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Panzer Dragoon Orta Review |
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Panzer Dragoon Orta
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Finally, I was able to get my hands on this game, which is hailed by many as a classic in the making. Of course, I was a bit skeptical at first. But anyway, on to the review:
There is no doubt about it, this game is beautiful. From the animations of your dragon, to the cutscenes(Most, if not all of them are done using the in-game engine), facial expressions of Orta, to the effects are done expertly. Smilebit shows off what it knows with the XBox in this game. However, the graphics aren't the end-all, be-all of graphics either, what with the game being a rail-shooter. But, they are great. They match almost anything currently on the market.
As for controls, you have very fluid control of your dragon. Firing is a breeze, and after a few hours of play, the control becomes second nature. You'll be firing off lock-on lasers, gunfire, and berserks like a pro in no time flat.
The gameplay in this game can be summed up in one word: Sweet. This game is the pinnacle of rail-shooters, and it matches an experience I had only with Starfox 64 and Panzer Dragoon II Zwei.(Both great games for their time.)It is possibly the most enjoyable experience on the XBox to date, save for online gaming with XBox Live!
The story in this game is kind of repetitive, but yet done well. You play as Orta, a young prisoner in the Empire. The game starts when a dragon attacks where you're imprisoned, and Orta feels a kind of connection to him. After that, you'll have to find out for yourself.
PDO literally brims with replay value. With movies to unlock, tons of factoids about the Panzer world, to illustrations, and even the original Panzer Dragoon game, you will be playing this game until your thumbs bleed.
This is a great game. As for purchase or rent, I would recommend a rent, then purchase. Since one game won't please everyone, I can't go out and say "This game is the greatest ever", but I can say that this is one game you should not miss, for any reason whatsoever.
A good reason to purchase the game would simply be for the extra features which make you want to play the game over and over again until everythign is done. The boss battles are very fun and once you get used to all the moves that the bosses make you can perfect your style and this is one of the things that makes th game so fun to play.
Smilebit really seem to be in touch with the Xbox at the moment with 2 great releases. This and Jet Set Radio Future. Although not huge hits both games have great graphics which help show off the power of the Xbox. The games they release really do appeal more to the older generation of gamers who have played the games before in the series. Therefore newcomers are put off by this. However this is not the case with Orta, it helps set the story straight and gives you tutorials to get the feeling of the game. In the end you have to really play this game to see if you like it or not. If you have not played the ones before on the Saturn then I reccomend a rent. If you have played them and liked them you will love this new game, and even once you have done that you can play the ported Panzer Draggon I - as a unlockable feature.
Review By: Bison
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