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Team Andromeda Lives!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When a new console is launched, the manufacturer usually releases a handful of games to show off the system and appeal to consumers. Over time, as developers learn the console, bigger and flashier games appear, leaving the launch games in the dust of the clearance bin. Once in a while, though, there's a diamond in the rough ... in the case of the underrated Sega Saturn, it was a stylish shooting game named "Panzer Dragoon," developed by an in-house team known as Team Andromeda.

Its popularity (among the Saturn's limited audience), led to a prequel game--"Panzer Dragoon Zwei"-- and even a lauded RPG-style adventure in the same universe--"Panzer Dragoon Saga." However, both games were released in the waning days of the system, so few people really got to see how the series progressed. Eventually, the Saturn was discontinued and Team Andromeda went their separate ways. Fortunately, it would appear that some of those programmers wound up in Smilebit, one of Sega's new development houses, as they have turned out a worthy successor of the "Panzer Dragoon" title, exclusively for Microsoft's powerful XBox console.

For the fourth title in the series, Smilebit returned to the format of the first two games, that of a linear shoot-em-up. The player, in the guise of a mysterious young girl named Orta, rides a mighty dragon through a series of elaborate levels on a generally pre-set course (or, to use a common gaming term, "on rails"). Armed with a rapid-fire pistol and the dragon's own attacks, Orta must eliminate the evil forces bent on capturing her, as well as the denizens of this strange world that simply will attack anything that moves.

Enemies will attack from all sides, so it's fortunate that Orta can turn a full 360 degrees to face incoming hazards. Orta can shoot down the targets with her own gun, or she can command the dragon to lock onto the target and attack with its "arrows of light." When desperate times call for desperate measures, the dragon can unleash a "berserk" attack, which renders itself invulnerable for a few seconds and its enemies dead meat.

The enemies come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Some are simply too big (or too well-armored) to shoot directly. Others prefer to attack Orta head-on by ramming the dragon. In these cases, you can use the "Glide Attack," a new feature for the series. This multi-use attack can slow the dragon down (allowing an incoming assault to miss it), give it a burst of speed (with shockwaves that can damage enemies) or allow it to move around a large enemy to evade fire or find a weak spot in its defenses.

Expanding on concepts introduced in "Zwei" and "Saga," Orta can control the dragon's appearance and abilities. The standard form, Base Wing, is a good all-around offensive and defensive choice. The Heavy Wing trades maneuverability (and no Glide Attack) for awesome firepower, and the Glide Wing is small and fast, but not much of an attacker. Orta can cycle through these forms at will, and she'll be doing it frequently. If it seems like there's a lot to do and keep track of, there is ... fortunately, the game has a series of tutorials that teach players the fundamentals.

The game's ultra-detailed world never looked so good. Cut-scenes tell the story in the game-world's unique language (it's not Japanese), with English subtitles. The PD universe is a hodgepodge of natural beauty and man-made horror, and truly comes into its own here. Some story points draw on the original games, but knowledge of those is not required. Graphically fast and expansive, with outstanding effects, like the dragon's sometimes iridescent wings. No slowdown, even with giant enemies on screen, and loading times are generally speedy (or hidden by cut-scenes or dialog).

Replay fanatics will love Pandora's Box, a treasure trove of hidden features and information, all available for the unlocking. I won't reveal what they are, except for one item ... hidden in the game is a complete rendition of the title that started it all, "Panzer Dragoon." As an introduction to the series, or as a chance to relive a classic game, it's a welcome addition.

One very minor gripe ... the game only allows for one save file, so while anyone can start a new game, only one save point can be set. Also, the game's difficulty can be at times frustrating, even for PD veterans ... it's also quite addicting, almost forcing you to "one more time" a level until you vanquish it.

With a detailed story, unbelievable graphics, easy-to-grasp gameplay and tons of replay opportunities, "Panzer Dragoon Orta" heralds the return of a respected gaming series, and hopefully points the way to future adventures in this unique realm.

Comparisons are futile. PDO = good.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Don't stop reading yet. Comparisons are futile because PDO is what Halo and Splinter Cell are not. PDO is an on-rails shooter. Asking "which is better" is like asking which is better out of FIFA Soccer 2003 and NHL 2003. It all comes down to waht style of game you'd rather play. (For my vote, PDO)

Anyway. PDO.
Great graphics, complete with showing-off-for-the-hell-of-it water effects. Sound is... different. Remember, Panzer Dragoon is trying to be its own world. This own world has its own style of music (as opposed to "cheesy 90 videogame" as someone decided) and its own language, Panzerese. (No, it's not Japanese. The Japanese people playing this game will get as much out of the commentary as you do. Infact, less, seeing as Panzerese is made chiefly of parts of ancient Greek and Latin)

Gameplay... wow. This is a difficult game. Any XBoxers expecting a Smilebit game to be easy (after JSRF) can think again. It does get a bit easier once you master what dragon you should use when, though. At any rate, this is where it loses half a star for me . Not because of the main game difficulty, which I think is perfectly placed (and I suck at these kinds of games normally), but because of the Pandora's Box subgames. GUH. Some of these things appear to be programmed specifically to frustrate. Short, yet almost impossible. So, you find yourself replaying the same 30 seconds of gameplay. Over. And over. And OVER.

