It holds a 74 Metacritic rating. It wasn't just some reviewers, the game was really average. I myself rated the game in the 7s in this site. It sold well, over a million units, because RPGs in general sold well in that era, and there was a massive marketing campaign behind it. A list of RPGs that sold better or comparable units (over a million):

Chrono Cross

Final Fantasy Tactics

Dragon Quest/Warrior VII

Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VIII

Final Fantasy IX

Tales of Destiny

Xenogears,

DQ IV,

Arc the Lad,

Star Ocean 2

Saga Frontier

Arc the Lad 2

It was the golden era of the genre, it wasn't uncommon for JRPGs to sell well. Most complaints weren't about LoD not being FF. Most complaints are about its pedestrian story, and the fact that the game actually tries to be like FF. It was the only 4 disc game that I can recall, that if I wanted to go back to a certain town I had to swap discs, the world map was uninspiring (most games allowed for free roaming over a 3-D world map and LoD didn't), and while did enjoy the combat I could say the same for a dozen other JRPGS that I played during that time. 

It has built a cult following though, and it is probably more popular now than it was back when it was released which I guess is impressive, but it really deserved that 7ish score especially when compared to other RPGs of the time.

Yes of course I can call it whatever.

But why is it not a classic, just because you don't personally like it?

Go out and see other people talking about it and see how many are calling it.

What makes it a classic is not my personal taste, for me its much more than that, what makes it a classic is people still talking about it with passion after 20 years.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider have a meta of 75 but I thought it was a great game deserving 85, same with Days Gone. So I see no problem with LoD 74 meta not being considered a classic that could be great on remake, even more when you can change all the problematic portions.

Yes of course I can call it whatever.

But why is it not a classic, just because you don't personally like it?

Go out and see other people talking about it and see how many are calling it.

What makes it a classic is not my personal taste, for me its much more than that, what makes it a classic is people still talking about it with passion after 20 years.

I will agree on Days Gone. Just downloaded the game a few nights ago, so I only have like 5 hours of play time. I am having a bit more fun than I did with RDR2, mainly because I like the premise more, as I was hooked on the walking dead at some point a few years ago. But I can see how it rated low on Meta. I personally so far lean towards an 8-8.5 score when I finally review it the way it is going. I am having fun, but can also see some of the technical stuff reviewers complained about.

I see you're a man of culture as well.

Colony Wars is a long-dormant Sony franchise I'd love to see rebooted. So long as they kept the branching mission structure, multiple endings, and expansive database of info on the systems, planets, and ships, I'd love to see Sony bring back this space combat classic.

Oh, and the original game also had outstanding audio design for the time. Back in 2000 when I bought my first (and still current) audio system, I would use Colony Wars to demo it (along with the "machine gun deforestation" scene in Predator).

I know I love that game more than anything else, that doesn't have anything do it though, as I said multiple times.

I'm not talking about how much I like it, but how much people are still talking about it.

There is no single way Panzer Dragoon Saga or a single Grandia game are more remembered than LoD. Seems like rose-tinted glasses are having the effect there.

The Legend of Dragoon is about as much talked as Xenogears and Suikoden 2. That's what I'm talking about, maybe you didn't see it yourself but LoD tracks a good amount of attention as those other games you consider classics.

Don't believe me? Well, I just made a research on Google Trends then.

The Legend of Dragoon vs Panzer Dragoon Saga vs Grandia 2

(Worldwide last 5 years)

The Legend of Dragoon vs Xenogears vs Suikoden 2

(Worldwide last year)

(Worldwide last 5 years)

(Worldwide since 2004)

(I know Google Trends is not like some definitive proof of interest, but it is some data)

So as we can see:

Panzer Dragoon Saga doesn't remotely compair, and Grandia 2, the oldest numbered title (so we don't get the whole series data) is also considerably lower than The Legend of Dragoon.

And The Legend of Dragoon tracks about the same as Xenogears and Suikoden 2 currently, with Xenogears having a big spyke around the end on 2017 as the only get away from them.

Also even from as back as 2004 LoD comes higher than Suikoden 2, as an example.

So again, not judging what I or anyone else think about those games personally, The Legend of Dragoon has been getting as much attention or more than those games you consider classics.