Johnny Awesome
Veteran
Here is the beginning of my review:
****
Panzer Dragoon fans have waited a long time for a new title in this series, which has taken on almost legendary status amongst the Sega faithful, and more than a few Sega fans were convinced to buy an Xbox when this title was announced at the Fall 2001 Tokyo Game Show. While many were hoping for a true sequel to Panzer Dragoon Saga, Sega decided it would be best to first reintroduce the series to the mass market with a shooter in the vein of Panzer Dragoon and Panzer Dragoon Zwei. I'm happy to say that the results have been entirely worth the wait, for Panzer Dragoon Orta is the best action shooter ever made.
I was first introduced to Panzer Dragoon and Panzer Dragoon Zwei in late 1996 when I picked up a used Saturn along with roughly seven games, PD and PDZ among them. While the impending release of NiGHTS into Dreams was a major consideration in my decision to choose Sega's Saturn over Sony's PSX, the PD games were the icing on the cake that validated my decision. I've never regretted purchasing Sega hardware, and although I left console gaming for a few years after the Saturn fizzled, I shelled out $150 US for a copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga last year to complete my collection. Just as PDS has set a new benchmark for console RPGs, Panzer Dragoon Orta has raised the bar for shooters from here forward.
The game begins with a brief but compelling CG introduction. Naturally, just like previous games in the series, you play a lone character in need of help from your Dragon in order to survive. As you progress through the game, the bond strengthens between you and your mount which evolves into more powerful incarnations. You discover story elements along the way, which clue you in to the wonders of the greater Panzer Dragoon narrative. PDO contains some nice CG cut-scenes mixed with real-time material that do an excellent job of conveying the emotion and wonder of the Panzer Dragoon world. There is a lot more story here than PD or PDZ, but not quite as much as PDS, which isn't surprising given that the emphasis in PDO is appropriately placed on the action.
This brings me to the incredible gameplay....
****
Go to SegaWorldWeekly.com and subscribe to the newsletter to get the rest of my review.
****
Panzer Dragoon fans have waited a long time for a new title in this series, which has taken on almost legendary status amongst the Sega faithful, and more than a few Sega fans were convinced to buy an Xbox when this title was announced at the Fall 2001 Tokyo Game Show. While many were hoping for a true sequel to Panzer Dragoon Saga, Sega decided it would be best to first reintroduce the series to the mass market with a shooter in the vein of Panzer Dragoon and Panzer Dragoon Zwei. I'm happy to say that the results have been entirely worth the wait, for Panzer Dragoon Orta is the best action shooter ever made.
I was first introduced to Panzer Dragoon and Panzer Dragoon Zwei in late 1996 when I picked up a used Saturn along with roughly seven games, PD and PDZ among them. While the impending release of NiGHTS into Dreams was a major consideration in my decision to choose Sega's Saturn over Sony's PSX, the PD games were the icing on the cake that validated my decision. I've never regretted purchasing Sega hardware, and although I left console gaming for a few years after the Saturn fizzled, I shelled out $150 US for a copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga last year to complete my collection. Just as PDS has set a new benchmark for console RPGs, Panzer Dragoon Orta has raised the bar for shooters from here forward.
The game begins with a brief but compelling CG introduction. Naturally, just like previous games in the series, you play a lone character in need of help from your Dragon in order to survive. As you progress through the game, the bond strengthens between you and your mount which evolves into more powerful incarnations. You discover story elements along the way, which clue you in to the wonders of the greater Panzer Dragoon narrative. PDO contains some nice CG cut-scenes mixed with real-time material that do an excellent job of conveying the emotion and wonder of the Panzer Dragoon world. There is a lot more story here than PD or PDZ, but not quite as much as PDS, which isn't surprising given that the emphasis in PDO is appropriately placed on the action.
This brings me to the incredible gameplay....
****
Go to SegaWorldWeekly.com and subscribe to the newsletter to get the rest of my review.