User Rating: 9.1 | Panzer Dragoon Orta (Platinum Collection) XBOX
Back in the days of the Sega Saturn, Sega debuted one of its most critically acclaimed and stylistically inspired series, Panzer Dragoon. The game was an “on rails” 3D shooter, with the unique implementation of full 360° aiming. The Saturn subsequently bore witness to two sequels, Panzer Dragoon Zwei (a direct sequel that played just like the original while introducing new features and improvements) and Panzer Dragoon Saga (an RPG set in the PD world), but despite the irrefutably high quality inherent in each game, none of them sold particularly well (no doubt because of the Saturn’s ailing condition in the console wars), and it was long thought that the Panzer Dragoon series would end as a little known yet entirely beloved footnote in gaming history. Lo, Sega had different intentions, and here is Panzer Dragoon Orta, the latest entry in the little series that could, and perhaps its last chance of grabbing the attention (and dollars) of the mainstream audience. PDO is a return to the series on-rails shooter roots, and adds even more improvements and fine-tuning along with absolutely gorgeous graphics that take full advantage of the Xbox’s capabilities to make one of the best shooters of all time. If this game doesn’t break the series’ sales hex, it would be downright criminal. First things first: PDO is visually stunning, the most technically and stylistically gorgeous game the Xbox has yet witnessed. There are so many inventive and imaginative enemies, structures and environments on screen at any given moment that you actually have trouble absorbing it all in at once. The excellent cinematics and voice-over work only make the presentation that much more potent. The voice-work is particularly noteworthy, as it’s expertly done, which is quite impressive considering that no one in the game speaks English (everyone in the Panzer Dragoon universe speaks a strange, fictional dialect). The story isn’t half-bad either, at least as far as stories in shooters go. Everything in this game is completely consistent and cohesive, helping to create a very powerful and haunting context for all the action to take place in. If nothing else, Panzer Dragoon Orta will be remembered for its absolutely spectacular visuals and designs. With this extent of visual majesty, it almost comes as a secondary benefit that the gameplay is just as good. For a genre that’s more dependent on quick reflexes and twitch gameplay, there’s a surprisingly large amount of strategy in PDO, about as much as any shooter can have. Your dragon can switch between three “wings” at any time, each with particular strengths and weaknesses that affect the two standard attacks, homing lasers and rapid-fire shots. The “Base Wing” is the standard wing that gives you a balanced mix of rapid-fire shots and homing lasers. The “Heavy Wing” has the most powerful homing lasers, but you can’t lock onto as many enemies and it’s the least maneuverable dragon wing. The “Glide Wing,” as the name subtly implies, is the most maneuverable dragon wing, and when transformed to it, a large circle appears around the standard targeting reticule and any enemies (or more importantly, any oncoming missiles) within it are auto-targeted by Orta’s rapid-fire gun—which, by the way, becomes automatic in this wing, letting you fire non-stop by simply holding the A button. Of course, that means this wing gets no homing lasers at all. In addition to they’re particular strengths and weaknesses, each dragon wing can also fire a particular Berserk attack, provided that the corresponding gauge is full. And sure enough, each Berserk attack is also ideally suited for certain situations—the Base Wing’s attack sprays out a vast amount of lasers that can target a large amount of enemies, the Heavy Wing fires a huge, concentrated laser, and the Glide Wing’s attack siphons a small amount of energy from various targets and adds it to your health. You’ll soon discover that the key to success in this game is knowing which wing is best suited for each situation, and learning how to switch between them as quickly and efficiently as possible. For instance, the Heavy Wing is ideal for attacking bosses, since its homing lasers are the most powerful standard attack that you have, and its Berserk attack deals enormous damage. But if you’re being deluged by missiles? You’ll want to switch to your Glide Wing, as its automatic and auto-locking fire will make quick work of the oncoming arsenal before you take a single hit. On the subject of bosses, some of them offer yet another dimension of strategy in the form of positioning. Utilizing the Glide maneuver, which let’s you make a quick speed boost or slow down for a few seconds if your glide bar is at least half full (this is similar to the boost and break techniques of Starfox 64), you can position yourself at the rear, flank or front of some bosses, either to exploit a weakness or perhaps to dodge a particularly devastating attack. Situations where you’ll be firing at a boss while simultaneously changing your position and your dragon’s Wing while at the same time trying to avoid copious amounts of artillery are not uncommon in this game, and needless to say, it can be very hectic. This is not a game for the lethargic at heart. But for those who can handle the intensity, this marriage of strategy and reflexes makes for some immensely pleasurable and rewarded gameplay. Although the game appears to be short at first, don’t be fooled; there’s plenty to keep you occupied. The game itself is inherently difficult, even on the easiest setting, so you won’t blow through it right away. But what’s more, there’s so much hidden splendor in PDO that it’ll take weeks to unlock it all—this game has set the new standard for unlockable content. There’s an option in the main menu called Pandora’s Box, and inside you’ll find all kinds of secrets, from throwaways such as art galleries, movies and flight statistics to truly awesome extras like additional levels with different playable characters and even the entire original Panzer Dragoon itself! Of course, not everything is available to you right from the start; most of it has to be unlocked by completing various tasks in the main game, which can range from the simple (beating the game on any difficulty setting) to the complicated (beating certain levels with a certain rating, or only being hit a certain amount of times, etc.). Ultimately, however, it’s the fantastic gameplay that’ll keep you coming back for more. Like all great shooters, you’ll want to play through it again and again just for the experience alone, if not to better yourself and get higher ratings on all the levels. Indeed, this is an ideal game for perfectionist gamers. And even if you’re not a perfectionist, or even if you’re not a big fan of shooters, Panzer Dragoon Orta has so many good qualities that it’d be a shame to skip it entirely. Cutting edge visuals and presentation, incredible atmosphere, tight gameplay and plenty of hidden extras—what more could you ask for? This is a fantastic game, and one that every Xbox owner should have in their library.
