Game Review #491: Panzer Dragoon: Remake (Nintendo Switch)
Reviewer: Robert Krause
Developer: Megapixel Studio
Publisher: Forever Entertainment
Category: Action, Arcade
Release Date: 3.26.2020
Price: $24.99
Buy Panzer Dragoon Remake from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
Ace Combat Dragon
I remember when Panzer Dragoon originally came out in 1995 and wanting so badly to buy it. The idea of riding a dragon and shooting down airships was a 15-year-old’s dream. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to play the Sega Saturn classic until now, with its new Nintendo Switch release, Panzer Dragoon: Remake. The Remake comes with beautifully upgraded graphics and audio quality. What little story they show in the game has you playing a man who is chosen by a blue dragon to replace his dead rider and finish their war against a mainly robotic army and nemesis black dragon. If you're interested, there is lore from the original release available on the internet. You'll play through six chapters of gorgeous landscapes to interior tunnels, fighting off waves of enemies to reach each chapter’s boss, until the final showdown with a Super Dragon.
360 Degrees of Madness
The game provides two options for control, Classic and Modern, with the former letting you control the dragon and aiming your weapon with just the left stick, and the latter splitting it up between the two sticks on the Switch. I preferred the classic controls, as moving to dodge and aiming the reticle with a different stick had me flying off the screen most times, especially since you are constantly moving forward. You are basically using a plasma rifle from Halo with two fire modes; pressing the B-button will fire a normal shot, while holding the B-button down and moving the reticle over any enemies on the screen will fire locked-on rays. The normal shot is the only one that can shoot down enemy projectiles however, so you'll be frantically going back and forth from offense to defense. You also have to defend yourself in all 360 degrees using the L and R buttons to rotate the camera each direction. Chasing bosses on screen while they fly by you and trying to move your dragon out of their way can be pretty difficult in this 3-D space.
Oh Soooo Pretty
As one would expect from a Remake in 2020, the graphics of this game are gorgeous without even comparing them to the original. The dragon design reminds me of a Final Fantasy X drake that I always really liked. The outdoor levels are bright, and I found myself wanting to look around, ignoring the incoming fire. The game has a decent soundtrack that changes at the appropriate times during battle to emphasize the harder fights.
Wrap Up
After 25 years of waiting to play this game, I was not disappointed. It is pretty short, only about 2 hours long to finish—with me dying 3 times—but with the minimal story the game provides, I wouldn't want it to be very long. There are three difficulty modes for more challenging fights, but even on easy I felt that was good enough. I definitely would recommend it, even at full price, as it's a fun game to pick up and play for a chapter or two and try to improve your stats. I'll be picking up the Classic Edition from Limited Run Games that comes in the original Sega Saturn jewel case for my retro collection.
Score: 8/10
Buy Panzer Dragoon Remake from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
Follow Forever Entertainment
Website / Facebook / / Instagram / YouTube
*A game code was provided for review purposes.