Panzer Dragoon  |  Panzer Dragoon Zwei  |  Panzer Dragoon Saga  |  Panzer Dragoon Orta

One of the key elements was the game's story, which was told with CG sequences and cutscenes that used the game's graphics engine. The most unique aspect of Panzer Dragoon's story is the fact that it effectively works on two levels. In the foreground, the game's story centers on a young man who is rescued by a dragon and subsequently adopted by it when its rider is killed. A psychic exchange between the rider and the boy as the rider dies provides the game's main focus, which involves keeping an ancient weapon from being reactivated. In the background, though, is the complex history of the world the game creates. The weapons, creatures, and locales in the game all reflect the influence of the war that nearly destroyed everything, and ultimately, the events in the game feel as though they are part of a larger tale and raise many questions that are never fully answered.

The enemies you face in Panzer Dragoon were unique and bizarre.

The extensive back story in the game was the result of the team's passion for their work, and it laid a rich foundation for future titles in the series. The team's passion for its first title ran deep and resulted in some unique developments. The game's planners actually created a distinctive language for the game to keep it rooted firmly in fantasy. In fact, many of the planners actually did the voice work for the characters in the game themselves. Iwade's own passion for the game found him wrapping up work on the game logo's design during a hospital stay. As work on Panzer Dragoon progressed, Andromeda's attention to detail was recognized by director Steven Spielberg, who approached the team shortly after the game's debut at E3 and let them know he was impressed by what he saw.

The graphics may look crude by today's standards but they marked the first wave of 3D games.

While the drive to ensure Panzer Dragoon was a creatively interesting game played a large part in the game's development, Andromeda was equally committed to providing solid gameplay. The end result of all the work was a promising start for the team. When Panzer Dragoon finally hit stores, it garnered attention as one of the best most unique-looking launch games available for the Saturn. The game features deceptively simple gameplay and seven levels spread out through its postapocalyptic world. As mentioned earlier, Panzer Dragoon is a rail shooter at its core, in the tradition of Space Harrier. You move through each of the levels on a track at varying speeds, firing at the enemies that cross your path. The game offered two weapon options: a rapid-fire blaster or homing lasers. The blaster is fired with quick button presses, while the lasers required you to hold down the fire button, run the onscreen targeting reticle over an enemy, and then release the button to fire. On an interesting side note, the homing lasers were added after the team decided the game needed to be more fun for players.

The environments in the game could be as hazardous as the enemies.

Dealing with the various enemies coming from every direction is made possible by an onscreen radar that monitors a 360-degree perimeter around your dragon. You're able to shift your view in 90-degree increments using the Saturn controller's shoulder buttons and target enemies coming from any direction. Although your path through the levels in the game is on a set track, you're given a bit of control over your dragon's positioning onscreen, and you can move up, down, left, or right as you move through the levels. The limited movement lets you dodge environmental obstacles in your path and incoming enemy fire. While it sounds fairly basic, the game throws enough at you from every direction to keep you on your toes. Your accuracy is tallied at the end of each level, and you're rewarded with continues if your percentage is high enough.

While Panzer Dragoon may not have been a massive commercial success, it can be considered an impressive achievement in game development and style. The game was one of the first wave of 3D games to make use of real-time cutscenes, and it set new standards for creating worlds within a game. At the same time, its refinement of the standard rail shooter concept displayed an appreciation for gameplay that can still be found today in games such as Ikaruga. But as impressive as Panzer was then, the game was just a taste of what the franchise would eventually offer. Check back next week for a look at the next installment in the Panzer series, Panzer Dragoon Zwei.