As for longevity. Well. Pandora's Box is there to come back to even once you beat the story. Those frustrating extra missions are spiced up with the inclusion of the original Sega Saturn Panzer Dragoon game (1995), some more tolerable subgames, picture and movie galleries, and text encyclopedias. These last three, though, I think you need to be a Panzer Dragoon nut to really appreciate. And I am not.
Other half a star lost here.

Anyhow. Good game, not best ever. Certainly best rail shooter ever. Certainly my favourite shooter on the Xbox. But not best game ever. Ah well.

Very nicely done

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Panzer dragoon is rightfully one of the xbox's premier titkes but it's sad that much people have not enjoyed this game.It pretty much has "all the makings of a truly epic game except for a few nitches here and there 1st the good stuff:VERY nice graphics,alotta action,a hell of alotta of replay value,sweet sounds(fully dolby digital i think),original panzer dragoon game hidden(very nice) Now the bad stuff: the game suffers from really sucky mini games I mean I hate these things AND U HAVE TO PLAY THEM IN ORDER 2 GET THE UNLOCKABLES,the game has great graphics but ur stuck 2 much in dark corridors rathe rthan nice rolling land scapes.But lemme keep it real this game is a must have for any action fan trust me!!!

GREAT game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: January 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The 360 turning feature is awesome! It makes flight and combat MUCH MORE REAL. The gameplay is half combat flight simulation half arcade space shooter, good combination and balance.

After I played this game I realized combat flight games like Ace Combat 4, Star Wars, and Zone of Enders are crap. Future flight simulation games should be made more arcade-like and less 'simulation'. Flight simulation just dont feel real, you can only see in front of you. Unless extra TV added to both side of the player or better yet hologram but thats all impossible. Panzer Dragoon seems to solve this problem. Future flight simulation games should implement the 360 turn feature from Dragoon Panzer.

Overall this is a great game. Highly recommended.

Good, but not Zwei

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: February 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Let's get something straight right now. Panzer Dragoon Zwei for Saturn is my favorite video game ever. The music, control, level design, and graphics (not to mention storyline, secrets and multiple endings!) of that game simply put every other 3D shooter to shame (well, Sky Gunner is pretty darn good too).

When it was announced that another Panzer Dragoon game was beign made, I was going crazy with anticipation, daring to hope that a game surpassing (or at least equal to) the great Panzer Dragoon Zwei was going to come my way. Now, I own both games and I have to say that Panzer Dragoon Orta (while by no means a bad game) does NOT measure up.

Any shooter fan can tell you that in the world of shooters, it really comes down to only a few things. Graphics, control, music, and gameplay. The graphics are the eye-candy that makes you play, great music is what sets the perfect mood, and without great gameplay and control there would be absolutely no point in playing.

The first Panzer Dragoon had a gun shot and lock-ons. Panzer Dragoon Zwei had gun shots, lock-ons and berzerkers. Now, we have gun shots, lock-ons, berzerks, dragon morphs, speed-up, and slow-down. Call me crazy, but I DO think that you can have too much of a good thing. I mean, the berzerkers were great and really added to the second game. But when a big boss is killing me the last thing I want to do is slow-down instead of speeding-up while switching to the WRONG FORM OF DRAGON. Sadly, over and over again this is what ended up happening.

Shooters are all about reflexes, shooting down all the enemies before they can attack you. This game makes it more about shooting the same enemy in the same way over and over and over. And what of the branching paths? While they add some to the game, there is nothing like the path branch from the second level of Panzer Dragoon Zwei (left take flight, right stay on the ground for the whole level).

I have to also say that (sadly) while the visuals of the between-level movies are incredibly animated, they aren't worth watching more than once in most cases (the one in the snow is always cool to me). And why on earth should I watch cinemas when there is no compelling story? Don't even try to tell me that there is the same sort of story-telling in this game that there was in Panzer Dragoon Saga or Zwei (Azel blows Orta away and the intro movie to Zwei where the kid's village is destroyed is better than every cinema in this game combined).

In the area of Graphics, Sound, and extras this game really shines. Not only does this game feature some of the best graphics on the X-Box and feature some great sound effects (the music is okay), it also includes the complete first Panzer Dragoon game.

Games like this are becoming more and more rare. If you're hungry for a 3D shooter fix give this game a try. It has awesome graphics, sweet sound, and IS set in the Panzer Dragoon world (and get a load of the Panzer Dragoon Encyclopedia in the extras!). Just don't expect more Zwei.

