Panzer Dragoon
Encyclopedia
is a rail shooter video game released for the Sega Saturn
in 1995; and later released on PC
, PlayStation 2
, and as a bonus in its sequel Panzer Dragoon Orta
for Xbox
. The game follows the journey of Keil Fluge (unnamed in localized versions), a member of a hunting party who becomes the rider of a powerful blue dragon and joins it on its mission to stop a rival dragon from wreaking havoc on his world. Panzer Dragoon was one of the few games available at the Sega Saturn
's accelerated, surprise launch. It was followed by Panzer Dragoon II Zwei
, Panzer Dragoon Saga
, and Panzer Dragoon Orta
.
The game's name originates from its original concept designers referring to it as "armoured dragon", then feeling that this was too bland and deciding to transliterate it to German
. One of its major artistic influences was the comic book
series Arzach
by the French artist Moebius (Jean Giraud
), who even contributed to the creative process of the game with original artwork.
By the time of the game, humans have regained some level of organization, forming everything from small tribes to large nations. One nation, The Imperials, have discovered a tower that gave them access to large amounts of ancient weapons which they used to beat back and control the ever-present monsters in the world. The Imperials were corrupted by their power and became conquerors of other people as opposed to liberators from a violent world.
Time goes by...... Passing their existence in fear of the ever-present shadow of cyber-genetic warfare, the few remaining human beings struggle to regain the power that they have lost.'
With a desolate future, the people look to their past for a glint of hope. Excavations at an ancient tower have provided the people with a deadly arsenal, now turned upon their foes. This power has created strife amongst surrounding nations, all struggling against each other and the forces of the dark dragon.
The fate of the world rests on the wings of an armored blue dragon..."
The game opens at night, with a large, flying battleship approaching a floating tower where an announcement about the starting of an operation is heard over loud speakers.
The scene cuts to a group of three humans, riding bipedal horse-like creatures called Coolia, hunting in a canyon during the day. The protagonist, Keil Fluge (un-named in the American version), is among them. A similar ship as seen before flies overhead. They are given little time to question the ship's origin or allegiance as they are attacked by two crab-like creatures called Burrowers from under the dirt. Keil gives chase, killing one.
The second creature escapes into what appears to be a large, ancient complex built directly into the rock. Keil pauses, but ultimately continues inside. The complex is covered with dust and age, but relics of old technology still hang from the ceilings. The Burrower he had been chasing suddenly drops from the ceiling, ripped in two, followed by energy blasts. Keil is shocked to look up and see a gigantic creature falling from the ceiling towards him. He leaps from his mount just in time to evade the beast. He flees, only to come to a dead end. His weapon is useless against the armored creature, but a rumbling triggers a cave in, crushing the monster, and saving Keil.
From the newly-created hole, an armored, blue dragon flies down the cavern with a rider across its shoulders, being chased by an even bigger black dragon. Keil is unable to gather his senses before the blue dragon is seen rushing back up the cavern, followed by the shock wave of a large explosion. Regaining consciousness outside, Keil sees the two dragons locked in combat in the air before him. Dodging a blast from the black dragon, the blue dragon's rider does not see a single shot coming at him, which pierces his chest. The black dragon and rider fly away into the distance.
The blue dragon flies towards Keil. Upon landing, the rider, visibly wounded, extends a quivering hand towards Keil. Keil reaches out and a psychic connection is made. The rider tells Keil that the black dragon must not be allowed to reach the tower shown earlier in the game. With this, the rider's life force leaves his body and blows into the wind. Keil looks the dragon in the eye, picks up the rider's fallen gun, climbs atop the dragon and, leaving his old life behind, flies away, determined to finish the rider's quest.
The two fly through a drowned city, encountering mutated creatures who mistake them as a threat. After escaping the creatures in the initial area, Keil and the dragon encounter a small, Imperial patrol ship who was endangering the monsters in the area. The ship is quickly dispatched, but not before it was able to send a report to a large fleet of ships flying above the clouds. It is revealed that the imperial forces are specifically searching for the blue dragon.
