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Brilliance on a rail.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A rare, artistic masterpiece- one of the greatest shooters ever, and the greatest looking game on any console.

Granted, some people don't really get ORTA- for such a seemingly simple game, the sheer variety of gameplay elements can be intimidating: any given moment, you will be controlling multiple weapons, multiple paths, speed bursts, speed banks, spinning camera, multiple dragon forms, hidden weak spots, special attacks, power-ups... it could get overwhelming if you don't approach the game with the knowledge that you may have a hard time at first, but will absolutely get better and better everytime you play.

The game is fast, absorbing, and absolutely gorgeous- wildly imaginative worlds speed by with constant shading, particle and texturing effects as you fill the screen with lasers and explosions... and the game engine never even stutters.

Panzer Dragoon ORTA deserves all the hype- there is no other game like this, anywhere.

Best Rail Shooter of all time.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is a multi-blend of a good game and a score keeper. The scoring system is awesome, 12 unlockable Sub-Scenarios and a really hard main game. The graphics are flawless and would make a person drool. This game will keep you busy for 4 weeks minimum. Although there are better games this one s a winner.

An amazing game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is an absolutely stunning game that any Xbox owner NEEDS to buy. This game plays better than Halo and Splinter Cell. And looks absolutely amazing! I have finished the game, but thanks to all the extra missions you can play through, the playtime is doubled. Buy this game now!

Another XBOX Must Have

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Panzer Dragoon is a game of great depth, incredible action, superb graphics and amazing sound. Why is Panzer Dragoon worthy of your purchase? Let's go over each of the areas above.

Panzer Dragoon gives you a choice of three dragon forms each with its own strengths and weaknesses. You will have to switch forms several times per level. Learning when to use each dragon becames crucial. Also important is learning when to use their limited Bezerk attacks. These attacks, which cause major damage, are best used in certain situations. You will want to explore when to use them. Because the action is so intense you'll be tempted to use them as soon as you can, but it's often better to restrain yourself : ) Lastly, even though the concept of flying around in a pre-dertermined path may not appear extremely exciting, the urge to continually improve your performance becomes addictive. It's the same feeling you get when you beat a fighting game but continue playing to master the character.

The action in Panzer Dragoon is non-stop. You are constantly bombarded with enemy bullets, acid spheres and countless other flying objects. Because the game is so intense and so much concentration is required, it's the best thing I've discovered to help me take my mind of work when I get home. It draws you in and when you're done you're ready to go on about your day. The easy difficulty level is not to terribly tough to beat; it will however take you a couple hours. But don't fret, once you're done you will want to move onto the higher difficulties. Those will test your abilities but won't feel cheap. The game gives you the tools and you need to find a way to use them. Even as I replay levels time and time again I never get frustrated.

Panzer Dragoon has the best graphics on XBOX, even better than those on Splinter Cell. While it's true that they are very different looking games, there were many instances where I paused the game and just stared at the screen. This is truly a work of art. The best part is that each level looks completly different so the look never gets stale. Best of all the framerate stays smooth even when the whole screen is full of enemies.

Panzer Dragoon has always been known for its revolutionary sounds and visuals; the sound on this game, particularly in 5.1, is breathtaking. The orchestral score is great and you can really hear the sound effects all around you. Level 4, the Gigantic Fleet level, should be used in how to properly incorporate sound into a game. I truly makes you feel like you are participating in a great battle in the sky. The only bad part about this is that I often find myself humming the tunes and unable to get them out of my head.

There are many other great features in Panzer Dragoon, such as Pandoras Box, a tutorial guide, which reveals how deep this game really is, and a flight log that keeps track of your performance and keeps you trying to better yourself.

As for negatives, some of the boss battles in the higher difficulty levels get a bit tiresome. You know how to defeat the boss, but you have to fight it a long time because of its abundance of health. If they could have made the battles a little shorter that would have been great.

