What’s Panzer Dragoon: Remake all about?
Panzer Dragoon is an on-rail shooting game that was created by a famous Japanese artist named Yukio Futatsugi. It was first published in the year 1995 by the Sega game studio. It gained popularity worldwide. Panzer Dragoon is a series of seven successful games, namely Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon R-zone, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, Panzer Dragoon Mini, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Panzer Dragoon Remakes. The story in all the games of the series is the same, where the main character rides a dragon and fights against the evil king.
The original Panzer Dragoon was released on Sega Saturn, a gaming platform, but it was not as popular as the remake because not many people could access the games on the Sega Saturn platform. The first two games of the Panzer Dragoon series were remade, and while the second remake is to be released, we are here to talk about the first remake version, that is, Panzer Dragoon: Remake.
What makes Panzer Dragoon: Remake stand out?
Panzer Dragoon: Remake was released just recently on 26th March 2020 on Nintendo Switch after it was taken over by publisher Forever Entertainment and MegaPixel Studio as its developer. The game is available exclusively for Switch at the moment, but the PC version is also confirmed to come this winter. It is the enhanced version of the original Panzer Dragoon, with better graphics, functions, and controls that suit the modern-day gaming platforms.
A lot of details have been added to this remake as compared to the original. The story of this arcade game began with a history of lost civilization where humans struggle to live. The objective of Panzer Dragoon: Remake is to explore an ancient tower and fight against the evil forces of dragon king and to stop the Black Dragon from entering the legendary Black tower with the help of an armored blue dragon as your partner.
If you are new to this game, this oddly strange game with its unique setup and futuristic theme may take you a while to get used to it, but once you get the hang of it, you will start appreciating the game more for its incredible visuals and gameplay, and not forgetting the cinematic spectacle and the attention to little details. A unique feature from the original Panzer Dragoon that can also be seen in the remake is the ability to pivot your view through 90º at a time, as enemies come and attack you from all sides.
The Panzer Dragoon: Remake made a huge development from the beginning of the game till the end as compared to the original as it seems more real and stunning with incredible animation. This game is not only known for its graphics and gameplay but its audio effects as well. This stunning game is considered one of the best remakes of all time.
Features
The game features an amazing sound and graphic presentation, which is much better than the original game. Explore the fantastic alien-dominated world by riding a dragon, and pass through all the levels. Fight your way against gigantic species, such as dragonflies, wasps, flying battleships, and sandworms. Use your skills in combating them with the smooth controls of the game.
The original Panzer Dragoon had only one control stick, but this remake version has a dual-stick to control the dragon and the reticule separately. Another new and interesting feature added in this remake is the lock-on and shoot feature. Here, you can lock as many targets and shoot and kill them in one go.
This remake features a mesmerizing background score composed by Yoshitaka Azuma, which debuted with the original version 25 years ago. The game also features a unique cover art drawn by the famous French artist, Jean Giraud, popularly known as Moebius. And it is more than just the cover art; the game also portrays Moebius' distinct art style.
The backstory of Panzer Dragoon game
The Panzer Dragoon game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, with the people fighting for scarce resources and land. The Ancients, which is a name given to the hyper-advanced people before the apocalypse, and their technology used to prevail thousands of years before the Panzer Dragoon era, and they created monsters for different purposes. After the downfall of these Ancients, those monsters still survived, who turned out to become the main enemies in the Panzer Dragoon series. Some of the remains of their technologies helped in the development of weapons, machinery, and so on, and The Empire, a faction in Panzer Dragoon, also put those Ancients technologies to good use in order to dominate over the entire population.
Panzer Dragoon: Remake gameplay
The game opens with three hunters hurdling on a dragon-like camel across a deserted land where they part ways after chasing the gigantic creatures. The gameplay is simple yet powerful, where you can adjust and shoot the target or aim freely to kill the enemies. You will begin the game as Keil Fluge, the main hero, by entering a cave where you encounter the armored blue dragon who becomes your guidance and companion after the dragon’s rider dies.
It will normally take less than two hours for you to complete the game, but you can test your skills by upgrading your difficulty level. As you start the game, you’ll have a lifeline that you’ll need to maintain to stay alive; however, at the end of each episode, you’ll earn extra lives in the form of credits based on how you perform in that specific episode. These credits can help you continue from the level where you die. The lock-on feature can help you maintain your performance with a higher killing ratio that will earn you those extra credits.
Ride on the blue dragon on the ruins of the ancient city and get past the countless enemies coming from all directions by flaunting your fighting skills. Waves of enemies will come and attack you from all angles, so you should face all the directions and kill the enemies. Some enemies will fire at you from a distance while some of them will attack you head-on without any warning. When you are flying above the ocean, you’ll encounter gigantic dragonflies and wasps, and in the desert area, gigantic sandworms and lobsters await you. You will be equipped with two weapons, which are Keil's gun and your dragon's laser beam. You will have a radar that will allow you to detect any enemies lurking around within the perimeter of your radar range.
The game has six episodes varying across different places. The end of each episode shows a boss whom you will have to defeat in order to get past to the next episode. The first three episodes feature extremely intense scenes, but the game’s intensity declines for a short moment with the onset of the fourth episode, where you will see yourself floating across a breathtakingly beautiful green land after passing through a tunnel and defeating an enemy called The Guardian, a red dragon. The intensity suddenly builds up again once you cross the serene landscape. Once you reach the last episode, a white dragon will guide you to the gate, behind which lies the Black Dragon, the Evil Empire. The game will lead to a triumphant end after you defeat the Black Dragon.
At the end of each episode, you can check your performance through the statistics shown in a chart, such as how many you have killed, how many you have missed, and the accuracy of your shooting. The original Panzer Dragoon is known for the creativity because of the incredible designs and scenes, and the remake is no less but with more enhancement to the visual effects.
Get your hands on the Panzer Dragoon: Remake
Whether you are a fan of the Panzer Dragoon series or have never had the chance to experience it, irrespective of both, the visually appealing remake of the original will certainly make for an amazing experience with all the additional elements coming with it. The fact that the Panzer Dragoon series didn’t get the exposure it well-deserved makes it such an underrated game. But with the new remake, which is more accessible compared to the previous version, the game could soon rise to popularity. The Panzer Dragoon: Remake II is also set to release in the future.
Don’t miss out on your chance at availing the best hands-on experience with the thrilling gameplay, alongside spectacular graphics and smooth controls. Have a look at the official game trailer and decide for yourself whether this game will thrill you, whether it will be worth your time. Even if you are not sure after watching the video or having gone through the entire article, if you are a fan of fantasy games, then Panzer Dragoon: Remake is definitely worth playing. It may actually leave you surprised and satisfied.