Keil and the dragon travel great distances, they traverse through a desert, where they encounter mutant creatures and gigantic worm-like creatures called Baltors. At the stormy edge of the desert, they are soon confronted by the Black Dragon, which challenges them to a duel. The duo scare off the black dragon, and he speeds away. The two soon fly through a mountainous landscape, at nighttime, where they get reacquainted with the Imperial forces. It seems that they have set up an excavation site, looking for ancient ruins. While here, they also encounter a variety of both Imperial battleships, Imperial turret mechanisms, and even Imperial ground infantry units. They fight a two-parted Imperial aircraft.
Through these encounters, the ongoing conflict between the Imperial forces and the ancient machines and creatures is illustrated. Keil and the dragon traverse an ancient facility, while at the same time, being pursued by Imperial airships. The Imperials were not the only threat that the duo had to deal with; they soon encounter pure-type creatures, who are sentinels left behind by the ancients. Soon after they defeat a large armada of the most powerful Imperial ships over a forested area, the game cuts to the tower once more. It is announced that instructions from Unit 01 have been received, and the entire fleet is to mobilize.
A group of water-skimming pure-type creatures erupts from the surrounding ocean and fires on the flying ships circling the tower, destroying them. The projectiles looked very similar to the one used by the creatures at the ancient facility that was traversed before. A fleet of dragon-esque pure-type creatures are then shown to be attacking the Imperial forces. The chase reaches its zenith, here, as the black dragon and Keil race through the battle-scarred Imperial capital. During this, they are both waylaid by the creatures and machines seen attacking the Imperial fleet around the tower while also being fired on by Imperial defenses.
Completing the chase at the tower, the black dragon succeeds in entering the now-opened facility. An announcement over a loud speaker reveals that the black dragon was unit 01 and is under the control of the Imperial forces. The black dragon mutates into a gigantic super-dragon and begins a climactic battle with Keil and the blue dragon. Defeating the black dragon, its mutant form shatters and falls into the ocean, followed shortly by the dying black dragon and rider.
With the battles behind them, Keil and the dragon enter the tower. While traveling down a long corridor, the dragon looks up at Keil and surrounds him in a force field, lifting him from the saddle and suspending him in the hallway. Keil watches as the dragon continues on to the core of the tower. A blinding light is seen, illuminating the silhouette of the blue dragon, and the tower explodes. Keil wakes up some time later in a desert area by the ocean. Looking down, he sees the foot prints of the blue dragon around him, indicating that after the explosion, the dragon carried him to safety and flew away.
The player has a full, 360-degree field of view, and can quickly look left, right, forward, and behind the dragon. Enemies will come from all directions and vary in size and health.
The player has two weapons, the hand gun held by the rider which can fired with a single button press, and the homing laser fired by the dragon which is controlled by holding down the fire button and highlighting enemies with the aiming reticle.
The game is set out over six levels and a final boss battle. Bosses are encountered at the end of each level, with the exception of the sixth. Cut scenes illustrating plot details are placed before the beginnings of some levels.
listing 4 critical reviews averaging 9.1/10, with awards including Best Saturn Game of 1995 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
. Online game magazine 1Up.com
gave Panzer Dragoon a retroactive review of 8/10. They gave it a modern score of 6.0/10, highlighting the music as "one of the finest game soundtracks ever produced," but saying that the game itself "staggers a bit under the glaring light of a critical rereview.[sic]"
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
in 1995; and later released on PC
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and as a bonus in its sequel Panzer Dragoon Orta
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Panzer Dragoon Orta is a rail shooter video game published by Sega for the Xbox. The game was released in Japan in December 2002, the following month in the United States, and three months later in PAL territories. It is the fourth console game in the Panzer Dragoon series, after three such games...
for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The game follows the journey of Keil Fluge (unnamed in localized versions), a member of a hunting party who becomes the rider of a powerful blue dragon and joins it on its mission to stop a rival dragon from wreaking havoc on his world. Panzer Dragoon was one of the few games available at the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
's accelerated, surprise launch. It was followed by Panzer Dragoon II Zwei
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei is a rail shooter released exclusively for the Sega Saturn, it was the second Panzer Dragoon game released but it is a prequel of the series. It was developed by Team Andromeda, one of Sega's internal development studios.-Synopsis:...
