Panzer Dragoon: Remake Review â Back in the Saddle
Panzer Dragoon: Remake successfully modernises a Saturn classic, although limited extra content prevents it from reaching greater heights.
Highlights
- Beautiful modern recreation of a SEGA Saturn classic
- Original soundtrack remains exceptional
- Modern controls make the game more accessible
Things to Consider
- Very short, even by modern remake standards
- Boss fights feel less spectacular and challenging than expected
Overview
Every once in a while there comes along a game that really leaves its imprint. A game that, in its own way, changes the future. Maybe on a personal level, or maybe by shifting the times within the gaming industry.
For me, Panzer Dragoon was one of those games. In 1995, as one of my first SEGA Saturn games, it became my first real leap into the full 3D environments that 32-bit consoles could offer. It was an astounding experience, coupled with one of the most beautiful art styles I had seen, and one of the most memorable musical scores I had ever heard.
The Panzer Dragoon series would go on to become even more legendary, not least because of the sublime and now extremely rare Panzer Dragoon Saga, but for me it began with the original on-rails shooter. To this day, I still place Panzer Dragoon as a standout in my collection, and remember it fondly as a highlight of the Saturn.
So when Panzer Dragoon: Remake arrived, I went in with high expectations. I did not expect it to fully capture the feeling of playing the Saturn original all those years ago, but with a few exceptions, I was pleasantly surprised. This is not a replacement for the original, nor does it quite surpass it, but it is a strong modern recreation of a game that still deserves to be experienced.
Graphics & Presentation
It successfully recreates the look of Panzer Dragoon for a modern audience, even if it does not always capture the exact atmosphere that made the Saturn version feel so unique.
Panzer Dragoon: Remake starts with a reworked opening cutscene, timed almost perfectly to the original. You play as a hunter whose group is suddenly attacked, leading to a chase, an encounter with a much bigger creature, and finally the dragon itself. While this introduction is different from the Saturn version and clearly built using a modern graphics engine, it is a nicely made recreation, helped massively by the familiar music.
Once you enter the first level, the nostalgia hits quickly. The environments are a modern interpretation of the original stages, and while I would not say they reach the standard some people may expect from modern games, they are still a delight to fly through. The dragon moves fluidly around the screen, the environments contain far more visible detail, and the action is much easier to follow than it was on the much less powerful, but still mighty, 32-bit Saturn.
It is important to remember that this is a remake, not a remaster. Some aspects have been recreated exceptionally well, particularly the improved clarity, smoother movement, higher frame rate, and the additional detail added throughout the environments. Whether you prefer this cleaner modern look or the barren, earthy and strange atmosphere of the Saturn original will ultimately come down to personal taste.
Check out this direct comparison between the versions
For me, the remake looks good and clearly shows care and attention. However, it does lose a little of the original’s mysterious, otherworldly edge. It successfully recreates the look of Panzer Dragoon for a modern audience, even if it does not always capture the exact atmosphere that made the Saturn version feel so unique.
Sound & Music
A huge part of Panzer Dragoon is the music, and thankfully the remake understands that. Straight into the first level, hearing Flight again brought the memories flooding back. It remains one of my personal favourite pieces of music in gaming.
The original score is here in all its glory, and it does so much of the heavy lifting in recreating the Saturn feel. The music rises and falls with the action, giving the levels a sense of flow and atmosphere that still works beautifully today. Sitting down for an hour-long playthrough of Panzer Dragoon can feel almost like listening to an album of music, timed perfectly to the pace of the action.
There is also the option to play with a new remixed musical score, which is a nice addition, but for me the original soundtrack is still one of the main reasons to play the game, and one of the biggest reasons to return to it.
The sound effects do their job, but the music is the real star. Panzer Dragoon has always been about atmosphere as much as action, and the remake retains enough of that audio identity to make it feel connected to the original. The soundtrack remains superb, although repeated playthroughs can make it more noticeable just how heavily the game relies on a relatively small selection of musical themes due to its short running time.
Gameplay
Panzer Dragoon is an on-rails shooter, so you do not control the forward movement of your dragon. Instead, the level carries you through the action while you aim, shoot, lock on, rotate the camera, and try to survive waves of enemies approaching from all directions.
Traditionally, the original game used the d-pad for both aiming and movement. That was never the easiest setup, because you are often trying to dodge projectiles while attacking enemies at the same time. The remake adds a modern control option, allowing you to move the dragon with one analogue stick and aim with the other, while firing with the triggers. It is a welcome addition, particularly for players more familiar with twin-stick shooters.
Being the old-school Panzer Dragoon player that I am, I quickly switched back to the original-style controls. They simply felt more authentic to me. Still, the modern controls are useful and make the game far more accessible to newcomers.
