The PlayStation One was the cradle of the rise of RPGs, with dozens of titles that defined the genre for decades. Some have aged poorly, others remain acclaimed to this day as some of the best games in industry history, and campaigns for their remakes/remasters appear with some frequency on social media posts.There's appetite; the question is whether there's also a chance. Below, we present five acclaimed PlayStation One titles that haven't yet received a modern re‑release, laying out why they deserve another shot in the industry and what the odds are that they might happen!XenogearsXenogears was one of the most ambitious projects of the PlayStation One era, one that feels unfinished deep into the finale. The title blends philosophy, religion, and various psychoanalysis topics with giant robots to tell one of the most complex narratives of its time—so complex that it required a second disc in a much more linear format than the first due to time constraints.A remake would be the chance to tell Xenogears's complete story, but given Square Enix's recent trends, the most likely scenario would be an HD‑2D Remaster. Even in that case, it seems unlikely: Square Enix owns the Xenogears IP and celebrates its anniversaries with merchandise, but the series creator, Tetsuya Takahashi, left the company over 20 years ago and founded Monolith Soft, which today belongs to Nintendo.There's enormous contractual complexity that has only grown more tangled each year Square and Takahashi have remained apart. Today, Xenogears is one of the most requested games for a remaster/remake, but there's a chasm between interest surveys and the legal and rights factors that would green‑light production.The Legend of DragoonThe Legend of Dragoon was a four‑disc game where warriors transform into dragon knights, with an Addition system and timed hits that could be seen as the first iteration of what would become the turn‑based combat with interaction in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.The title was published as a response to Final Fantasy's dominance in the PSOne era and achieved cult status over the years. It deserves a modern reinterpretation like few other games from its time have earned, and demand is there: online petitions for a remake have over 30,000 signatures.Unfortunately, the probability is very low. Sony owns the IP outright but shows zero interest in revisiting it. Unlike other remasters and remakes, The Legend of Dragoon has never been publicly considered, and Japan Studio, which developed the original, was dissolved in 2021.Breath of Fire IIIBreath of Fire III is the most acclaimed title from Capcom's old RPG franchise. The game follows Ryu from childhood to adulthood with colorful sprites, engaging combat with dragon transformations, and a captivating story that was notably mature for its time.A remaster of the original would be the most elegant option here. The original art style has a charm that could be reinterpreted with a new coat of paint for new generations without stripping away what made BoF 3 so special to an entire generation, and all the game's systems have potential for adaptation or expansion.Of all the games on this list, Breath of Fire 3 has the most promising signs, though still distant. Capcom recently released Breath of Fire IV (which also deserves a Remaster) on Steam, signaling that the IP — with no new entries since Breath of Fire VI's failure in 2016 — is being commercially reactivated. Capcom has also been revisiting some franchises that seemed abandoned by the company. In theory, the tides are favorable—only the announcement is missing.Wild ArmsWild Arms blends the Wild West with magical technology, featuring three protagonists with mechanics that changed how you explore environments and a wonderful soundtrack composed by Michiko Naruke. There's nothing quite like it in the modern mainstream, and not everyone has had the chance to experience the franchise.A modernized remake of the first Wild Arms game could bring back a franchise that received less attention than it deserved, despite leaving a relatively long legacy during the PSOne/PS2 era. Perhaps an HD Remaster today with improved sprites and more detailed environments would find better reception than when its "remake" launched on PS2.Like The Legend of Dragoon, Sony owns the Wild Arms IP, and the original developer, Media Vision, still exists, though it works on smaller projects. Wild Arms 4 came to PlayStation Plus, joining the first three games already available, and the message with that addition seems more aimed at historical preservation of the series than at gauging interest in a new game or Remake.The original team formed the studio Wildbunch Production, led by Akifumi Kaneko, and launched a Kickstarter campaign for Armed Fantasia, described as a spiritual successor to Wild Arms. The project, however, seems to be in development hell and searching for a publisher.Vagrant StoryFew have played Vagrant Story, but almost everyone who has considers it a masterpiece. The game was written by Yasumi Matsuno and is set in Ivalice, the same world as Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII, but with the scope limited to the city of Lea Monde and on a timeline unknown relative to the other games set in that universe.A remake that kept the interconnected level design, with modernized combat and a properly explained crafting system — the original was too complex for its time — could be well received, especially by fans of the Ivalice universe. The story of a mature thriller like the one we follow from Ashley Riot's perspective could reignite interest from both new and old generations.Naoki Yoshida, director of Final Fantasy XIV and XVI, stated in an interview that he would like to re‑release Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics on modern platforms. Yoshida has also worked with Matsuno on Final Fantasy XVI and on the re‑release of Final Fantasy Tactics for modern consoles. There are reasons for optimism, but also constraints: Creative Studio III already dedicates a lot of effort to FFXIV.On the other hand, Vagrant Story never even received a port during the PS3/PSP era and isn't available on PSN. Square Enix also hasn't spoken up and doesn't often run promotions or merchandise for the title — it gives the feeling that it's forgotten, and the chances of seeing Lea Monde with modern visuals depend on how much a union of Yoshida and Matsuno can influence the company's decisions.
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