Panzer Dragoon: Remake

Panzer Dragoon: Remake restores a cult classic on-rails shooter, flaws and all.

A cult classic gets a fittingly strange remake whose patchiness can't obscure the original's brilliance.

Releasing the original Panzer Dragoon as a standalone remake is a bold move to begin with. A dual-pack of both remakes could have made a bigger splash, but while we wait for Zwei's re-release to materialize, this is what we've got. Approach it with caution and an open mind.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a decent take on an all-time classic that goes some way to modernising it, but doesn't quite nail the landing. Awkward controls and a visual style that's a clear improvement but could still look much better result in a game that's mainly for fans of the original who are curious to see how it would look with a new lick of paint.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is an altogether solid package. Even if you don't fancy yourself a fan of 3D rail-shooters, I highly recommend checking this game out. You can frequently purchase it at a deeply discounted price, which is ideal with its incredibly brief runtime. The music, gameplay and art come together to create a wonderful, unique game that you'll be thinking about for hours (or days, if you're like me) after you complete the game. I can't wait to play the rest of the games in this franchise.

Panzer Dragoon Remake is a good representation of that original vision, while not really upgrading it for the modern era to any degree.

I had to be careful when I reviewed this to ensure I wasn’t biased as I love the franchise. What I found was an enjoyable, nostalgia filled game, but it wasn’t perfect by any stretch. The graphics look great, yet the developers ripped out a part of its soul when they took away the shadows and reflections. The audio is fantastic, and the controls make this arcade game easy to play. Do I recommend that you play this? Yes! If you have played the original, then you will undoubtedly love it. If you are new to the franchise, then you will enjoy a fast-paced shooter that will transport you to one of the best 90s titles. Though it doesn’t keep all the heart and soul of the original, its new polished look does a darn good job at allowing new gamers to experience a classic Sega title.

Panzer Dragoon Remake is definitely an interesting and fun on-rail shooter. The game looks and plays great but, unfortunately, given the game’s length, lack of gameplay depths, it’s difficult to recommend this game, especially with a $25(USD) price tag. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of the Panzer Dragoon series or looking for a vastly different shump, I’d recommend waiting for a sale on this one.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is undeniably very faithful to the original SEGA Saturn game and, therefore, an appeal to nostalgia. However, it is so faithful that at times it seems limited to a restricted and confusing gameplay. If the audiovisual received a decent and adequate update, there was a lack of boldness in bringing the game to the present day in other areas.

A perfectly serviceable remaster, Panzer Dragoon: Remake still feels like a missed opportunity to reinvigorate a franchise that deserves it. Would love to see what MegaPixel Studio could do with one of the sequels and a little more creative freedom, but this feels a little too difficult to recommend at the price.