Panzer Dragoon Orta
MSRP: $49.99
Number of Players: 1
Developer: Smilebit
Publisher: Sega of America
Reviewer: Chris Bolts
I remember reading in
"Opening the Xbox," that the creator of Xbox and now former
Microsoft executive, Seamus Blackley, said that "Game is Art." I had a hard time believing this because most of Xbox's games are anything but art. However, there is one game that is more artistic, stylish, and poignant than most games that are out on the market across all the platforms, and surprisingly it isn't
Halo. No, the game I am referring to is Panzer Dragoon
Orta.
Panzer Dragoon Orta. Even the name sounds artistic. When Panzer Dragoon Orta was announced, I recall reading topics across different forums that wanted to know what an Orta is or was. Some thought it was a world, others thought it was the dragon's name, others, such as myself, just thought it was a name that
Sega decided to tack onto the Panzer Dragoon name just to make it seem different from the other
Panzer Dragoon names. Little did we know that Orta was the name of the game's heroine, a lonely drone who is rescued by a majestic dragon and together they
wage war against an evil Empire who seeks to enslave mankind through the use of ancient yet powerful weaponry and technology.
What makes Panzer Dragoon Orta such a wonderful shooter is that it tries to do something different. Not many shooters are known for
their story, graphics, and music. For Panzer Dragoon Orta, these are its
raison d'être. The story of Panzer Dragoon Orta may be considerably weak for some that are used to playing complex role-playing and adventure games, but for a shooter, it is the utmost aspect that will consistently set it above any other shooter in the past, present, and perhaps the future.
In the
opening cinema, the story opens with the Empire releasing five bio-engineered creatures called dragonmares upon an unsuspecting city. The dragonmares and their Imperial riders wreak havoc and terror upon the city, killing innocents and destroying everything in their wake. Speaking in an unusual language created specifically for the
Panzer Dragoon series, the dragonmares and their riders make their way to a crumbling cell, where the game's heroine, Orta, is being held captive. From her prison cell she sees them descending upon her, until one bursts through the wall, followed by another. As they prepare to fire upon the defenseless girl, all seems hopeless until from the blackened sky, a dragon appears and saves her from uncertain death. As they fly away, the dragonmares give pursuit through the semi-obliterated city. After this scene, the game unfolds, and its story is told through an awesome array of cinemas and in-game cut scenes.
The graphics of Panzer Dragoon Orta are utterly mind-blowing. As I flew through the ten episodes of
the game, I felt as if I was a part of the world. When Orta is escaping from the hellish Empire after being rescued by the dragon, I developed a sense of urgency to escape from the doomed city, as there is nothing left that can be done for them there. In the next episode, a calm and peaceful river hides mysterious and unknown dangers
from Orta and her companion. Yet in another episode, after being shot down by the Empire, Orta and her injured dragon are stranded in a snowy mountainside, fighting against the elements and creatures
in an attempt to stay alive to continue the fight against an evil entity.
When I think of the music of
Panzer Dragoon Orta, I think of Robert Zemeckis and his "Back to the Future" series. When "Back to the Future" was first released, he had said that he wanted the music to be grand because to make the movie seem bigger than what it was, and the end result was successful. Smilebit and
Panzer Dragoon Orta have achieved the same goal. Smilebit has recorded an aural assault of pleasure that is sure to be engrained in the minds of players for days on end. Each score evokes a different type of emotion and
further envelops the player into the game, bringing out the lavishness and mystique of the
Panzer Dragoon Orta world.
Panzer Dragoon Orta excels in every way imaginable when it comes to control and gameplay. Controls are easy to master, and it is necessary to master them because the game can be demanding when enemies attack from all sides. A is used to shoot, X is used to speed up, B is used to speed down, and Y is used to dragon morph (more on this later). The black button allows the dragon to perform a Berserk Attack, where the dragon releases a flurry of lasers and makes Orta temporarily invincible. By pressing the L and R triggers, the camera can be rotated in the direction that oncoming enemies are approaching from so defensive and offensive measures can be made accordingly. While the camera can be erratic sometimes, just a little adjustment from the left thumbstick will usually rectify the situation.
Panzer Dragoon Orta introduces a useful technique for the dragon called morphing. The dragon is able to morph into three different types of dragons, each with its own capabilities. The base wing is the normal state of the dragon and has balanced offensive and defensive capabilities and normal maneuverability. The heavy wing has high offensive and defensive capabilities, but has low speed and lacks the ability to dash or slow down. The last form, the glide wing, has low offensive and defensive capabilities, but is highly maneuverable and has the ability to speed up and slow down quicker than the other two forms. Throughout the game, by capturing little shiny objects called Gene Bases, each form of the dragon can be upgraded five levels for optimum offense and defense capabilities. While the base form does not change, the heavy and glide wing forms will change each time they reach a new level. Mastering the morphing technique is critical; in order to excel in
Panzer Dragoon Orta, it is imperative to make good use of each of the dragon's morph forms and techniques.
Also included in the game is a feature called "Pandora's Box". By reaching certain requirements in the game, features are opened in this subsection that further delve into the world of
Panzer Dragoon Orta. It has an encyclopedia section to get information about the
Panzer Dragoon world and its inhabitants. The Flight Records section allows players to view personal records and game results.
