One of Sega's most 'die-hard' franchises returns for another blast on the Xbox...

Sega seem to be having a tough time of it recently; having decided to offload the debts associated with its hardware development, Sega find themselves missing out on the profits that they believed multi-platform development would naturally lead to and facing even tougher times ahead.<br><br>We’ve often questioned why Sega titles aren’t selling; it’s fair to say that recent Sega titles have lacked a certain degree of the classic ‘attitude’ usually associated with their games, however they’ve certainly continued to take the risk and bring in fresh new ideas such as REZ. But for some reason these games aren’t selling, and Sega find themselves relying on the popularity of proven franchises such as Sonic to carry them through.<br><br>Panzer Dragoon Orta finally arrives in Europe with high hopes resting on the largely unproven franchise; before you shoot me down with that blasphemous comment, remember that all previous Panzer Dragoon titles were released on the ill-fated Saturn, in particular Panzer Dragoon Saga is a title that (criminally) many would never have seen.<br><br>When news first filtered through of a new game in the Panzer Dragoon series, it was mixed with an equal measure of excitement and trepidation; Team Andromeda (the developer behind all previous games) had long since disbanded and development duties fell to the ‘Xbox’ friendly SmileBit – who previously gave us Jet Set rafio Future and Gun Valkyrie.<br><br>Well I’m glad to say that after two largely unremarkable games, SmileBit have hit on the winning equation; Panzer Dragoon Orta has every right to become one of the high-points in the Xbox life. Reverting back to the on-rails shooter experience featured in the original Panzer Dragoon and its subsequent sequel Panzer Dragoon Zwei; the latest title in the series offers the most action-packed and immersive shooter we’ve played in a very long time.<br><br>Thankfully SmileBit have recognised that the Panzer franchise deserves utmost respect, and have carefully (with the help of ex-Team Andromeda members) looked at what made the original games so popular amongst its niche market; namely action, explosions, stunning FMV sequences and a superb shooting experience, and have wonderfully merged these with the technical delights offered by the Xbox – simply put this is the most gorgeous looking game we’ve seen in a long time.<br><br>Told through the use of stunning CG sequences; the latest title sees players assume the titular Orta, as she is rescued from Empire imprisonment after a recent attack on the settlement. Without knowing, the key to restoring peace lies in the hands of Orta and her new dragon.<br><br>Gameplay largely follows suit from the first two games in the series, and sees players shooting waves of enemy attacks as they progress through the 10 levels. Using the shoulder buttons, players can rotate the view around 360°; a technique you’ll have to quickly master as enemies attack from all directions and the pace of the game remains at ‘blistering’ levels throughout the entire game. Your dragon has two primary attacks; by simply tapping the A button you’ll execute a standard laser attack, whilst holding onto the button allows you to lock onto multiple opponents. Finally the X and Y buttons are used to accelerate and slow down also known as Gliding, this requires the use of one Glide bar, which builds up over time. Gliding opens up a new technique first featured in Panzer Dragoon Saga; a large proportion of the boss encounters will see you having to switch to an unprotected area of the boss just to attack him by gliding in the correct direction.<br><br>Wisely recognising that traditional on-rails shooters lack the depth that modern gamers seem to demand, Panzer Dragoon Orta features a level of strategy that adds immensely to the experience. In keeping with the evolution theory from Panzer Dragoon Zwei, your dragon can shift between three different forms once you’ve acquired enough power to do so. <br><br>The Base Wing form is the standard formation, which has average statistics in all attributes. In this form your dragon can lock onto the maximum amount of opponents, whilst he has two Glide bars to use and a Berserker attack which causes considerable damage.<br><br>The Glide Wing doesn’t have a lock-on attack; instead his wider targeting reticule automatically locks on to targets, making this perfect for when hundreds of bullets/lasers are heading your way. The berserker attack of the Glide Wing allows you to regain some energy from that of nearby foes, whilst he also has three Glide bars, making this the dragon of choice for when you’re having to manoeuvre all over the place.<br><br>Finally the Heavy Wing is geared up to combat; in this form you cannot lock-on to many targets and it doesn’t have any Glide bars, so you cannot accelerate or slow down. To compensate the laser attack is extremely powerful, whilst his berserker attack is off the level, making him ideal for boss confrontations.<br><br>In addition power-up scatter the environment; collecting these allows you to level up your dragon in whichever form he’s currently in, granting you more powerful attacks and faster speeds.<br><br>Panzer Dragoon visuals are the first thing that will knock you out when you play, to begin with they provide the games biggest allure; whilst we’re quite used to saying that with Xbox titles, Panzer Dragoon Orta is certainly in our Top.3 of gorgeous looking Xbox games. <br><br>Panzer Draoon Orta comes to life in a way not usually seen in videogames; the screen is always alive with action, as people scuttle around beneath you whilst towering battleships loom in the horizon. The technical achievements of this game cannot be understated; textures are wonderfully crisp and packed full of detail, hard-driven rain looks so cold it’ll send a chill down your spine, and a luscious waterfall effect that’ll catch your breathe – truly Panzer Dragoon Orta is a gorgeous game. However nothing can prepare you for the visual delights when a Berserker attack is unleashed; all you can do is stand in awe, as the screen melts into a blinding white amidst pyro effects that crackle the screen – this is one of the best visual effects we’ve ever seen in a videogame, amazing!!!<br><br>Playing Panzer Dragoon Orta is like a fond memory; those who miss the memorable big boss encounters and constant action of games gone by will love this game. Each level follows a traditional path from beginning to end; wave after wave of enemy attacks have to be eliminated until you reach the end and are usually encountered by a boss scary enough to install that sense of fear in you. I’ve loved playing every minute of Panzer Dragoon Orta, it’s a non-stop action ride from beginning to end and just doesn’t let up for one single minute.<br><br>The single feature that made us smile the most however, was the inclusion of a ‘Pandora’s Box’ mode. First featured in Panzer Dragoon Zwei, this is an excellent feature that rewards repeated play with a range of bonuses and prizes. PDO goes one better then previous games in the series, with a full blown port of the original Saturn title Panzer Dragoon – fans can’t ask for anything more. Along with Panzer Dragoon, players can open a wealth of background information on characters in the game and background information; aptly showing the level of respect that Smilebit have gone to ensure this game blends seamlessly within the rich universe detailed in the previous games. However that’s not all, other modes in the ‘Pandora’s Box’ allows you to open up new challenges viewed from the Empire perspective and a range of different addictive mini-games.