Great shooter with original, wonderfully created worlds

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: September 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The rail shooter has gone the way of the dodo, now that most shooters allow the player to move around at will as in Doom or Full Spectrum Warrior. However, the folks at

Panzer Dragoon Orta has made the move from Sega onto the Xbox, and it's gameplay should please most fans. Your dragon can alter between three main modes; heavy mode gives you more firepower but less manoeuvring capabilities, Glide mode allows for better movement while normal mode is a compromise between the two. You'll have an opportunity to upgrade with powerups as the game proceeds, giving you most blasting power. However, you can only upgrade one of these modes, so you'll have to choose wisely.

The player takes on the role of Orta, a prisoner all her life, who escapes after her jail is attacked by a troop of dragonmares. Riding on top of a dragon-like beast, she goes in search of answers.

The game takes you through several different worlds, beautiful in both conception and design. I was particularly taken with the organic nature of the second level, as well as the jump into TRON-like computer environment at the fourth. Enemy design is unique and occasionally surreal,

Some splendid cut-scenes break up the game and they're fairly entertaining, including an episode where the character joins a desert being's harem, though briefly.

Completing the game doesn't take too long, however, and you should be able to finish in about two hours. There are harder modes available for you to tackle, and if you want to go back to the roots, there's even the original Panzer Dragoon on the disc, accessible once you win the game.

One can tell Panzer Dragoon Orta is a labor of love; fast moving and varied gameplay, a compelling story and excellent world design rack it up a notch above the normal shooter.

A Beautiful Work Of Weirdness

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: May 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I got this game for its graphics. Every time I saw a screenshot of this game, I always thought it would be amazing. Unfortunately, the game let me down a bit, being nothing more than... "good".
As I told you before, the game has unbelievable graphics. Controls do take some time to learn, so they're not that good. The soundtrack is very good, but the voice acting feels a little weird for me since I can't understand what they're talking (I speak spanish, english and portuguese, but I don't speak any japanese, so...). Fortunately, the english subtitles help me a lot.
I didn't get the game's story. Every place, every character and every situation is just so weird for me, I feel like I'm playing during an effect of some drug... I know it sounds crazy, but that's what the game is for me. Crazy doesn't mean bad, but since I don't get what's going on behind all that beautiful nonsense I see, it turns into a bad thing.
But since I see that lots of people like it, maybe it was just me who thought this game was "just good". I was playing this game in Easy mode, and even there I had some serious difficulties to continue the game in some parts, that's why I didn't beat it (I'm not the only one who complained about this game's high difficulty). But a good aspect from this game is that it has tons of extras. Extra levels, some texts and much more, you'll spend some time just as this game's extras. As you complete the main game, the extras just keep coming.
Overall, I think this game is worth a looks for you all Xbox owners out there, because there is a good possibility you'll like it, and it's a Xbox exclusive. You may don't agree with me on this one, but I tried to say why I think this game isn't that good. So I hope I was helpful doing so.

Not so much a game but a test of your frustration...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: October 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game requires a great great great deal of patience. The environment's graphics are eye catching. You play Orta who escapes from a prison where you were kept not for crimes but as a weapon to be used in future wars. This escape leads to a chase through different lands battling the Empire trying to recapture you. The game is a rail game in that the direction of motion is already chosen like a roller coaster. Your job is to dodge and destroy the enemy with the drone at your disposal. There are 10 long levels with bosses at each levels. The frustration comes in that any mode the game is in is not easy. You can make it up to and pass the boss but if you don't finish the level you either have to start ALL over again at the beginning of the level or if your lucky at the boss. This may or may not be a good thing since you start with the life points at the level you entered with. No whole new life so if you're barely alive you might as well restart the level. The other problem I have with this game is that if you do get to the boss and have to leave to do errand or homework there's no saving AT the boss. You either have to keep the box on or start the level all over again. Changing dragon modes takes practice but my next gripe regards control response after trasforming to the desired dragon especially from Heavy wing to Glide Attack. There's a lag in that you can't glide for 3-4 seconds after tranforming and this has nothing to do with the regeneration bar. I've played video games sinces 1976. This game is way difficult and not recommended for little kids. You will get blisters on your fingers from firing and transforming. There are subtitles and the characters speak an unfamilar language. The movies can be skipped by pressing "start". There are lots of "Easter eggs" in the game. The real bad thing about this is it's replayability. I'm presently on Level 4 (Normal) and after all the levels are done I WON'T be playing this game any more. There's just no way I'lll take that trip again. It's like Boot Camp. You'll do it once and don't want to do it ever again!!!

If you like to shoots things, BUY PANZER

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: February 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Yea its short, but the real fun is playing it a million times just trying to get all the powerups and S rankings.

My favorite game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: May 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I just got my xbox today, and I bought this along with Halo and Ninja Gaiden.

Out of the three games, i find this one more enjoyable. It's just plain fun. In those other 2, it takes some time to get into, but this game jumps right into action.

It's also easy to get a hang of. You can play through the first level on you very first time holding the s-controller. It's just insanely fun.

The graphics also keep me happy. In the opening cutscene, I was going insane. It just looked so nice.

I love this game.
This game loves me.

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