There is no doubt that Legend of Dragoon’s artwork was stunningly beautiful twenty years ago. Even today most of it is pleasing to the eye despite its age. However, due to technology limits at the time, there is a growing demand for enhanced image quality and resolution today.

A general-purpose upscale package is being developed by theflyingzamboni, Zychronix, and Mr. Scentless. The project started a few years ago with the intent of covering the background images or “submaps” that the player traverses along their journey. Since then it has grown to include revised UI elements and even a soft pass on 3D model textures.

Here are some examples of things we can upscale:

• background images
• textures that will be seen on a 3D model
• UI elements
• particle effects

Useful Links

• Video Playlist (Location Previews)
• Progress Report (Feb 2023)

Current Status

Important: All Upscale work has been temporarily put on hold. This is for very good reason, as the creators of this mod are needed to assist with the next major update of Severed Chains – the one that enables use of our graphics cards. Once Recommended Build 3 is completed, the upscale will at last be finished and ported to Severed Chains.

All backgrounds themselves are finished, but the “cutouts” that the player-character can walk underneath are tougher to make headway on. Refer to the linked Progress Report above for insight on this difficulty. Here’s a disc-by-disc estimate:

• Upscaling
  • Disc 1: 100%
  • Disc 2: 100%
  • Disc 3: 100%
  • Disc 4: 100%
• Cutouts
  • Disc 1: 45%
  • Disc 2: 0%
  • Disc 3: 100%
  • Disc 4: 50%

Gallery

Future

The project has expanded beyond just background images. There are already some experiments with portrait art and UI elements such as icons and text font. There is even a soft pass on 3D model textures! All these things require time and effort to flesh out, but the project is now even more exciting than it was before.

Originally, the upscale project was slated for Beetle PSX HW. Now that Severed Chains is becoming the best way to play Legend of Dragoon, and that there has been no progress of the issues of texture replacement in Beetle PSX HW, the upscale project will only support Severed Chains.

FAQ

Q: When will the project be finished?
A: While a vast majority of the work is finished, there is no estimated completion date. The two volunteers who work on the upscale are currently helping finish SC Rec. Build 3. After RB3 is released, this mod can be resumed and completed.

Q: When can I download the mod?
A: Once the project is finished, a download link will be added to this page. It will also be listed in the main Modding area of the site, and we’ll make an announcement so everyone will be alerted when it becomes available.