Every XBOX owner needs Panzer Dragoon. Classic gameplay, non-stop action, great graphics and sound, and more replay value than you can "shake a stick at". This game is truly a work of art and a labor of love on the side of the developers.

ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY ADVENTURES ON THE XBOX YOU NEVER PLAYED 9.5 OUT OF 10

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I really don't understand why Sega only really ever does re-releases for Genesis titles, yet completely ignores the plethora of classic Saturn and Dreamcast titles which are waiting patiently to be resurrected. The Panzer Dragoon series was born on the Saturn, and did not resurface again until Orta was released on the Xbox, where the franchise, along with many others would die. This game did not sell very well, mostly over the fact it was hardcore, and did not reach out to a broader Xbox audience. And let's be honest, this game is bust-your-balls hard.
WHAT THE GAME IS: The follow-up to the classic Saturn franchise comes to life on the Xbox as a gorgeous on-rails shooter (Think Starfox, if you don't know what I mean by that term), with an amazing fantasy backdrop that no Xbox game can compare to. You play as a girl named Orta who was kept imprisoned because she is basically a war machine that the empire is trying to capture. When the village she is imprisoned at is attacked, a mysterious dragon rescues her, and from then on it serves as your form of transportation and your war machine. So you fly to different locations and try to discover the secrets of your past.
GRAPHICS: Old, and dated, but they really milk Xbox for all its got with its vast environments, plethora of enemies on-screen, many explosions, and more. It was real eye-candy when it released those six years ago.
MUSIC: It fits, and it's nice, but I expected a little more from a fantasy title.
SOUND: Explosions, decent voice-acting, even with the made-up language in the game. That's right, the game has its own language.
GAMEPLAY: The game is very difficult, do not make the mistake I did and put it even on normal because there are ten missions in the game and they're pretty damn hard (Hope you played a lot of Starfox at least). The controls work great, and are what you'd probably expect. It can be a little difficult to avoid obstacles sometimes, but the bosses are the things you want to worry about. Also worth mentioning, if you play up to five hours or beat the game you unlock the original Panzer Dragoon game because there is a crapload of stuff to unlock.
OVERALL: An amazing game that you never played, shame on you. But maybe it was because of the punishing difficulty and unfair save system (be warned) or perhaps you owned a PS2 instead of an Xbox and this game is an Xbox exclusive.
THE GOOD: An amazing on-rails shooter set in a wonderful fantasy backdrop, good controls, challenging gameplay, decent graphics.
THE BAD: Punishing difficulty, unfair save system (WHY?!).
PANZER DRAGOON (SATURN, PC, ARCADE) SCORE: 9 OUT OF 10
One nice feature hidden in Panzer Dragoon Orta is you can unlock the original classic if you beat the game or have five hours of recorded gameplay data. The original game is quite beautiful and mesmerizing and I was amazed by it.
WHAT THE GAME IS: A space shooter similar to Starfox, though not quite as good. A mysterious blue armored dragon is being chased by another dragon, and when the rider is shot, he flies down towards a guy who was just so happened to witness what happened and gives him the duty to ride the dragon to a specific location before he dies in front of you. So you ride the dragon, shoot things, and accomplish you goals.
GRAPHICS: This game came from an old 32-bit system and relatively looks bad, even compared to the original Playstation which was also a 32-bit system. But when I played the game my eyes lit up and I loved the graphics and environments no matter how ugly they were. Cutscene graphics were impressive however.
MUSIC: Feels a little cheesy, and out of place, but relatively good.
SOUNDS: Shooting, explosions, characters speaking the bizarre language featured in the game.
GAMEPLAY: Playing this port of the game, the controls are a little confusing and difficult at first but easy most of the time. This game is surprisingly easy in comparison to Panzer Dragoon Orta and I was able to defeat bosses pretty quickly.
OVERALL: Impressive, even by today's standards. Now I definitely want a Saturn, but the question is; Do I buy the Saturn or the PS2 first? Saturn for the Panzer Dragoon games? Or do I buy the PS2 for RPG Maker and Resident Evil 4? Someone help me decide.
THE GOOD: Good shooting gameplay, and it still feels like a classic.
THE BAD: Ugly graphics, confusing controls.

