Falcom has a Dragon Slayer Project announcement, a tentatively titled 45th anniversary title for console. While a specific genre, release date, and platforms were not confirmed, the project marks a return to the series that served as the foundation for the company’s most iconic franchises.
The Legacy of Dragon Slayer
The original Dragon Slayer launched for the PC-8801 in 1984, establishing itself as a pioneer of the action RPG genre.
- Innovative Systems: The first entry featured simple controls where players attacked by ramming into enemies.
- Progression: Growth elements required players to bring experience and items back to a home base to strengthen characters.
- Puzzle Elements: Clearing obstacles often required specific items and magic, adding a layer of strategy to the action.
- Series Expansion: The franchise eventually grew to include classic titles such as Xanadu, Romancia, Legacy of the Wizard, and Sorcerian.
The Link to Trails
The sixth entry, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, pivoted to a command based battle system with a heavy focus on character development and world building. This title birthed the Legend of Heroes spin-off series, which eventually led to the creation of the Trails (Kiseki) story RPG series beginning with Trails in the Sky.
Editor’s Take
This Dragon Slayer project announcement is a massive moment for Falcom history buffs. For years, the Dragon Slayer name has been buried under the weight of the Trails and Ys franchises, even though it is the literal DNA for both.
Bringing this back for the 45th anniversary suggests Falcom wants to remind everyone where their RPG legacy started. It is a necessary move to bridge the gap between their legacy PC-8801 era and the modern console audience.
With no platforms announced yet, it is a safe bet we will see this on PlayStation 5 and Switch, but the real question is how they will modernize that classic bump combat without losing the identity of the original masterpiece.
