I got this remake some time ago because I heard of the reputation of the classic Panzer Dragoon titles, and how they are beloved among a lot of older SEGA fans.

And I am really sorry to say that... I didn't really enjoyed it.
I am pretty sure the original title was a monumental achievement for the time, but I feel this remake doesn't really do it justice.

For a graphical stand point , it got a solid enough upgrade, but that doesn't do really enough to capture the "more whimsical" and fantastical looks of the original, that maybe because of the timeless polygon aesthetic of the SEGA Saturn, is able to look better that its remake (which is kinda ironic and sad)

The gameplay I feel.... wasn't for me. I am already not 100% into traditional Rail Shooters, but the gameplay of this one just was not enjoyable to me: I found it too clunky, unbalanced and too locked on weird camera controls that maeks some sections playable, and other completely hard for no reason (especially when you are looking left or right of the dragon).
I had a great time with some of the levels, for thevariety of setting, enemies and challenges, but others were just... not a great time, some sections especially feels really claustrophoci, presenting the same environment over and over again and enemies that are not appealing and kinda hard to figure out.

The setting is supposed to showcase this super cool apocalyctic world, were covernemnt screw up Earth and all of that... but in the game you just don't have that... all you got is a pre-rendered unskippable long cutscene with legit just awful graphics, a slight hints among the in-battle dialogues, and a possible "rival dragon" that is the villanous enemy you gotta face?

I can't help it to compare it to it's Nintendo "rival series" Star Fox, Sin & Punishment, and even Kid Icarus Uprising: rail shooters that are able to combine and enthrilling gameplay and replayability, with beautiful environments, more profound character interactions, and a writing that makes you want more from the world you visit in the title.

Not to mention that... this is an incredibly short experince. SUrely it is replayable for higher score and possible alternate paths, but I think I finishe the whole adventure in like.... AN HOUR?

I appreciate SEGA for bringing back classic on modern consoles, but I feel this remaster could have done much more... maybe including some extras modes, or even collectibles and concept arts... or maybe could have been bundled with Panzer dragoon 2 or Saga, for a cool bundle of classic.

But on its own, I feel it is not that worth it. Sorry to say, I wish this Dragon will come back under a better light.

Had alot of fun with this one, as a huge fan of the series Im just happy to get something new out of the franchise. Classic, fun on-rail shooter gameplay set in a mysterious dystopian world filled with awesome dragons, love it

Story and classic gameplay are intact, feel the modernization of the gameplay made it a bit too easy as I flew through this game with no problem my first time through. Graphics while overall pretty good come aross as somewhat soulless dosent come close to the atomsphere of the original feels a bit fanmade. Barebones when it comes to content just a straight remake of the game without anything added, would have been nice to see some behind the scenes or maybe include the original game as a bonus

If you are new to the series, I would honestly advise to try and track down the original as I still think it's vibe and feel are unmatched, very short game you can probably beat in an hour and honestly it will leave you wanting more

7/10

Panzer Dragoon: Remake, é antes de qualquer coisa, um espetáculo visual. Sendo um grande fã de rail shooters, sempre tive interesse de jogar Panzer Dragoon, um dos mais consagrados do gênero, porém, em meu desinteresse de instalar e configurar um emulador de Sega Saturn, acabei por experimentar o remake, disponível corriqueiramente por um preço bastante agradável na steam.
Olha, que jogo esquisito, ele é curto, mas não curto demais, ele é o que é, nada é explicado muito bem, nem em lore (world building), ou em plot (que é largado meio de qualquer jeito), só temos algumas cutscenes. Como no remake tudo ficou meio facilitado, com auto-aim, e opções de dificuldade (joguei no normal), é só uma questão de ir aproveitando essa jornada apreciando os belos cenários que o jogo oferece, e francamente, nada muito além disso.

My context for the original is pretty limited, but this sorta feels like one of those where something's been lost in the remake. Granted, as I understand it, the original Panzer Dragoon was very much a title whose significance was rooted in the era of its release: an early must-play title for the SEGA Saturn, ethereal and artistically-driven in a way games generally weren't at that time (heck, on the Saturn alone, NiGHTS into dreams... was still a year out). A compelling showcase of mechanics it was not, particularly in hindsight. These days, so many subsequent rail shooters have developed the genre far beyond the scope of the original Panzer Dragoon.

I guess with that, the idea of a Panzer Dragoon remake is in an unfavorable position. It is perhaps necessary, given how little we've seen of the SEGA Saturn since its heyday and how unlikely we are for SEGA to put out a proper Saturn compilation. But there isn't really a good way to reincarnate this sort of game. The original soundtrack/visuals no longer hold the same effect, so simply having those wouldn't work. Overhauling the art direction loses the original game's identity, particularly since so much of it was rooted in the technical limitations of the Saturn. Arriving at an art style that holds the same effect in modern day that the original had in its era would require a huge budget...

...and what we got was a budget title. Developed in the Unity engine! Unity is a perfectly serviceable game engine, but there's something a little homogenizing about rebuilding a one-of-a-kind video game in a stock engine. It'd be a little like trying to recreate Chrono Trigger in RPG Maker. Could you do so? Perhaps, but the heart and soul of Chrono Trigger lies in the specific way it was presented.

This is all to say - Panzer Dragoon Remake is okay, but it's over and done with pretty quickly. There is novelty to having access to a version of this game in modern day, but I don't really feel like I've gained anything for the experience, just that I can say I've played it now. I think I would've rather had an untouched "museum" release that helped place me in the reality of the original release. Is that asking for too mych? I dunno, but with what we got, I don't feel any less need to look for the original Panzer Dragoon on Saturn now that I've gone through the remake. Seems like we've missed the thrust of the exercise here.

i'm pretty surprised the average rating is this low - sure, it doesn't perfectly replicate the atmosphere the original had, but realistically i don't think that's possible without retaining saturn-like graphics. it's not a complete downgrade though, it still contains the music and vibes that made this game feel so immersive in the first place. if anything, i think the graphics helped me see enemies more clearly, along with the easier difficulty making the entire experience a lot more enjoyable compared to the hellish difficulty spike in the og.
apart from that, it's very faithful to its source material, to its detriment. the og was painfully average to playthrough and unfortunately this game is too - same exact gameplay style, same story beats, and i don't think there's any new options in pandora's box either.
there's also no incentive to go back apart from difficulty or if you want to get the trophies, which aren't very interesting or anything that makes you go the extra mile ( apart fromthe 100 hour one, fuck that)