The Legend of Dragoon is a Japanese-style RPG, visually reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII (pre-rendered backgrounds, 3D characters and battle scenes, CG animations to advance the story). Battle mechanics follow the traditional turn-based prototype, with a few additions such as critical attacks dependent on precise timing, and "dragoon" transformations, which allow access to powerful techniques. Game progression is largely linear, with the "world map" replaced by locations represented as connected dots.

A peaceful beginning. The legend was born 10,000 years ago. A violent uprising. A civilization of flying creatures enslave the human race. A bloody war. In a bid for freedom, the humans harness the spiritual forces of Dragons and triumph. Tranquility and harmony exist between all. But the past and the future are about to collide... Unveil a fantasy of magnificence, deception, magical combat and retribution. The journey that seeks the past ends. And the journey to discover today begins. Unleash the spirit of the Dragoons. And discover your destiny. Dart, a brave and loyal warrior swordsman, has sworn to avenge the death of his parents by destroying the mysterious black monster. For unknown reasons, the Sandora Empire burns down his village and imprisons his childhood friend, Shana. Straight away Dart sets out on a journey to rescue her, but Shana's kidnapping is merely the tip of the iceberg of a much grander, more sinister plot about ancient spiritual powers and the destruction of the human race.