Those who have beat the game will probably want to try the Box Game section which allows players to customize the game. And in the
Appendix section, players can view films and artwork of Panzer Dragoon
Orta, as well as play the full game of Panzer Dragoon, the
first game in the Panzer Dragoon series.
Although Panzer Dragoon Orta excels in more ways than one, there are a couple of issues that are apparent in the game. The first is that the game is
very short. It will take about seven hours for seasoned players to beat the game. Some will probably play it on all difficulties (the game is defaulted to normal, but there is an easy and hard mode), but the enemy AI is essentially the same on all levels, which means that once a behavior is seen, it can be easily avoided and countered accordingly. If the game is beat on hard, the player is treated to a different ending, but it isn't that much different from the ending on normal.
The other problem is the Sub-Scenarios. The Sub-Scenarios are extensions of the game for those who want to further experience the
Panzer Dragoon Orta world. While some may appreciate the sub-scenarios and find them entertaining, I found them to be a little on the rushed side and thrown in because Smilebit anticipated that the game could be beaten in a matter of hours. In fact, none of them really contribute to the main game at
all -- although one scenario does try to make a connection. Speaking of this scenario, just as a minor spoiler, I found the ending to be more entertaining than the main game's ending.
In summary, I am very pleased with Panzer Dragoon Orta. With a steady storyline, awesome graphics, lovely music, and easy gameplay, it is probably the first game on the Xbox that lives up to Seamus' Blackley's "Game is Art" moniker. While I didn't find the original
Panzer Dragoon games to be any fun, Panzer Dragoon Orta not only eclipsed my expectations of what a next generation game is supposed to be, but helped reaffirm my belief that some developers truly believe that game is art. Here's hoping that if
Sega decides to make a sequel of any of its games that it has Panzer Dragoon at the top, and allows Smilebit to create another tour de force.
Graphics
9.5
Make no mistake;
Panzer Dragoon Orta has some of the best graphics ever seen on a videogame system. The game may be told through storytelling and action, but it is brought life by vibrant graphics and jaw-dropping scenery.
Sound & Music
9.5
Another area of wonder. Whether it is the near orchestral performance or the unusually weird language of the world's citizens,
Panzer Dragoon Orta is an aural pleasure for the ears. I was so impressed by the music that I purchased the soundtrack.
Control
9.0
It may take some getting used to by some novice players, but once the controls have been mastered, they become second nature, an extension of the player. The camera gets sticky at times, a little erratic, but nothing that the player cannot control.
Replay Value
7.5
After it's beaten, some may want to better their times and play the other modes,
but others will probably move on. The sub-scenarios and missions is a nice
distraction, but they really contribute nothing to the overall game. They feel rushed and uninspiring.
Fun Factor
9.0
Once you start
Panzer Dragoon Orta, you finish it. It's that damn fun. Targeting multiple enemies, huge bosses, unending firepower. Some call it hard, but I call it a challenge. Any true gamer will accept the challenge of
Panzer Dragoon Orta and play this game.
Overall
9.0
Although it is a short game, it's a good short game. This is not just a game of monumental greatness; it is a game that is a monumental artistic expression, one that lives up to the hype and impresses. Everyone owes it to himself or herself to
add this to their game collection.
I remember reading in
"Opening the Xbox," that the creator of Xbox and now former
Microsoft executive, Seamus Blackley, said that "Game is Art." I had a hard time believing this because most of Xbox's games are anything but art. However, there is one game that is more artistic, stylish, and poignant than most games that are out on the market across all the platforms, and surprisingly it isn't
Halo. No, the game I am referring to is Panzer Dragoon
Orta.
In the
opening cinema, the story opens with the Empire releasing five bio-engineered creatures called dragonmares upon an unsuspecting city. The dragonmares and their Imperial riders wreak havoc and terror upon the city, killing innocents and destroying everything in their wake. Speaking in an unusual language created specifically for the
Panzer Dragoon series, the dragonmares and their riders make their way to a crumbling cell, where the game's heroine, Orta, is being held captive. From her prison cell she sees them descending upon her, until one bursts through the wall, followed by another. As they prepare to fire upon the defenseless girl, all seems hopeless until from the blackened sky, a dragon appears and saves her from uncertain death. As they fly away, the dragonmares give pursuit through the semi-obliterated city. After this scene, the game unfolds, and its story is told through an awesome array of cinemas and in-game cut scenes. 
When I think of the music of
Panzer Dragoon Orta, I think of Robert Zemeckis and his "Back to the Future" series. When "Back to the Future" was first released, he had said that he wanted the music to be grand because to make the movie seem bigger than what it was, and the end result was successful. Smilebit and
Panzer Dragoon Orta have achieved the same goal. Smilebit has recorded an aural assault of pleasure that is sure to be engrained in the minds of players for days on end. Each score evokes a different type of emotion and
further envelops the player into the game, bringing out the lavishness and mystique of the
Panzer Dragoon Orta world.
Although Panzer Dragoon Orta excels in more ways than one, there are a couple of issues that are apparent in the game. The first is that the game is
very short. It will take about seven hours for seasoned players to beat the game. Some will probably play it on all difficulties (the game is defaulted to normal, but there is an easy and hard mode), but the enemy AI is essentially the same on all levels, which means that once a behavior is seen, it can be easily avoided and countered accordingly. If the game is beat on hard, the player is treated to a different ending, but it isn't that much different from the ending on normal.