Panzer Dragoon Orta

"Second only to Saga"

I have made no modest approach in trumpeting the Panzer Dragoon series as the greatest chain of video games ever made. I am not alone in this, as even the most shallow, single-system gamers advocate it with some degree of respect. And deservedly so. It is an ideal marriage of art and entertainment that more people have lied about playing than any other gaming series.

No one element of the Panzer Dragoon universe can be singled-out and claimed as its selling point (although the art direction certainly fights for this title). What began as a pair of shooters for the underdog SEGA Saturn ended in a trilogy as an RPG. While the two genres are polar opposites, the transition only proved that the idea of the series was so well-conceived, it could fit comfortably in any control scheme.

But, having confessed my original bias, does this then disqualify someone so adept with the series from reviewing the fourth installment, Panzer Dragoon Orta (PDO), fairly? From one perspective, yes it does. Anyone faithful to any one brand name tends to forcibly like the idea of it more than the actual product. Yet, from another (and more accurate) view, such loyalties create a certain standard, and those loyal will be the first to scrutinize any inconsistencies.

Couple this with the fact that series is being made entirely fresh--and not in just in terms of console. Team Andromeda, responsible for the first trilogy disbanded shortly after the release of PDS. Smilebit, responsible for the revered Jet Set Radio franchise and the unappreciated GUNVALKYRIE then took the task several years later to continue the legacy. And with PDO that have proven that they are a real developer and not just a two-game wonder.

Let’s break it down:

Graphics: 10/10

I admit, I became uneasy when PDO was announced. When games are passed between developers, and consoles, something is almost always lost in the transition. They either become too cute or too much of a gimmick, and with Smilebit’s tendency for cell-shading (they did pioneer it after all), I only dreaded how they might bastardize the series.

Fortunately... well, I need not finish this sentence. Look at it. Just look at it. By far the prettiest and visually-intense console game as of this writing, PDO’s tone has also grown more sophisticated. The setting is darker, and the morality is still as conflicting. No one in any of the stories has been merely evil (though they may look as such)--the “villains” have a kind of cold logic we’re even tempted to agree with.

Though, as it always has, character design is really where things truly shine. Orta is every bit as detailed and original as Azel--the only other heroine of the series and my favorite video game character of all time. The Drone, Abaad, makes for a worthy adversary, although he’s not so much bad as he is an ideological opposite. The Wormrider Mobo provides comic relief without resorting to slapstick. And the signature dragon even shows the wear and tear of age--especially within its eyes (look how much they emphasize its eyes throughout the story and then why the last line of dialogue is significant).

Sound: 9/10

Symphonic (Panzer Dragoon), synthesized (Panzer Dragoon II Zwei), symphonic (Panzer Dragoon Saga), synthesized (PDO). A pattern emerges. Every other game in the series discards its predecessor’s deeper, absorbing score and goes for monotone. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, as it still sounds great, it lacks that extra shade of emotion that the original and the RPG conveyed.

But thank you, oh thank you, Microsoft for not imposing an English translation (a la Shenmue II). The series retains its own, personalized language and can once again fully immerse the player into its world. Sound effects are also top notch--albeit nothing new. What really earns this category, however, is Anu Orta Veniya, the song during the credits. It is without a doubt the most sensational piece of music the series has ever produced--and that’s saying something.

Gameplay: 10/10

PDO is one of the last descendants of a dying breed: the pure shooter. Pure, as in that’s all you do. Ever. Whether firing in succession from Orta’s gun, or painting your opponents with the cursor to unleash your dragon’s “arrows of light”, there is nary a moment where you aren’t killing something.

While this sounds flat in explanation, the trick is finding a balance between the two. While shooting is consistent and can take down projectiles, it is surprisingly weak and inaccurate. And while the dragon’s homing lasers are powerful and a guaranteed hit, they take seconds to set up (which are very critical during the height of battle) and are limited in number per use.

None of this also takes into account that this is done from 360 degrees around your dragon’s axis, nor that your dragon’s three morphic forms each create a different tempo for both methods of attack, nor the rate at which you can increase or decrease your speed. PDO, like Panzer Dragoon and Zwei before it, proves that dexterous simplicity is much more challenging than shallow complexity.

Of course, there is much more to the game than its ten episodes (though only about six of them are complete, fleshed-out levels). The “bonus material”, including individual missions with various characters, and scenarios starring Iva, the Empire’s new recruit, add several more hours of enjoyment.

My one gripe about the gameplay is that is isn’t an RPG in the vein of Panzer Dragoon Saga. I know that this complaint it totally moot--thus I haven’t lowered the score. And I acknowledge that Smilebit wants a new generation of players to know where the series originated. Yet, I have been spoiled. Saga was simply the greatest game ever made and forever will be until it is dethroned by a next generation sequel of its own genre.

Story: 9/10

Given the small amount of time allotted for story within a shooter, PDO certainly makes the most of it. As a young captive named Orta, you have yet to experience the world outside your prison---that is, until an Imperial fleet of Dragonmares (artificially-created dragons) are sent to capture / kill you. You are rescued seconds before the great infinite by an armored dragon that seems to “understand” you.

That’s the basic premise. But beyond the beautifully-rendered cut scenes and the seemingly-omniscient narrator, what I am most grateful is its dedication to the previous installments. Most games that claim to be a follow-up are simply substituting the word for a retread of familiar ground.

Link is still saving Zelda from Gannon regardless of which game it is. And while the newcomer will be able to piece together the previous plots, they will miss countless references that the seasoned-player will enjoy (who Orta is and why will not have a fraction of the impact).

Replayability: 10/10

PDO, much like its shooting brethren, is played solely to be played. You may complete the main story within a day, but you are far from done with the game. This approach adheres to an old school (yes, I actually wrote “old school”) mentality when high scores mattered and the need to finish was not as important as the need to finish well.

The majority of the score, however, is due to Pandora’s Box. What was once an extra that allowed the gamer to cheat any-which-way their dishonest heart desired has now become an integral part of the game itself. Within it (literally within it as its seems to exist inside an intangible prism), you can learn about every finite detail concerning the history, technology, residents, factions, and animal population throughout the world.

This, along with the aforementioned missions, scenarios, and the original PD (for the new inductees as well as a “before and after” to showcase how far technological prowess has gone these last eight years), PDO will keep your attention long after its story has been told.

Conclusion: 10/10

Panzer Dragoon Orta is the finest shooter of the series. The ONLY fault found within it is the expressed need for an RPG follow-up. It contains the most perfect (and I write that without hesitation) world ever realized in the realm of video gaming, and it deserves more than just a tour guide along the predetermined rails of the genre.

You have your task, Smilebit, now get to it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/20/03, Updated 01/20/03