, Panzer Dragoon Saga
Panzer Dragoon Saga
is a critically acclaimed role-playing video game released exclusively for the Sega Saturn in 1998. It was the third game released in the Panzer Dragoon series , and so far remains the only game in the series that is not a rail shooter...
, and Panzer Dragoon Orta
Panzer Dragoon Orta
Panzer Dragoon Orta is a rail shooter video game published by Sega for the Xbox. The game was released in Japan in December 2002, the following month in the United States, and three months later in PAL territories. It is the fourth console game in the Panzer Dragoon series, after three such games...
.
The game's name originates from its original concept designers referring to it as "armoured dragon", then feeling that this was too bland and deciding to transliterate it to German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. One of its major artistic influences was the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series Arzach
Arzach
Arzach is a comic book collection of four wordless short stories by artist/author Jean 'Moebius' Giraud, which were originally published in the French sci-fi/fantasy comics magazine Métal Hurlant. The stories follow Arzach, a silent warrior who rides a pterodactyl-like creature through a strange,...
by the French artist Moebius (Jean Giraud
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
), who even contributed to the creative process of the game with original artwork.
Synopsis
The game universe is set in the distant future, thousands of years after a great war between humans and their biologically engineered weapons.By the time of the game, humans have regained some level of organization, forming everything from small tribes to large nations. One nation, The Imperials, have discovered a tower that gave them access to large amounts of ancient weapons which they used to beat back and control the ever-present monsters in the world. The Imperials were corrupted by their power and became conquerors of other people as opposed to liberators from a violent world.
Plot
"Thousands of years have passed since a once thriving human civilization perished in the dust.Time goes by...... Passing their existence in fear of the ever-present shadow of cyber-genetic warfare, the few remaining human beings struggle to regain the power that they have lost.'
With a desolate future, the people look to their past for a glint of hope. Excavations at an ancient tower have provided the people with a deadly arsenal, now turned upon their foes. This power has created strife amongst surrounding nations, all struggling against each other and the forces of the dark dragon.
The fate of the world rests on the wings of an armored blue dragon..."
The game opens at night, with a large, flying battleship approaching a floating tower where an announcement about the starting of an operation is heard over loud speakers.
The scene cuts to a group of three humans, riding bipedal horse-like creatures called Coolia, hunting in a canyon during the day. The protagonist, Keil Fluge (un-named in the American version), is among them. A similar ship as seen before flies overhead. They are given little time to question the ship's origin or allegiance as they are attacked by two crab-like creatures called Burrowers from under the dirt. Keil gives chase, killing one.
The second creature escapes into what appears to be a large, ancient complex built directly into the rock. Keil pauses, but ultimately continues inside. The complex is covered with dust and age, but relics of old technology still hang from the ceilings. The Burrower he had been chasing suddenly drops from the ceiling, ripped in two, followed by energy blasts. Keil is shocked to look up and see a gigantic creature falling from the ceiling towards him. He leaps from his mount just in time to evade the beast. He flees, only to come to a dead end. His weapon is useless against the armored creature, but a rumbling triggers a cave in, crushing the monster, and saving Keil.
From the newly-created hole, an armored, blue dragon flies down the cavern with a rider across its shoulders, being chased by an even bigger black dragon. Keil is unable to gather his senses before the blue dragon is seen rushing back up the cavern, followed by the shock wave of a large explosion. Regaining consciousness outside, Keil sees the two dragons locked in combat in the air before him. Dodging a blast from the black dragon, the blue dragon's rider does not see a single shot coming at him, which pierces his chest. The black dragon and rider fly away into the distance.
The blue dragon flies towards Keil. Upon landing, the rider, visibly wounded, extends a quivering hand towards Keil. Keil reaches out and a psychic connection is made. The rider tells Keil that the black dragon must not be allowed to reach the tower shown earlier in the game. With this, the rider's life force leaves his body and blows into the wind. Keil looks the dragon in the eye, picks up the rider's fallen gun, climbs atop the dragon and, leaving his old life behind, flies away, determined to finish the rider's quest.
