Panzer Dragoon (series)/YMMV

• Crack is Cheaper:
  • Panzer Dragoon Saga is the Suikoden II of the Sega Saturn, both being one of the rarest and priciest games for their respective systems. Unfortunately, the loss of the original source code axes any chance of porting the game to another system.
  • A thankful aversion with Panzer Dragoon Orta, which is fairly cheap and abundant, not to mention digitally available via Xbox One.
• Growing the Beard: The original game was a unique rail shooter that showed off what the Saturn was capable of and introduced players to the world of Panzer Dragoon. But Panzer Dragoon Zwei really established the series' mysterious desolate but gorgeous atmosphere, sound direction and lore that would be further explored in Panzer Dragoon Saga, while streamlining the gameplay to deliver a more fluid experience with improved replay value.
• Hype Backlash: The heavy prices a complete version of Panzer Dragoon Saga commands will usually blunt a potential fan's opinion of the game as they don't feel it's worth the investment. See the next two examples.
• It's Easy, So It Sucks!: Although beloved by the fans, one of the main criticisms of Panzer Dragoon Saga is that it's not a particularly challenging game, especially compared to the previous entries and other games in the genre. In interviews, Futatsugi wishes the game had been made a little harder.
• It's Short, So It Sucks!: Perhaps the biggest criticism of Panzer Dragoon Saga, especially from RPG veterans, is that it's incredibly short for an RPG, with a full playthrough taking only 15 to 20 hours. Considering how short the rail shooter games are, fans of the previous games were fine with the length, believing that it encourages repeat playthroughs, and that it's a short but sweet and unforgettable experience.
• Non Sequitur Scene: Dermont's Ranch in Panzer Dragoon Saga's Pandora's Box. "Strange" is putting it nicely.
• One-Scene Wonder: The rider in the first game's initial cutscene, who is never identified. Fan speculation about him is all over the place.
• That One Attack: The second and third form of the Final Boss in Panzer Dragoon Orta will start using the same Homing Lasers as the dragon's, making it impossible to evade. Naturally, the best way to counter this is to fire your own at the boss' lasers, cancelling each other out. The problem is the timing is considerably strict: too early or too late will result in a few lasers still taking a chunk out of the dragon's Hit Points.
• That One Level: In Panzer Dragoon Saga, the Underground Passage in Uru. Since the dragons are absent, a Floater is used instead, which is capped at a Laser Rank of 0 and has no special berserk abilities. The real issue is that it cannot go up slopes, and the maze-like dungeon is filled with them, meaning that not only is it easy to get lost, but any missteps and you'll be doing a lot of backtracking. If you're going for a 100% Completion rate for map exploration, you'll need to explore every area and backtrack some more before raising the water.
• Uncanny Valley:
  • Azel's appearance in the FMV sequences in Panzer Dragoon Saga. Although she looks great in the opening sequence, the quality of the character models take a dip afterward and she can look a bit freakish at times.
  • Spectacularly averted with Panzer Dragoon Orta, which boasts some of the best character designs and facial animations (for Orta herself) of any original Xbox title.

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