The shooting remains simple but satisfying. You can fire your handgun as single shots or lock on with lasers depending on the enemy. Some enemies and projectiles are better dealt with using single shots, while others are ideal for lock-on attacks. The camera can also be rotated in 90-degree increments, giving you a better view of enemies surrounding you. Keep your head about you, otherwise you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed.
The general flow of the stages is still strong, moving from enemy groups to set pieces, mini-bosses and larger encounters. However, not everything hits as hard as I remembered. The boss fights in particular feel a little lacking and are often over before they have a chance to build any real tension. I remember the Saturn version feeling like more of a challenge, and while the original was also criticised for being short and relatively easy, some of the remake’s boss battles never quite deliver the spectacle or excitement I expected.
When those moments happen, you feel that something is slightly off. Panzer Dragoon: Remake gets a lot right, and the core gameplay remains enjoyable throughout, but it does not always hit the same highs as the Saturn original. For longtime fans especially, that difference is noticeable.
Content & Replayability
Players expecting the kind of expanded package often associated with modern remakes may come away feeling that the overall offering is a little thin.
Panzer Dragoon: Remake is exactly the same length as the Saturn version, featuring six main levels and a final stage where you take on the dragon you encountered earlier in its final form. In little more than an hour, the adventure is over.
That short running time is part of the game’s arcade-style design, and in fairness, it helps keep the pacing tight. There is very little downtime, and concentrating on your reactions, enemy patterns, camera position and accuracy is key to success. With repeated playthroughs, you begin to learn where enemies appear, the patterns they follow, and how to defeat them more efficiently.
The problem is that it all ends far too quickly. More than anything, I found myself wishing for an additional mode featuring entirely new levels to tackle after completing the main game. There are some unlockables, including artwork and the option to play with the remixed soundtrack, but there is not a huge amount of meaningful content waiting once the credits roll.
The remake does add a save feature, which is very welcome and was absent from the Saturn original. Less welcome are the load times, particularly on the Switch version, where they are noticeably longer than those found on the original hardware and interrupt the flow more than I would like.
Replay value will depend almost entirely on how much you enjoy Panzer Dragoon, its world, its music, and the satisfaction of improving your rank by defeating a higher percentage of enemies. For me, it is a game I know I will revisit from time to time, just as I still do with the original. However, players expecting the kind of expanded package often associated with modern remakes may come away feeling that the overall offering is a little thin.
Pros
- Beautiful modern recreation of a SEGA Saturn classic
- Original soundtrack remains exceptional
- Modern controls make the game more accessible
- Still captures much of the Panzer Dragoon atmosphere
- Smooth performance and clearer visuals improve readability
- Short, focused arcade-style structure makes it easy to replay
- Save feature is a welcome addition
Cons
- Very short, even by modern remake standards
- Boss fights feel less spectacular and challenging than expected
- Not enough extra content or new levels
- Some of the original Saturn atmosphere is lost
- Load times can interrupt the flow, especially on Switch
- Not a replacement for the original game
Review Breakdown
Verdict
As a self-proclaimed Saturn fan, with strong memories of what Panzer Dragoon meant to me, I am happy to say that Panzer Dragoon: Remake is great. In fact, it surpassed my expectations more than I thought it would.
It is not perfect, and it is not a replacement for the Saturn original. The boss fights could be stronger, the package could offer more after the credits, and some of the strange atmosphere of the original is slightly softened by the modern presentation. Even so, this remake captures enough of what made Panzer Dragoon special to feel like a worthy modern interpretation.
The world, the music, the flow of the action, and the feeling of flying through those levels on an armoured blue dragon still works. It remains a short experience, and your replay value will depend on how much you love Panzer Dragoon, but for fans of the series, this is absolutely worth playing.
At under ÂŖ20, it is not the cheapest game for the amount of content on offer, but it is a remake I know I will return to from time to time. For Saturn fans, Panzer Dragoon fans, or anyone curious about one of SEGA’s most distinctive classics, this is an easy recommendation.
Ultimately, Panzer Dragoon: Remake earns its 4/5 score because it successfully modernises a Saturn classic without losing the heart of the original. It may not be the definitive version of Panzer Dragoon, but it is a strong remake of a game that deserves to be remembered.
Latest Reviews
This excellent port of an arcade classic had me awestruck as a kid with it’s ...
Related Games
Latest Community Reviews
See what SEGA fans have been playing and reviewing recently.
SEGA Universe Video Review
Community Reviews & Discussion
No community reviews yet
Be the first to rate and review Panzer Dragoon: Remake on SEGA Universe.
Write the First Community ReviewVideos
Screenshots
Discuss This Review
Join SEGA Universe
Join the SEGA Universe community to track your Played and Wishlist collections, earn stars and badges, build your profile, and review your favourite SEGA games.
Share your thoughts, discuss this review, and connect with fellow SEGA fans. You can still comment as a guest below, but a free account unlocks the full community experience.
Share your thoughts, and join the conversation below.
Sources & Credits