Retro|Spective 066: Panzer Dragoon

[Neon Ignition]

Gliding through the air before scorching the lands below...





Mainline Entry 01 - Panzer Dragoon
Formats: Saturn, Playstation 2 and PC
In a way, Sega's answer to Star Fox arrived at the launch of its new 32-bit console and delivered a visually arresting but short on-rail shooter experience. With six levels, each taking around five minutes to best, the game focused on your performance. The game was one of the best received launch titles for the Saturn.



Mainline Entry 02 - Panzer Dragoon II Zwei
Formats: Saturn
Arriving the very next year (back when sequels took one year and not seven to ten), Zwei represented a refinement on the original formula but it did bring its own additions to the gameplay the main one being alternate routes through its stages and a dragon evolution based on the players performance. The sequel also started to expand upon the story telling aspects of the franchise, a direction that would be fully realised in the third game.



Spin Off Entry 01 - Panzer Dragoon Mini
Formats: Game Gear
Released only in Japan, this handheld incarnation used designs from the second game to try and emulate the shooter experience on Segas aging handheld. The result was a curio that was heavily compromised from the original titles.



Mainline Entry 03 - Panzer Dragoon Saga
Formats: Saturn
The third and final entry for the 32-bit era would arrive two years after the second game but not in a form anyone expected. Instead of another shooter, the developers delivered an ambitious four disc sprawling action RPG. Designed to provide an answer to Final Fantasy VII, Saga followed Edge in three gameplay style segments. On foot sequences showcased the 3D town building to flesh out the characters and the world whilst free light sequences saw you soar through areas on the grand adventure. The third saw you battle enemies by positioning your dragon and targeting weak spots. Critically acclaimed, the game sold poorly, a victim of Sega's incompetence.



Mainline Entry 04 - Panzer Dragoon Orta
Formats: Xbox
Returning to the on-rail shooter genre, the fourth game would prove to be the last with Orta taking the lead in a visual showcase. With the dragon being able to switch between three types the game also gave the player more positioning abilities as well as defensive/offensive ones. It may have been the last entry, but the universal critical acclaim meant it finished the series on a high with one more adventure that Saga fans thought would never come.



Share your thoughts and memories of Panzer Dragoon

[Asura]

Kinda sad it died off, really. The visuals, influenced heavily by Giraud and with a kind-of oil painting aesthetic (which I think were lost a bit in Orta) really were something special.

I've only played the very start of Saga from the demo disc that can be easily found, and I didn't really take to it... But I think that was in part because I didn't want to get into it as I knew how much it would cost to buy the full thing.

[Dogg Thang]

Panzer Dragoon Zwei is one of my favourite games of all time and there was a time where I could play it from start to finish and not miss a single enemy. It is beautifully paced and constructed and it just feels like the placement of everything is perfect. And the style and music being so gorgeous is the icing on a great cake. It really shows how art direction can rise above technical limitations. It is easily my favourite shooty game of that type by a huge margin and really the only one that motivated me to get better and better at it. I can't count how many times I have played through it. It's a thing of beauty.

The first is pretty good too but it's very rough around the edges and just doesn't feel as good. Some great music in that too though.

Saga is a whole different beast and I love this game too, although I never played through it again. Maybe I will some day. Again the style and atmosphere contribute so much and probably paper over some of the repetition in places. It has some very powerful sequences too. But what stayed with me most in this are the little moments around the campfire. It's a unique RPG and quite special.

Orta looked great and it's a good game but it just isn't as controlled as Zwei and I think I always felt a little let down by that. It's like it isn't constructed with the same level of precision. But it's a pretty game and has a great soundtrack too so I'm very glad we got it and I feel it's a shame the series ended there. Feels like there is more to give.

Most of all, I'm just sad we haven't seen Zwei and Saga on any other system. The whole losing the source code thing feels weird and I don't know how it works (can't they still be ported without that or is that just totally impossible?) but almost every console generation since I've found myself wanting a polished version of either of these games to play through again.

[Team Andromeda]

Always liked the 1st the most and it is my fav game of all time. To me it had the best art direction in the series, it had the best music in the series, the best bosses in the series, and the intro is still to this day the greatest ever.

What I loved the most was the sense of insolation and how it was your and your guardian/Pet/companion against the whole world. A sort of companionship and bond, that very few games ever attempt or get right. ICO and Last Guardian (while both very different) also capture that sense of you and your friend/pet against the whole world, perfectly too.

[Atticus]

I'm a shooter fan but the RPG was my favourite. Saga is an absolute gem of a game from start to finish. Very fond memories of epic battles, gaudy villages and cosy campfires.

As I have an Xbox one sat under the tv I really should buy Orta at some point ... I bet it looks amazing.

The whole losing the source code thing feels weird and I don't know how it works (can't they still be ported without that or is that just totally impossible?)

I wonder this too. In a fantasy world of a Saturn Classic couldn't they just rip the rom somehow, or is it highly unlikely there'd be an emulator capable of running it in its original form?

[CMcK]

Orta looks great on Xbox One, do it!

