Panzer Dragoon: Remake: On scaly wings

Graphically, Panzer Dragoon was one of the highlights of the game world in 1995. The action title impressively showed what Sega's new 32-bit Saturn machine was technically capable of. But in terms of play, balling was a rather limited affair even then …

Railshooters are a world of their own. The path through the levels is strictly specified and is followed automatically. All you have to do is aim, fire and evade, everything else happens by itself. The lightgun shooters, which are particularly popular in the arcades, were based on this principle, but some shoot'em ups also trusted it. Well-known representatives are the Virtua Cop plastic pistol shooting and the audiovisual crazy Rez, but Panzer Dragoon also deserves its place among the best titles of the genre.

Dragon on autopilot

The mighty dragon flew independently through the game worlds. The pangolin knew the route by heart, only when dodging enemy projectiles did the player have a little freedom of movement. During the flight show, enemies appeared from all directions, which the warrior had to take care of on the back of the dragon with aiming laser bullets or manual continuous fire. That quickly turned out to be a learning process. Panzer Dragoon was staged in impressive 3D polygon graphics, but very simple mechanisms worked in the background.

The dynamic process was only pretended, because it was actually determined exactly when an enemy would appear, shoot at the player and disappear again. Only those who knew when and from which direction individual opponents or entire formations could pan the camera in time at the push of a button, catch the enemies and show proper shooting statistics at the end of the area. She not only cared for her own ego. Rather, it earned credits that were sorely needed. Until the dragon ride went smoothly, some screen lives went down the drain.

The strict corset and the associated playful restrictions left the developer team Andromeda plenty of room for an audiovisually bombastic staging. Panzer Dragoon showed off great 3D graphics, brisk tracking shots, huge bosses and a finely orchestrated soundtrack. The presentation was clearly the focus, and that was important. The title was one of the few games that were even available around the launch of the Sega Saturn. In a direct duel with Sony's PlayStation, it was important to properly demonstrate the technical qualities of Sega's new game console – and the dragon definitely did it!

A quarter of a century later …

… the circumstances are completely different. Panzer Dragoon is still a household name, but there is no doubt that neither the debut nor its successors are among the games that half the world of games has required to be reissued. The fact that there is a remake is above all a nice gesture for lovers of the classic. For the time being, only the switch version is available for just under 25 euros. In the course of the year, the title should still appear for the PC and Google Stadia.

The graphic revision was comprehensive because the remake shows the worlds with significantly more details and colors. Where once isolated bridges and stones protruded from the water, today the armored kite flies past overgrown islands and ancient ruins. The enemies also look fancier than ever. However, to impress graphically similarly as 25 years ago, the budget for the remake should have been significantly higher: Panzer Dragoon Remake is just delivering technical mediocrity on the Switch.

Panzer Dragoon Remake – Launch Trailer

Panzer Dragoon Remake is now available for the Nintendo Switch. The new edition of the classic Sega-Saturn is presented in the launch trailer.

Apart from that, the concessions to the current zeitgeist are limited. There are save points after each level, two control options and an adjustable crosshair sensitivity. In addition, unlike the original, all stages including the end boss can also be played in Easy mode. Otherwise, the remake runs practically the same as the former exclusive Saturn title. Everyone who knows Panzer Dragoon well is offered the full package of nostalgia. From the cutscenes to the flight routes to the opponents, the original can be more than clearly recognized.

Panzer Dragoon Remake has nothing in common with the major revisions of legendary games like Resident Evil 2 or Final Fantasy VII. Instead of replacing old mechanics with modern ones, sometimes unfavorable perspectives, projectiles coming from the blind spot and slow 90-degree panning of the camera are simply retained. This is not about preparing a classic for a new generation of players. Rather, MegaPixel Studio seems primarily concerned with offering fans an alternative to the original on Saturn or the implementation for the first Xbox.