The two fly through a drowned city, encountering mutated creatures who mistake them as a threat. After escaping the creatures in the initial area, Keil and the dragon encounter a small, Imperial patrol ship who was endangering the monsters in the area. The ship is quickly dispatched, but not before it was able to send a report to a large fleet of ships flying above the clouds. It is revealed that the imperial forces are specifically searching for the blue dragon.
Keil and the dragon travel great distances, they traverse through a desert, where they encounter mutant creatures and gigantic worm-like creatures called Baltors. At the stormy edge of the desert, they are soon confronted by the Black Dragon, which challenges them to a duel. The duo scare off the black dragon, and he speeds away. The two soon fly through a mountainous landscape, at nighttime, where they get reacquainted with the Imperial forces. It seems that they have set up an excavation site, looking for ancient ruins. While here, they also encounter a variety of both Imperial battleships, Imperial turret mechanisms, and even Imperial ground infantry units. They fight a two-parted Imperial aircraft.
Through these encounters, the ongoing conflict between the Imperial forces and the ancient machines and creatures is illustrated. Keil and the dragon traverse an ancient facility, while at the same time, being pursued by Imperial airships. The Imperials were not the only threat that the duo had to deal with; they soon encounter pure-type creatures, who are sentinels left behind by the ancients. Soon after they defeat a large armada of the most powerful Imperial ships over a forested area, the game cuts to the tower once more. It is announced that instructions from Unit 01 have been received, and the entire fleet is to mobilize.
A group of water-skimming pure-type creatures erupts from the surrounding ocean and fires on the flying ships circling the tower, destroying them. The projectiles looked very similar to the one used by the creatures at the ancient facility that was traversed before. A fleet of dragon-esque pure-type creatures are then shown to be attacking the Imperial forces. The chase reaches its zenith, here, as the black dragon and Keil race through the battle-scarred Imperial capital. During this, they are both waylaid by the creatures and machines seen attacking the Imperial fleet around the tower while also being fired on by Imperial defenses.
Completing the chase at the tower, the black dragon succeeds in entering the now-opened facility. An announcement over a loud speaker reveals that the black dragon was unit 01 and is under the control of the Imperial forces. The black dragon mutates into a gigantic super-dragon and begins a climactic battle with Keil and the blue dragon. Defeating the black dragon, its mutant form shatters and falls into the ocean, followed shortly by the dying black dragon and rider.
With the battles behind them, Keil and the dragon enter the tower. While traveling down a long corridor, the dragon looks up at Keil and surrounds him in a force field, lifting him from the saddle and suspending him in the hallway. Keil watches as the dragon continues on to the core of the tower. A blinding light is seen, illuminating the silhouette of the blue dragon, and the tower explodes. Keil wakes up some time later in a desert area by the ocean. Looking down, he sees the foot prints of the blue dragon around him, indicating that after the explosion, the dragon carried him to safety and flew away.
Gameplay
The player is set along a rail of gameplay with the game moving forward at a predetermined pace. The only time the game pauses, thus giving the player control over how long the game lasts, is during boss battles. The player has a small degree of control, being allowed to move about the x and y-axis, but the overall direction of travel is uncontrollable.The player has a full, 360-degree field of view, and can quickly look left, right, forward, and behind the dragon. Enemies will come from all directions and vary in size and health.
The player has two weapons, the hand gun held by the rider which can fired with a single button press, and the homing laser fired by the dragon which is controlled by holding down the fire button and highlighting enemies with the aiming reticle.
The game is set out over six levels and a final boss battle. Bosses are encountered at the end of each level, with the exception of the sixth. Cut scenes illustrating plot details are placed before the beginnings of some levels.
Reception
Reviews for Panzer Dragoon were positive, with GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
listing 4 critical reviews averaging 9.1/10, with awards including Best Saturn Game of 1995 by Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
. Online game magazine 1Up.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
gave Panzer Dragoon a retroactive review of 8/10. They gave it a modern score of 6.0/10, highlighting the music as "one of the finest game soundtracks ever produced," but saying that the game itself "staggers a bit under the glaring light of a critical rereview.[sic]"