The Panzer Dragoon series is a great example of what the gaming world lost when Sega started to struggle. In house developers trying something a bit different, pushing the hardware and creating a standout experience.
The original looks a tad rough but plays very well and has a great sense of atmosphere. Zwei surpasses it in all respects and is peak Saturn for me. I only ever played through the demo disc of Saga but even though I’m not a fan of RPGs it had me hooked. One of these days I might splash out on a copy.
I haven’t play the GG so cannot comment on that. Orta is stunning, it actually looks a 360 game despite being an early Xbox title. If you have a 1X it’s a must buy title. It’s not quite as good a game as Zwei but there’s not much in it.

Surely the Panzer Dragoon series is crying out for an update in VR?

[Leon Retro]

The first game really grabbed me at the time -- I loved the graphic design and brilliant music. The second game really impressed me with its improved graphics engine that allowed for some truly stunning moments. I really liked how Zwei kept me coming back for more because you could change paths.

Orta on the Xbox deserved to sell millions of copies because it's not only a great showcase of the Xbox tech, but also offers a thrilling experience. It's quite tough game, but it's very rewarding to get good at it. The only bad thing about Orta is it failed to find a large audience. That's such a shame.

Surely the Panzer Dragoon series is crying out for an update in VR?

I will hope and pray for Panzer Dragood VR.

[Neon Ignition]

The original largely passed me by, it never really grabbed me all that much. Zwei I enjoyed a lot more even though I'd be lying if I said I spent huge amounts of time with it, it was easy enough to nail through then move on to something else which meant I had little in the way of deep feelings about the franchise when Saga came around and the idea of an RPG entry felt off putting.

But, the Saturn was on its knees and with the likes of Deep Fear and Burning Rangers all hitting in one go I worked through the new releases almost like a send off for the Saturn, ending with Saga.

The result? Absolutely adored it, unrivalled high point of the franchise for me and staggeringly better than the FF game it was intended to rival. Sega really, really should have had it worked on as a DC launch title as it was clearly mismanaged to hell and it remains gutting that it never made it out in any other form. One of the best games ever.

Orta, I don't know, it was a hell of a looker on release and it's fun to play but it didn't feel quite as engaging as Zwei though that may just have been because of how gutting it was that we weren't getting a Saga sequel.

[Asura]

I really need to read up on why Saga is meant to be so good.

[Neon Ignition]

It's probably different for others but for me Saga hit a home run due to several aspects:

Visuals - The series already had a very strong visual style but Saga did a great job of not just using that style but making each area have a real sense of place. There's a consistent atmosphere about the game where it feeds the tone and story that the CG cutscenes are telling you about. Given the Saturn was often criticised for its 3D and lighting abilities compared to the PS1, it trumped FFVII by having everything be in 3D which includes the small town outposts you wander on foot. It's again clunky but back when the game released it was still a rare effort and you felt like this was the system being properly utilised.

Combat - Saga makes the smart choice of being just about difficult enough to not feel like a walkover but never hard enough to frustrate meaning you can start it comfortably able to see it through to the end without worrying about needing to spend hours grinding for XP. It's a turn based system where you reposition your dragon each turn but it's a smart little risk/reward system. Enemies have four quadrants around them and on a turn being in two or three of those quadrants will mean you will receive more damage, but likewise your attacks will deliver more damage. It means each turn you're strategically balancing your defence and offense based on the enemies health and your own. It's entirely turn based but because its simple, quick and constantly keeping you thinking beyond selecting 'Attack' or 'Heal' it has an air of action based around it. It's one of the things that's a massive, massive shame that it was never employed anywhere else later that I know of.

Story - Like FFVII, Saga tells a grown up story but unlike FFVII this game doesn't take side turns to include lighter elements. It has a very consistent tale, told well considering it also doesn't use v/o and it avoids trying to ape FF with a mid-game twist instead ending on a pretty emotionally affecting end point.


The game has some issues, most probably because of the constraints of the system such as repetition in areas. If the internet is to be believed Sega released it in the dying days of the Saturn and released only 1,000 copies across Europe... then scratched their heads as to why it didn't topple FF7 and blamed the devs.

[Team Andromeda]

As I have an Xbox one sat under the tv I really should buy Orta at some point ... I bet it looks amazing.

Both Orta and Conckers look utterly amazing on the One X

[Team Andromeda]

Surely the Panzer Dragoon series is crying out for an update in VR?

Its SEGA, They have so many lightgun games crying out for the VR treatment. One can only hope SEGA also bring HOTD V to VR at some stage

[Atticus]

Looks stunning. Cant believe it's a couple of gens old. Had no idea Conker's was out either. I'll have to buy some MS points

[Team Andromeda]

Looks stunning. Cant believe it's a couple of gens old. Had no idea Conker's was out either. I'll have to buy some MS points

In keeping with SEGA . BLiNX (SEGA did the music and the game was developed by ex SEGA Staff) is also out on One X with a 4K patch



And Sonic Gen 4k Patch looks stunning too

[Brad]

Conkers looks great from those screenshots but to say Orta looks amazing? Looks like what it is to me, a really old game, upscaled. I did really enjoy the game back in the day though and thought it looked incredible at the time.