the best game on the xbox

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: June 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

panzer dragon orta was by far one of the most gorgeous video games i have ever played an my life the graphics are ahead of its time gameplay is perfect stoyline good the ony thing i heated was the subtitles and the difficulty of the game if you loved the sega saturn verison you will loved the xbox verison

Buy This Game for the Graphics Alone!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: January 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Screen shots alone do not do this game's graphics justice. I've NEVER seen graphics like this on any computer screen. Even Myst pales in comparison. It's simply amazing. That said, the game itself is impressive overall, but it's very difficult. If you think you'll finish this game in a weekend, you won't. This is not a game to rent--if you do, you'll waste your money. The Boss battles require an enormous amount of talent and patience to get through. I've been playing for about 12 hours on "easy" mode and I'm only half way through.

2 minor gripes: 1. The game is voiced over in Japanese and subtitled in English. I apologize for being a bit culturally insensitive here, but I'd like to have seen the game dubbed over in English--It's difficult for me to suspend my belief to the point that I believe I'm a Japanese warrior. I know it would have added cost to Sega, but it would have provided a much more satisfying game experience with English.

2. The second MINOR complaint I have is that, while the cut-scenes are the most beautiful part of the game, you can't cycle through them. Some are quite long and when you get killed, you are forced to sit through them until you get back to where you left off.

I suspect that Panzer Dragoon Orta will keep me entertained until Halo 2 comes out late this year. There are dozens upon dozens of minigames, missions, and extras that will keep me going, even if I do finish the game in the next 3 months.

Even if you buy this game and for some reason don't like it, leave it on your X-Box to play as a "screen saver" so that your friends can be mezmorized by the graphics. But please please please buy this game. Did I say that these graphics are amazing??

Overrated

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: January 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I had high hopes for "Panzer Dragoon: Orta." I mean, Gamespot had nothing but favorable things to say on the title's behalf, and I generally agree with their assessments. Yes, "Orta" offers a horde of extras. Yes, "Orta" has some inspiring visuals and a fairly interesting sci-fantasy setting. However, it's still just a "rail shooter," which is to say that you have little direct control over your dragon. You fly in predetermined directions, sometimes dodging certain hazards, all the while shooting at enemies that attack you in droves. This style of gameplay is antiquated, no matter how you look at it - though if you enjoyed previous enties in the series, I can understand how you might support the decisions made by the developers. Still, I myself was expecting more, especially given some of the early praise this game has snagged, and I feel that much of it is undue. Fly and shoot, fly and shoot, fly and shoot... it gets old, fast. However, if you enjoy this kind of thing, it's probably as good as it gets, and you'll be on cloud nine. Series vets will surely appreciate it. But even with all those extras (which include full versions of some of the earlier "Dragoon" games), it all feels overpriced just now.

Totally Breathtaking

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 9
Date: November 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I played the demo in the xbox official magazine. This game is truly AMAZING! The graphics are phenomenal and the gameplay is awsome. The coolest thing is that you can lock on to mulitple targets and destroy them with your DRAGON! If you played the first one's for the SEGA SATURN or are just looking for a good reason to buy an XBOX! This is it. If you haven't played the games you'll love it anyway.

ONE of the best game to date!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: November 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

In one word WOW! I played the Demo of it on a Xbox Demo Dice#13 an it RULES!
the Demo is short but full. I would Describe this game as a Easy to learn hard to Master and beat.
Its a shooter no-doubt but it has Epic story elements that give it a Role playing game feel that some RPGs don't even have!
The worlds that will be seen are Super Hugh truly Epic.
I usually don't pre-order any thing but this is a must have.

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