The second Panzer Dragoon game is starting to feel almost as shallow as the first, but its still worth a play.
The most impressive thing about Panzer Dragoon Zwei was probably its visuals, which is surprising when you consider how badly the first game has aged in this department. Upon playing this recently though I have discovered that time has treated Zwei a lot better than part one and like a game from another Sega franchise, Virtua Fighter 2, it can stand up well in the year 2005 despite having another two sequels follow on from it.
However good it looks though, in light of Panzer Dragoon Saga's RPG take on the series and the refined and deeper mechanics of the Xbox's Panzer Dragoon Orta, the gameplay here is starting to look a bit empty. The game puts you in the role of a Dragoon, a dragon riding soldier armed with a single weapon that can either fire a stream of bullets or a lock on laser depending on wether the fire button is tapped rapidly or held down and then released. The game plays very much in the same way as the first did with the exception of a new berserk meter where you shoot enemies to fill up the bar and once it is full simply hit the right button and watch your Dragoon guy... well go berserk with his laser really, this lasts about 15 seconds and is helpful throughout the game.
Not that you need help, Panzer Dragoon Zwei is a very easy game to complete, clocking in at around an hour your first time through with only the final boss creating any kind of difficulty. The game does encourage more than one play through with certain stages offering multiple routes and extra features that are unlocked once you meet certain requirements. But none of this is worth more than three or four treks through the game really so this still means that you can probably count the number of hours you will play this on one hand.
Panzer Dragoon and its sequels have something of a cult following among gamers and at a guess I would say a big reason for this is their great art style and atmospheric presentation. While it lasts Zwei is still an absorbing game and the graphics, orchestral score and genuine sense of wonder combine to help elevate it from being just an average shooter. It is not the greatest game around, nor is it even close but it does have its merits. While the later games in the series are the better place to start for newcomers, all Saturn owners should probably pick this up regardless.
The good stuff:-
Wonderfully atmospheric
Plenty to unlock
Stood the test of time well
The Bad Stuff:-
Gameplay bettered by later titles.
Very short
Very very easy