I seriously remember not a single music track from Orta. The sound effects, even when a hundred things are exploding at once, leave no impressions on my eardrums. I am bored, even with the largest of large surround-sound setups.
I am not bored by the visuals, at least -- and definitely not on a widescreen television. Though there are more jagged edges than my salivating anticipation would have liked to notice many months ago, the animations are fluid, and the creature models ceaselessly interesting. One of the "supporting characters" rides on what looks like a green . . . wormlike . . . thing equipped with a wooden platform as a cockpit.
And what do you know -- play the game enough, and you unlock the ability to play mini-scenarios, one of which allows you to play a short mission as said wormlike thing. Others see you training as a recruit in the imperial army. Some might call these short scenarios genius methods of "filling out" the "story." I call them interesting little diversions, maybe just a little bit more fun than browsing the extensive art galleries and monster encyclopedias.
The ultimate diversion comes in the form of nostalgia of the highest order -- that is, that the original Panzer Dragoon exists on the Orta disc as a hidden feature. This version of Panzer Dragoon is a port of the PC game, which boasted slightly smoother "textures" and slightly choppier animations. Even so, it plays beautifully in widescreen mode, and brings back fond memories from its title screen to its ending.
I never browse the movie theater mode. Pretty as the FMV is, I don't care to see it more than once, really; maybe this is a new high mark in this "next generation" of games, that people have become so desensitized to FMV? I can only hope. Call me an optimist just this once, go ahead.
Or maybe I don’t care to see the FMV again because I don't care about the characters? In loud and booming voices in a loud and ridiculous made-up language, they scream at each other and/or recount tales of old prophecies and/or hint at our heroine's ambiguously noble birth. The story takes itself seriously, and so do its fans; those in attendance during my exclusive two-day playing session (special thanks to the Megatokyo guys for the root beer) kept wondering: does this game come before Saga, or after? Is the baby dragon alluded to . . . Lagi? Why is Azel given a voice credit, when she doesn't appear in the game?
The story is a shrug-worthy series of tough nuts to crack -- I imagine it's even harder to determine the relationships between the characters than it is to determine how to kill the bosses on any difficulty level that isn't "easy." I couldn't beat the third boss on normal my first time through. I, still a user of a 56k modem, heeded Microsoft's advice of weeks ago, and joined the "slow club" -- my first intensive playing was on easy.
While my finesse in switching between dragon forms grew, my liking of said form-switching stayed at a fairly even level. They say the best games stick with us when we're not playing; I recall a reviewer in Die Hard Game Fan saying, of Super Mario 64: "When I'm not playing it, I'm thinking of playing it. When I'm playing it, I'm thinking of playing it."
I think the most poorly-executed risks can feel this way, too; when not playing Panzer Dragoon Orta, I'm thinking about switching dragon forms. When playing it, I'm also thinking about switching dragon forms. This is not a good practice for me; dwelling on such ever-present technicalities ruins my absolute enjoyment of the game. There's a chance it might just ruin someone else's, too.
This steep curve is eased little by a tutorial mode, and eased a little more by hours upon hours of sometimes-frustrated play.
There is one feature left to be unlocked in the appendix mode. It sits between "PANZER DRAGOON" and "EXIT." A friend mused, "What if it's Saga?"
I don't think we'd be that lucky. I'd be happy with Zwei. That is, if I ever find out how to unlock it. It could involve beating the entire game on hard mode.
Or it could involve beating the entire game on hard mode with a 100% shot-down ratio. That would involve a lot of finesse in dragon-form-switching. More than I can muster. It would involve my playing the game the way a developer intended me to play it, not playing the way I feel like playing.
What you have in front of you when you go to purchase Orta is a less-than-totally-spectacular sequel to a historically important series. Its story is heavier than its older brothers in the shoot-em-up genre, and lighter only slightly than that of its RPG cousin. It is almost frustratingly full of new abilities, extra modes and features -- sadly, not one of them turns on the real soundtrack. The ability to play the original on-rails classic(s) with a controller the size of a duckpin bowling ball is a definite plus, and worth the price of admission for one who might have never owned a Sega Saturn.
Still, on its own, Orta is a Mario Kart 64 to Zwei's Super Mario Kart; it is Starfox to Zwei's Starfox 64. It could be either the beginning or the end of something really, truly good.
And it makes me want to play Zwei again.
Damn it, you still have my Zwei.
I could unlock it . . .
. . hmmm . . .
Play more Orta, to unlock Zwei?
Or hassle you, to get my Zwei back?
. . .
Ahem:
GIVE ME BACK MY PANZER DRAGOON ZWEI, DAMN IT!
tim rogers
Brandon's Notes:
For those misguided few of you who have actually yet to play the first two Panzer Dragoon titles have a choice before you. Do you want to play a watered down iteration of a classic series? Or would you like to find out just why people are so excited about this game? I honestly recommend that you keep your $50, and purchase a Saturn along with the two original titles. Who knows, it might even cost you less this way. But to be honest, that’s where the real action is. I disagree completely with Tim; For my eyes, the original Panzer Dragoon contained on the X-box is wholly unplayable. The frame rate is in about the 10/second area, and it’s just painful to watch. The original was a bit clippy, but this is ludicrous. But I suppose a PC port is far simpler than a Saturn port, isn’t it. For the rest of us, Orta is ok. We’ll all buy it. But…it will leave us thinking back to better days. To be perfectly honest, I think the biggest blunder was allowing Smilebit to control this title. UGA is ever more qualified to make an on-rails shooter. Rez was more Panzer Dragoon than Orta will ever be. Or Treasure could have been signed. They do licensed titles these days.
Sega, when it comes to Panzer Dragoon, give me brilliance or give me nothing at all. Because I can’t not play this game. I want so desperately to love it. But at best, Panzer Dragoon Orta and I can just be friends. Sure we’ll call every once in a while, but…we won’t really care what the other has to say. Let the series die, or give it to someone else. Panzer Dragoon Four in the hands of Smilebit would be like…Aruze making the next KOF. Take heed, or flounder in middling grays.
brandon sheffield
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