On that note, the game has a lot to say about racial diversity in general. The history of the world in the game centers around an ancient war called The Dragon Campaign which was a revolution of humans and other subjugated species against a race of creatures called Winglies (super white skinned magical creatures with white hair and wings) that enslaved every other species in the world. Sound slightly familiar? These Winglies also created 'birth' and 'death' cities, which are an obvious shot at the disgusting practice of eugenics. Along with these comments on political and social responsibility, the game also deals heavily in inclusive philosophies that stress the importance and equality of all species. Indeed, throughout the game you are presented with themes of tolerance and acceptance in what was surprisingly not preachy but... sweet and, yeah, a little heart warming.

In terms of gender inclusion and representation, there is an astounding amount of female representation. As I said, there is a nation in the game that is ruled by women, and it enjoys more peace, security, and prosperity than any other nation you visit in the course of the game. Aside from that, all the kingdoms but one employ female soldiers and have females in positions of power and respect. The playable female characters, with the exception of the first female character you start out with, all provide examples of empowered but not at all de-feminized women. Although some minor characters behave in stereotypically female ways, I feel that this provides a richer tapestry of female characters. As in real life, some women do behave in those ways and some do not. And if you really want to see an exciting representation of femininity and the bond of friendship that can exist between a group led primarily by a feminine woman, really pay attention to the FMV of the Dragon Campaign and complete the Dragoon tower side-quest.

The last issue in representation has to do with the males in the game. I have played several RPGs where male empathy is ridiculed and the protagonist is a one dimensional macho moron who should literally be running around saying "SMASH, SMASH! ANGRY, SMASH!". However, the protagonist in this game is incredibly empathetic and actually behaves, brace yourselves, in a human way. He expresses true love and loyalty towards all his friends (regardless of race or gender), real sorrow at the death of a friend, feels remorse for losing his temper which lead to the harming of an innocent bystander, and expresses his sadness towards the horrors of war. Despite all of these "sissy" traits, he is an amazingly powerful warrior and is never portrayed as laughably effeminate. The other male characters, even the super strong Giganto character, expresses the fact that he has feelings of love and attachment to his friends.

This portrayal of characters in a human and empathetic way is the main reason I love this game so much. These are characters you can actually relate to and if you aren't a white male, you can still find characters that provide a familiar face. To this day, I haven't played a game that provides such a sense of engagement in some seriously noble characters. Although it is a little dated, this game is definitely worth a playing through.