Gaming Panzer Dragoon Orta

[vegeta rocker]

i heard panzer dragoon will be coming out on x box. Have any of you heard about that, or have played the saturn game?
(first time in gaming forum, scared im kind of a retired gamer):nervous:

[Semjaza]

Yeah, the game is called Panzer Dragoon Orta. It's expected in November 2002.

[img]http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/Panzer_Dragoon_460a.jpg[/img]
[img]http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/Panzer_Dragoon_460b.jpg[/img]

It's a pretty game, but I don't know that I am interested as of yet. I like rail shooters, but I kind of got my fill after the last two Saturn games in the series.

Maybe someone else feels like writing more about it than I do :).

[Red]

[b]Orta is supposed to be far more linear than it's older incarnations, which could be bad or very good, we'll just have to wait and see.[/b]

[Ben Holiday]

That's pretty cool the original game had great gameplay.

[James]

[color=royalblue]Ever since the Sega Saturn, I've loved Panzer Dragoon.

I only ever owned Panzer Dragoon Zwei (II), but it would have to be one of my all-time favourite Saturn games.

Upon first playing it years ago, I was amazed at the visuals and the sheer "smoothness" of gameplay. Even on the Saturn, there was so much stuff on the screen...and unlike traditional top-down shooters in the arcades, Panzer Dragoon provided a sense of extra realism and depth by allowing the player to view behind, side-to-side and forward.

I will never forget some of the most intense battles in PDZ; battles that required sharp reflexes and quick thinking in order to survive. During the later levels, the game became significantly more difficult...though it was not a particularly long game by any measure.

My only real complaint with the game was that in some circumstances, control was very limited. Although, in the latest version of the game -- exclusive to Xbox -- Smilebit seems to be injecting a lot more real-time options (including branching paths and increased movement/control); but I'll get to that in a minute.

My only other complaint was that Panzer Dragoon Saga was never released here in Australia. By the time it came out overseas, Saturn was long dead on local shores.

Since PDZ, there really hasn't been a single sequel at all. I had really hoped to see one on Dreamcast...but alas, nothing happened.

Fast forward to E3 2002, where Smilebit unveils Panzer Dragoon Orta in all its glory. The game caught my interest at E3, but more recently, SEGA demonstrated a totally new build. And it is utterly breathtaking...[/color]

(Note: The shots were SO wide that I've used URLs instead of images.)

[b][i]Quote from IGNxbox:[/b][quote]
Panzer Dragoon Orta may be the best looking Xbox game put out this year. It's hard to believe that Panzer could look so much better than what was shown at E3, but after playing Smilebit's beautiful shooter I'm left amazed by the visuals. It seemed a given that Splinter Cell could be the prettiest game this fall, but Sega may very well steal that title from Ubi Soft's Metal Gear Solid 2 killer. [/i][/quote]

[url=http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/iwadex-image352.jpg]Fantastic Aerial Shot[/url]

[color=royalblue]It seems that PDO has undergone a pretty significant visual overhaul since E3. With the power of next generation hardware, Smilebit is able to really accurately represent the world of Panzer Dragoon. [/color]

[b][i]Quote from IGNxbox:[/b][quote]
Levels include the swamp, where you battle a giant worm that leaps from the murky depths to attack you. The level is filled with brilliant color and the water effects are some of the best I've ever seen. More stunning is a scene along a cliff side where you dash behind waterfalls while nailing a flurry of bright blue and red enemies. If the visuals in Panzer don't impress you, then you need to take your Xbox backs to your local retailer and tell them you're just not worthy of the 'Box. [/quote][/i]

[color=royalblue]What surprises me most, is that so far, few developers have been able to truly harness the Xbox's power; despite the machine being supposedly easy to develop for.

I've seen a lot of shoddy games on Xbox and it has always surprised me. I supposed I merely assumed that as time went on, more and more developers would begin to truly unlock the console's raw horsepower. Panzer Dragoon Orta is really one of the first games (in my opinion) to truly demonstrate what the Xbox can do when she stretches her legs.[/color]

[URL=http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/iwadex-image20.jpg]Amazing...[/URL]

[color=royalblue]I can't get over this image. How gorgeous is that? Just imagine flying under those branches and skimming over the cool water...[/color]

[URL=http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/iwadex-image28.jpg]Beautiful Blue Dragons in the Valley[/URL]

[b][i]Quote from IGN:[/b][quote]
Because I am such a whore for this game, I managed to sneak in a few more levels of the Panzer. The game isn't a fly-straight shooter though it is on rails. There are multiple branching paths and your flight won't just be on a horizontal plane. One level has you flying straight up in the sky at a sea of deadly sky barges. The level is jam-packed with enemies, including some ships with giant shields that rotate when you fire. Only by adjusting your speed quickly can you hope to get past their defvenses.

[/i][/quote]

[color=royalblue]This sounds especially interesting. I really hope that the game provides more freedom than previous versions.[/color]

[URL=http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/iwadex-image153.jpg]Going Crazy With the Laser[/URL]

[URL=http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/iwadex-image154.jpg]Escaping a Weird Creature[/URL]

[color=royalblue]There isn't much in the way of real specifics at the moment. But needless to say, I'm really looking forward to this game a great deal. For those of you who are able (I think it requires Insider...), click [url=http://mediaviewer.ign.com/ignMediaPage.jsp?media_id=1515867&object_id=16253&channel_id=73&page_title=Panzer+Dragoon+Orta&adtag=network%3Dign%26pagetype%3Darticle%26site%3Dxboxviewer&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fxbox.ign.com%2Fobjects%2F016%2F016253.html] here[/url] for the latest trailer of the game. Well worth the download. :)[/color]

[Semjaza]

I've noticed a lot of PDO shots are widescreen, which is a far different resolution from the normal Xbox captures we are all used to. I hope this means there is 16x9 resolution for this game, something I wish all games had. Would be nice on my new TV if it was true... too bad I'm exchanging it hehe.

There are some even better pics than that around. Most notable are the ones that show people riding the dragons. The whole game looks CG... I just hope it plays well. I (and I think many others) have been burned by supposedly great Xbox games that turn out to be utter crap (and even SEGA has been included in that so far, although mainly Crazy Taxi 3 comes to mind).

Smilebit seems to be really into Xbox. They also seem better at showing off it's power than most :).

As for Saga... It's not like anyone had an easy time getting it. PD Saga, House of the Dead and Shining Force 3 were all released in the US, but only 5,000 copies of each (I think... it was a really low number like that). I've NEVER seen House of the Dead around, not that it looked so hot on Saturn anyway. I got lucky and picked up Shining Force 3 for 50 used, which turned out to be a good game...although the challenge was raised a little too suddenly. Saga is impossible to find unless you like dishing out $150 for used games. Too bad the Japanese version is so damn easy to find lol (new even).

Saturn will always be a haven for 2D fighter imports for me... I buy little of anything else for it. Vampire Savior (otherwise known as Darkstalkers 3) on Saturn is godlike :D. The PSX version can't even begin to compare.

[Guest Renegade V2]

[COLOR=darkred][B]If you would have asked what Panzer Dragoon was before I read the 100 top games ever list in Game Informer I would have no clue. But since I read it, I ended up buying a Saturn just to play it. From what I got to play (My cousin broke it!!) it was pretty cool. It wasn't the most in depth rpg I have ever played but it's definatley a keeper. Maybe after the next X-Box price drop I'll get one. Who knows? A friend of mine has an X-Box though, and rest assure I will play this game.....eventually. :p[/B][/COLOR]