Panzer Dragoon

Panzer Dragoon Remake is every bit as good as the original. Unfortunately its modernization in some areas but not others, only shines a light on its age. It suffers from many of the same problems that any early 3D game brought into the modern age without some refinement does. It may look and sound like a brand new game, but underneath all that is a Sega Saturn game from 1995. Does that mean it's bad? Not directly, but you may occasionally need to remind yourself what you’re playing. It is merely unfortunate that with the same degree of care that was paid to its visual and auditory departments, the gameplay truly could have been given new life. I still find myself having a great time playing it, and look forward to improving my high score, but I can’t help but dream of what could have been.

Hopefully the first footstep (or in this case, wingflap) toward flying back into the larger Panzer Dragoon world. [Issue #46 – May/June 2020, p. 29]

The Panzer Dragoon Remake marks a welcome return for one of Sega’s most enigmatic series. Although this first game is slightly hamstrung by its own position in history, it implies that the return of Panzer Dragoon is in very good hands.

The beautiful and atmospheric rail-shooter of olden times returns stronger than ever.

Even if a few purists gripe because they find Panzer Dragoon Remake's look too colorful or the ruins in the first level changed too much, I felt at home right from the start.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a solid take on the classic Sega Saturn shooter. Hardcore fans may find that certain aspects changed for the worse while newcomers may be perplexed by its barebones approach yet it's hard not to enjoy your time with this on-rails remake.

We're happy that the Panzer Dragoon series gets another chance on Switch, and we can't wait to play the sequel in the works, but we'd recommend waiting for a price drop before buying this one.

Although with obvious limits, due primarily to the modest means of a production that is anything but AAA, Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a re-release that will make fans of an unforgettable SEGA icon happy anyway.

It’s great to be able to play such a classic arcade on current hardware with update graphics, but it is a very basic adaptation with many issues performance-wise, hard to justify in 2020. The experience of the original still remains, but this title deserved more.

At a cheaper price this could be recommended for a quick Sunday afternoon stroll, especially for anyone nostalgic of the original title. A nifty touch would have been to include the original game as an unlockable, which would at least help sweeten the fact that this can be completed within an hour or two. Despite its abundant and underwhelming flaws, Panzer Dragoon: Remake is still a piece of gaming history that deserves to be played, and shooting down waves of enemies does still prove to be satisfying.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake won’t be for everyone. I never played the original game, but I have a basic knowledge of the franchise. It looked familiar to a personal favourite of mine, Star Fox, but unfortunately, Panzer Dragoon was nowhere near as enjoyable. It simply lacks a lot of the fun touches and personality that make the Star Fox franchise so good. Panzer Dragoon does have some fun moments and some of the visuals are quite impressive. I didn’t care much for the story and the game is quite short. If you were a fan of the original, nostalgia alone might be enough to make the purchase. It’s worth noting that a remake of the sequel is already in development, so if you do enjoy Panzer Dragoon: Remake, you’ll have something more to look forward to.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a flawed remaster of a cult classic that adds little worthwhile, but still retains what made the original enjoyable.

While I enjoyed the very short-lived remake of Panzer Dragoon, I had hoped that I would be given a few new bells and whistles to savor. However, what we have is the same classic game with improved graphics and controls. This will please purists massively but for me, the game is a bit too basic and short by today's standards. It is still fun though, and sometimes that is what matters most.

Panzer Dragoon Remake provides a fascinating piece of video game history to a much wider audience, and yet it's difficult to recommend to anyone other than those who just want to experience it again. New players won't get a lot out of it, and will likely be left wondering what all the fanfare was about. However, the game's setting is as interesting as ever, and it can still stoke a desire to know more about the series and its world. Although it feels outdated in many ways, Panzer Dragoon Remake somehow makes one more excited for the upcoming remake of Panzer Dragoon 2: Zwei.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a good game that nostalgic fans will like. However, some issues such as its poor controls or the lack of innovation make the title not shine as it should on Nintendo Switch.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a cool window back to a neat little corner of video game history. With modernized graphics acting as rose-tinted glasses to make it more visually pleasing than the 1995 original, this is a neat little arcade shooter that keeps things exciting for an hour or two. It’s just enough to make me wish that the developers had gone a little farther and built this remake up with more levels or, maybe, gambled on a fully modernized take on the original’s simple concept.

Making a game for the fans isn't inherently wrong, but with the first new addition to the series in almost 20 years coming soon, it would certainly be nice to attract some new fans, too.

Releasing the original Panzer Dragoon as a standalone remake is a bold move to begin with.

Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a decent take on an all-time classic that goes some way to modernising it, but doesn't quite nail the landing. Awkward controls and a visual style that's a clear improvement but could still look much better result in a game that’s mainly for fans of the original who are curious to see how it would look with a new lick of paint.

A flawed remake of one of the Sega Saturn’s most recognisable classics, that fumbles the controls and visual upgrade and yet remains a relatively enjoyable homage.

Visually decent refurbished rail shooter straight out of an early 3D-era. Mechanically it is very limited, though, thus making it mostly interesting for Sega afficionados only.

Panzer Dragoon holds a unique position in gaming history, but the new remake doesn't do it justice. Little is added, leaving only an hour of special, but archaic gameplay.