Panzer Dragoon (Saturn) review on HonestGamers

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Review by Felix Arabia
May 13, 2008

Panzer Dragoon is the start of something beautiful.

Given new life as a bonus unlockable in Panzer Dragoon Orta' Pandora Box archive, the series premiere introduced us to a bravado that few other franchises could champion so enthusiastically. When you play a Panzer game, you're not simply pressing buttons on a controller and mindlessly watching your 19-inch color television screen - you're experiencing an exhilarating campaign about inner-strength and justice through the eyes of a DRAGON RIDER. In this example, that dragon rider happens to be a plain man called Kiel. He may seem ordinary, but his heart is absolutely extraordinary.

Though we may not understand what Kiel is saying without the aid of subtitles, and though we know so little about him outside of the few moments where we are given an opportunity to pilot his reptilian flyer, we can relate to his plight. His actions, valiant and unwavering, are right. We can see that Kiel, who otherwise is just a common man, fights on long after others have stopped. We admire him because he isn't extravagant or audacious; in many ways he's like us.

In this post-apocalyptic world, most remaining humans only fight to survive. Even Kiel begins as a hunter indifferent to the powers that be. An omnipotent empire reigns over these desolate lands, and with their powerful, ancient technologies, they seek to keep their foes in check. Their strangely constructed airships are the backbone behind their murderous reign of terror, but not even the imperial armada can hold a candle to the Empire's greatest weapon.

A black dragon rules over the skies. Any who challenge it are rewarded with a quick death.

Kiel witnesses this grim prospect firsthand when he stares, helplessly mesmerized, at a murderous battle between the evil Dark Dragon and a seemingly worthy adversary. In a matter of moments, the battle is over. The adversary, a blue dragon's rider, has been bested. Realizing that his time is nearly over, he commands his blue Solo Wing to Kiel's position and tells - no, COMMANDS - him to continue the fight. The only consolation to this unfortunate situation is the dying rider's offer to Kiel. He must take his gun, and he must commandeer this nimble dragon.

And so Kiel does.

At this very moment, we begin a memorable journey unlike anything previously known. Flying over a gorgeous lake dotted with collapsing pillars, it is here where we become accustomed to just how bleak this world has become. Centuries ago this body of water was the site of a magnificent city. Now it's just a haunting reminder of glories past. Laser-spewing mutants appear from behind every crumbling ruin to indicate that they are the ones who rule over this realm, not humans. Dragons and their riders cannot pass. There's going to be a bloodbath.

But Kiel, being a capable gunner, can lock onto these belligerents and then unleash streaming lasers of magnificent power upon any hapless foes foolish enough to stand in his way. Being a rail shooter, these tactics are logical if not necessarily surprising. But before anyone can begin to draft comparisons to Star Fox, no matter how inappropriate they may be, know that Kiel isn't simply a forward-looking fighter. With the simple tap of the L or R button, he can swivel his line of sight a full 360 degrees. Now, not even the burliest of flanking foes can expect to get the drop on the dragon and its rider. At the same time, though, Kiel will have to keep an eye on his radar if he wants to minimize blindside ambushes. Enemies will swoop in for the kill from every direction regardless.

The third level exemplifies this. Wayside turrets, suddenly appearing battleships and unexpected tank patrols make this one of the busiest stages in the game. Spend too long focusing on any one direction, and you can expect to hear Kiel's blue dragon wince in pain as flaming cannonballs dig into its flesh.

For a less hellish scenario, you only need to take one step back to the second stage. It begins over a vast desert populated by grotesque sand worms that jump right out of the sun-scorched surface like dolphins once did in the sea. While this would normally be a pretty cool sight from a distance, given Kiel and his dragon's close proximity to the deadly beasts, this is one sightseeing event that is anything but relaxing (though it's certainly easier to contend with colossal sand worms than it is with half the imperial army!). Having to deal with the scaly maggots from his rear is only part of the fun, as he'll then have to make a complete about face to deal with the looming mutant creatures approaching from off into the distance.

This eventually leads Kiel and his dragon to a faceoff with the Dark Dragon from earlier. Dodging its incoming fire AND having to be careful not to veer into any of the tornadoes that dance across the desert dunes, this is one sweet battle that's not only fun to play but is also extremely stylish. Chock one more tick mark on divine ein's wall of awesomeness.

And then prepare yourself for a labyrinthine run deep into a series of subterranean tunnels that speed by in every which direction as the blue dragon winds and wends through even the tightest turns with impressive agility. All the while, Kiel will struggle to shoot the underground guardians who weave in and out of sight. But where this endeavor would cause lesser heroes to become emasculated in terror, Panzer Dragoon portrays this harrowing situation as an epic display of unrelenting courage through inspiring music.

If there's one thing that the series as a whole as always been noted for, it's the magnificent orchestrations that play throughout the entirety of each adventure. The fitting songs that echo across each and every stage in this classic are just as good as the later tunes that would encourage Edge to fly Lagi deep into the heart of danger to try and save Azel. When the music fits so perfectly alongside the action, it makes the entire experience all the more satisfying. That's certainly the case here. If a certain song isn't adding an extra layer of awe to the battlefield, it's urging you to fight onward. Nowhere is such an encouraging song more appropriate than in the twisting tunnels of the fourth stage. From there on out, alluringly enough, things are only going to get more and more rugged and wonderful.

In return, the music will continue to only get better and more emotive as the Solo Wing speeds toward Kiel's target.

After flying over a vast jungle, and swooping across heavily guarded canals intersecting the imperial capital city, one final battle remains to be fought. On the one side is a nimble blue dragon commandeered by our bold rider Kiel. On the other side is the Dark Dragon, transformed into a hideous entity more powerful and commanding than ever before. The two forces meet high in the sky. Their eyes lock onto each other with hating stares. Everything is quiet, if only for a moment. This is the ultimate battle between good versus evil, just versus unjust, light versus dark.

Do you have what it takes to win?

Rating
10	Brilliant Only a few games reach such lofty heights. This one is remarkable in most every way, and brilliantly executed.
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Game Profile & Content

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Staff Score (Avg): 10.0 User Score (Avg): 7.0 Press Score (Avg): N/A
Reviews: 2 Guides: 0 Cheats: 9 Ratings: 4	High Scores: 0 Screenshots: 7 Videos: 3

Title: Panzer Dragoon
Genre: Shooter
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Team Andromeda
Release Date: 1995
Platforms: PC, SAT

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