SEGA's classic rail-shooter series Panzer Dragoon will finally be made available once again with the help of Polish publisher Forever Entertainment. The studio has committed itself to a partnership with SEGA and remakes of the first two games in the series, bringing back their unique worlds and entrancing soundtracks for both the current generation and possibly older ones to enjoy to for the very first time.
Forever Entertainment promises to remain as faithful as possible to the original releases with these games.
Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a refreshed version of Panzer Dragoon. The original version of the game had its premiere on the Sega Saturn console in 1995 and was well received by both players and critics. The entire Panzer Dragoon series has been repeatedly remade and released on many platforms. The last re-launch took place in April 2018 on Xbox One, where players can play Panzer Dragoon Orta with a backward compatibility.
The new version of the game will be characterized by completely new graphics compatible with today's standards and several modifications of the game, making it more attractive to modern players, while remaining faithful to the original in terms of story. The first materials from the game will be presented in the upcoming months!
The remakes will be finished and out before the end of 2019.
Naturally, with all this love for retro-SEGA compilations and Shenmue, Panzer Dragoon is the next best place to dig up some niche and nostalgic memories. The series dominated the SEGA Saturn back in the mid-90s, delivering some of the most beautiful worlds and storytelling of its era. The first two games, which are the ones being remade, are rail-shooters of the highest caliber, but fans of the series all know the real prize here.
Should these two games do well, SEGA might finally be inspired to revisit Panzer Dragoon Saga, its ultra rare and universally beloved RPG based on the series. When I was a teenager, this was one of the true Holy Grails of the gaming world, and I owned it for a few years as the value skyrocketed. I cashed in pretty well on that one, no regrets!
Panzer Dragoon also saw a release in 2002 for the original Xbox called Panzer Dragoon Orta, an entry that is ever bit as revered and beloved as the original games, and the series has been silent ever since a Japan-only PlayStation 2 remake of the original released back in 2006.
Microsoft attempted a spiritual successor back with the launch of the Xbox One in 2013 with Crimson Dragon, and the company even turned to series creator Yukio Futatsugi to get the project off the ground. Sadly, critical reception wasn't there, and the fledgling franchise came nowhere near the reverence that Panzer Dragoon obtained.
Depending on their platform, I'll definitely be picking up these two remakes. Panzer Dragoon is a fond memory of my gaming history, and while I'm excited for the prospect of a full-fledged remake, I would equally love to see the original graphics intact in the package for authenticity's sake. Those clunky models are just as important to the feel of the series as is the music, story, and original language.
We'll be sure to follow this one as news becomes available.
