Panzer Dragoon Orta

"Call Webster and give him the new definition of Rail Shooter"

About a few months ago I was debating on whether to get an xbox or not. I told myself If I can name ten titles that I really want for it I'll do it. At the time I could only name 4, but a couple of weeks later I was reading a preview for Panzer Dragoon Orta. I then pointed to the picture and said out loud, ''That game is worth 6''. So like some of you out there I now own an Xbox thanks to this game. Now that I've played through would I do it all over again? The answer is Yes.

Panzer Dragoon Orta (Orta from herein) tells the story of a land ruled by a merciless empire who uses drones and dragonmares to wage war on those who oppose them. There only obstacle? A black horned dragon who is destined to destroy the empire. The game opens with a scene involving a young girl named Orta trapped in a prison. After a vicious attack on the city enemy dragonmares attempt to destroy her. However the horned black dragon comes to her rescue and takes Orta on an adventure to topple the empire and discover her past.

For those of you new to the series, Orta is a rail shooter. A rail shooter is a game where you are set in motion on a pre defined path while eliminating your opponents. Not only must you defeat your enemies, but also incoming enemy fire. Another example of a rail shooter would be Rez for the Playstation 2, also made by Sega. But there is a lot that puts Orta in a different league then Rez and other rail shooters. For example Combat takes place in a full 360 degree battlefield. The computer will not look behind for you, you must do it yourself. The rest can all be summed up in one word: Options.

Yes you don't get a whole lot of variety when playing most rail shooters. However Orta offers plenty. For example, the ability to morph into multiple dragon forms each with its own strengths and weakness'. Base Wing is the most common form you will use. It has the ability to lock onto to several targets and has limited use of the glide ability. More on glide later. Heavy Wing sports a stronger laser, but can lock onto fewer targets and has zero glide capabilities. Finally Glide Wing has very weak fire power, but makes greater use of Glide. Also target locking is made much easier with its expanded reticule. In addition to these forms they can also level up by collecting a ''gene base''. Collect enough of them and your dragon will get a face lift and will wield more firepower.

Besides basic laser and missile attacks 2 other unique dragon powers make their appearance. Glide is a cool ability that allows you to dodge and ram enemies. Its also useful for maneuvering around walls and other obstacles. It really bends the genre, because doing this makes you go off the rail for a short period of time. However it's a great addition as it will save your life plenty of times. Berserk is a special attack that can be preformed after your berserk gauge fills up. In order to fill up the gauge you must simply shoot enemies. Each dragon form has its unique berserk attack. Base Wing shoots several projectiles destroying everything within your field of vision. Heavy Wing shoots a powerful single laser that deals some serious damage. Glide Wing's is similar to Base Wing's, but it also does a glide attack and the projectiles have a lower area of effect.

Now after spending all this time on perfecting game play you would thing some other department had to suffer. Wrong! Graphics are phenomenal. Some of the best I have ever seen in a game. What I'm most impressed with is Episode 2 where you fly through the jungle river. The water effects and reflections are beautiful and the plant life seems photographic. Also the blurring effects when gliding are nice and smooth.

Until I got this game I was a big fan of Yasunori Mitsuda. His work in Chrono Cross and Xenogears as a composer was exceptional. Unfortunately he has taken a back seat to Saori Kobayashi, who did most of the music in Orta. It's soundtrack is the best I have ever heard in a video game with its melodic beats. The music definitely sets an ancient fantasy mood. Some of the tracks remind me of Shadow Hearts in how they sound very cultish. All in all the soundtrack of Orta reinforces the epic feel for the game.

So could a game filled with so much depth and hard work have any flaws? Yes one: it's too short. It's possible to beat the game in one sitting. But never fear, Orta sports an enormous extras section called Pandora's Box. And good luck unlocking everything. Some stuff requires exceptionally good scores to unlock. Although the reply value is high I would have a preferred a longer game. I think the story had much more potential to expand if only the game was a few hours longer. Although this is not a major flaw It does prevent it from receiving a perfect score.

Grade: A (9/10)

+Superior graphics
+Best. Soundtrack. EVAR!
+Redefines the rail shooter genre
+Tons of replay
-Main game is too short

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/10/03, Updated 02/10/03