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Preview:

14th October 2002:
Panzer Dragoon Orta
One of the Saturn's most famous franchises is finally getting a well overdue update, but will it generate the same following as the originals?
Posted by Marc Hull - Xbox - UK and Europe

Panzer Dragoon Orta is part of Sega's big 'franchise revival', having previously appeared on the Saturn only to have been locked away in the depths of videogame history after its original development team split up. The new game is being made by Smilebit, who have already amassed loads of Xbox development experience with titles like Jet Set Radio Future and Gunvalkyrie, and they've decided to take the game back to its roots by creating a hectic action-shoot-'em-up rather than a continuation of the last game in the series which was an RPG. This may disappoint fans who thought that the series' final Saturn title was the best so far, but if these new screenshots are anything to go by, they seem to have made the right decision. Not only will PDO contain some incredible action sequences, where you take on massive fleets of enemy battlecruisers, but also it makes the title much more accessible to newcomers to the series, which may not know its (quite lengthy) background story.

The idea behind the new game is much the same as the very original's, in that the world has been devastated by war, leaving only a few tribes scattered about the barren wastelands. However, still hungry for power, some of these tribes are trying to locate the ancient weapons of mass destruction used by their ancestors. Having discovered an old production factory, the Empire has managed to develop their first organic weapon, a Dragon. The only way to prevent them from utilising this beast involves the game's heroine, Orta, who you must control to restore peace in the world.

The old Panzer games have always been quite heavy on story, and Orta looks to be no exception. In between each of the ten levels will be CGI-rendered cut-scenes which show how you're progressing in your quest to stop the Empire. Given the game's importance, Sega seem to have spent a good amount of money making these sections look as nice as possible, with the end result resembling the level of graphics seen in CGI films like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Of course, the in-game visuals aren't shoddy either, with the Xbox's special effects being pushed to the max rendering all the firepower that's flying across the screen. As in the previous games, you'll be able to rotate the view 360-degrees around your dragon to target any attackers, plus the beserk mode which appeared in the second game will also be present, allowing you to fill the screen with laserbeams and destroy any on-screen enemies when the going gets tough.

Of course, the stars of the originals had to be the levels, which were set in some spectacular locations, and fortunately Orta seems to be continuing this tradition. There are areas set in petrified forests, deep caves, river-based valleys and inside huge enemy fortresses, all with loads of great effects such as reflections and fog to add to the atmosphere. All the levels will also contain multiple routes, which you'll choose by leaning to one side of the screen at certain points, and this should help to dampen any fears of low replay value. There will also be a dragon development system, whereby your dragon will morph into new forms depending on how you're progressing and which aspects of your dragon's abilities you are making use of most. For instance, the heavy attack type will allow you to hit enemies more accurately and inflict more damage, but will not allow you to target as many at a time, while the High-Spec type gives you great mobility and allows you to suck out enemy hit points, but will not allow you to lock-on with your laser.

There's little doubt that Panzer Dragoon Orta is going to be a good game, especially if these new screenshots are any indication of the quality to be found in the final product, but the question is whether it'll be able to match the high-standards set by the original titles. Also, one of the main problems with this type of game is repetition, which even the first Panzer games suffered from, so it'll be interesting to see if the multiple-paths and dragon-morphing of Orta is enough to keep peoples' attentions until the end. Whatever the case, this is well worth looking out for when it appears early next year - expect a full review closer to its release!

Marc Hull

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