The Panzer Dragoon Remake is a good modern take on Panzer Dragoon, but the simplicity and lack of depth in its gameplay may make it difficult for new players to get invested in it when so many similar but more complex games exist. That said, the creativity of the world Panzer Dragoon presents is truly unique and worth experiencing.
Panzer Dragoon Remake
Developer: SEGA
Price: $25
Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
MonsterVine was supplied with a Switch code for review.
SEGA has quite a pantheon of fascinatingly unique franchises under its umbrella, many of which hold a great deal of nostalgia for those who played them upon release. Panzer Dragoon is one of these titles, as there are people across the net who swear by the series six days to Sunday. While I never played the original (I had a Genesis and Dreamcast, so I missed the Saturn,) being able to experience a remake of this beloved classic on the Nintendo Switch was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
I was immediately struck by how strange and creative the world of Panzer Dragoon is. There are English subtitles, but the voice work is all in the fictional language known as “Panzerese.” There isn’t much in the way of explanation, as Panzer Dragoon prefers to show you its world as though you’ve lived in it for ages. I quite liked this direction, as the world never really reveals its secrets, but it feels like a fantastical and lived-in world. It’s not a gripping plot, but the engrossing world makes up for it.
“It’s simple but fun to blast away visually captivating enemies, and the game’s short length mostly keeps it from getting old.“
If you’ve never heard of Panzer Dragoon, its gameplay is best compared to that of Star Fox. You play as the rider of the majestic Blue Dragon. You automatically progress through each stage while focusing on moving and shooting. You can look around the dragon from 360 degrees, so you have to be vigilant and check the radar in the corner to find any enemies waiting to attack you from any angle. It’s simple but fun to blast away visually captivating enemies, and the game’s short length mostly keeps it from getting old.
The gameplay can be a bit frustrating though, as there’s no dedicated dodge feature or move. You can only move so quickly across the screen, so you’ll often get hit by attacks while feeling an urge to roll or strafe despite being unable to. You also only have two attacks: the dragon’s homing lasers and the pilot’s gunshots. I found the dragon’s lasers to be far more useful in the long-run, which made all six stages feel fairly repetitive over time. The main gameplay really boils down to a simplistic routine of using two attacks and moving somewhat slowly– a stark contrast to the similar but more layered games that now exist in the genre.
Visually, Panzer Dragoon is quite stimulating. The cutscenes are a bit wonky when it comes to the human characters, but the dragon designs are fantastic, as are the levels and environments. The visual and auditory design is truly unique, and easy to get lost in.
The Final Word
The Panzer Dragoon Remake is a fun and quick way to experience a SEGA classic, if you’re okay with very simple gameplay and not much of a main plot. The world that the game builds and the visuals and sound design of the game is a delight, and the straightforward gameplay does have it’s moments. Just know that this isn’t Star Fox 64.
MonsterVine Review Score: 4 out of 5 – Good
