Panzer Dragoon II Zwei: Remake Takes Flight This Year

Absolutely will be diving in to this.

The first game was decent if not perfect and the patches lifted the quality - it's a great game. Hopefully the devs have learned from the experience and Zwei will launch without imperfections.

Really looking forward to this one.

I never got a chance to play the original, back in the day. I know the remakes initial release was just okay. Have the updates made it a better experience? Would a guy like me, who loved 2D, side scrolling shooters and Star Fox 64, enjoy this game?

@outsider83 It's a real treat, if not a little short overall. If you could get your hands on Orta for the xbox, that might be a better first impression, though

I didn't play the Panzer Dragoon remake until after they did all the patches, but I still found it to be incredibly lackluster and a big disappointment.
The controls and mechanics just don't have the weight and satisfaction to them like Starfox 64.

I will have this! I wish more Saturn games would come to Switch. Virtua Fighter please!

@outsider83 The game has been on sale for up to 75 percent off of it's main price tag ($25 USD to $6.75 USD). If you decide to give it a try, wait for that kind of sale to soften the spending if it's not your cup of tea.

Even at it's best, a full run through of the game is barely more than an hour if you subtract the cutscenes. I'm absolutely of the mindset of SF64 > PD myself, but the latter is still enjoyable and worth the experience, especially at the sale price.

Forever Entertainment is a warning sign for me after all my experiences with them so far.
I will probably still give in and try Zwei.

I’m very excited for this! Rail shooters are underrated, I would love to see more Panzer Dragoon, and a return of Sin and Punishment to scratch that itch.

I will buy this on any platform it comes out on... I want to support the developer for what is a labor of love. If there is any chance to have a ground-up remake of Saga... this is really it.

Good news. Sold already. The first Panzer Dragoon is a tad over rated for me, but the remake did a decent job. ZWEI is much better. Definately one to keep tabs on

Still haven’t played the first one and I really should have jumped on it when it was only a couple of quid. This should be a lot better though, I’ve only heard good things about Zwei.

Great! Now, remake Panzer Dragoon Saga for 2022!

Can you buy the first one in physical without having to order it from Limited Run games?

I hope they take what they learned developing the remake of 1 to hit the ground running with Zwei. It introduced a lot of elements to enhance replayability — different routes through the stages, the dragon evolving, and the Berserk attacks — that it will be a much better value from the get-go, but I don't want to see them have to resort to patches to dramatically improve the experience. That first impression just counts for way too much, and I really want Panzer to succeed.

Still need to play the original. If it's like that one and isn't in top shape on release, though, I'll be waiting for the patches to release.

@NoLife I dont know what region you live in, but i got my copy from Best Buy last month. Plays super smooth on Switch.

NINJA APPROVED

Wow. Reading all these comments I’m shocked how many people thought the Remake was good. Even after all the updates I thought the game was all-out bad. It has the “honor” of being the first Switch game that I uninstalled after completion just to get fully away from it.

Great news. Hopefully this will, and the 1st has sold well. More Saturn games would be welcome

Nice hopefully after this one they could remake Panzer Dragoon Saga even if they don't had the source code to rework it off of. Just a re-imagine would be okay.

@electrolite77 would love to see all them again

I mean, hopefully they learned a good harsh lesson. 2 was always the superior game anyway...

I hope this is one means were closer to getting Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force I & II Remake now please!

Oh yes. Day one for me.

It's too bad Panzer Dragoon Orta was never put on Wii. It would have been great with Wiimote aiming. Unfortunately, the gyro functions of Joy-cons are so much less precise that Akaoni didn't even bother using them in the Switch port of Zombie Panic in Wonderland. Don't laugh, Sony fans. The Move controllers are even worse.

Zwei is definitely a better game I just hope they manage to get it playing and looking good.I bought the original in a sale for like £5.95 and I was left feeling completely underwhelmed some of the graphics are just awful and it just didn’t feel right

Panzer Dragoon Zwei was a much better game even on the Saturn, so much so its probably the best rail shooter I've played on any system. Hopefully with the lessons learned they can do it justice

@electrolite77 couldn't agree more and make that all 3 scenarios for Shining Force 3

@sketchturner even on the Saturn the first wasn't amazing, Zwei was much better in every way and for me better than any Star Fox game

I am definitely getting this on day-one just like the first game on Switch. I am a long time fan of the series. A part of me hopes Panzer Dragoon Saga gets the same treatment. I know the likelihood is low.

@carlos82 Thanks for the heads up! That's encouraging to hear.

Yes will probably pick this up as and when the nail it. (Not necessarily at launch)

Also weren’t they working on HOTD 1&2 for switch?

@electrolite77 id love a remake of all the shining force games in one juicy collection.

Nice! Then Saga, then more Saturn games! Shinning Force 3, Story of Thor 2, etc.

The first game was insanely short and was quite disappointing. It just felt empty by today’s standards (I know it’s an old game, don’t bite me).
Would infinitely rather have a new Sin and Punishment.

For those complaining about the remake it's also available on other platforms. Nintendo handicapped the Switch before it was released with it's performance.

i have the first one and its ok, but for me the pinnacle of this series was Saga, roll on Saga i say

I'll always enjoy this simple game, with unique artwork. The soundtrack is a particular highlight for me. Love it to pieces. Can't wait for Zwei and hopefully Saga!

NINJA APPROVED

Eh... if it is anything like the first game, I'll have to pass. I' had heard about the original Panzer Dragoon game for decades, but I never had the chance to actually play it until the HD remake hit the Switch...

I was stunned how underwhelming, boring, and lacking the game was. The controls aren't very good, the movement seems really limited, the combat seems really loose and unrefined, and the game is REALLY SHORT. There aren't any power-ups to pick-up at any point in the game, so what you're capable of at the end of the game is no different than what you can do from the very start.

I felt like 99% of the game was just holding down the attack button, sweeping the reticle across the screen to auto-load targets, and releasing. It doesn't even hold a candle to the original SNES StarFox game. I couldn't believe I had heard all this glowing things about the original game... how it became a beloved classic is beyond me.

Zwei is imo one of the best rail shooters ever made! My concern would be that is it's special because so many factors and that's what they have to nail. In the first remake, until the various patches, they didn't get the feeling of the game right. Zwei is an experience so that's what they should focus on. Things like the animation and how the sound compliments this is what makes it so amazing. The graphics in the original had a gritty feel, post apocalyptic yet stylised to fit the world design. Yes they need to get performance right, but they could easily kill the atmosphere with the choice of colour etc. I don't envy them, this is a big undertaking.

Saga... sheesh, get Zwei right then I'll be pumped. Otherwise I'd rather keep the legend in history....

Great news this game is fantastic, have the Sega Saturn original. Superior to the first game in every way. Will look stunning remastered, can't wait.

Can somebody tell me about why this series is fun? To me it seems like moving a cursor over enemies while auto-moving along rails. Is it the pretty visuals? Great story? Arcade challenge? What’s good about it, serious question for fans.

I mean, I liked Star Fox 64 well enough, but that had some free roam areas which really helped the overall experience. The banter between the characters was entertaining as well.

@BlubberWhale It sounds like you answered your own question, personally.

I was glad to get the first game for only $7.

I really didn't think it would get that cheap.

I probably would have paid more for physical though.

@Wavey84 Considering the Saturn games intentionally sync the levels with the music, that would be harder than you think.

One step closer to Saga...

@electrolite77 If they're going to do Shining Force 3 they need to do all 3 scenarios else it's not worth having.

My favourite game in the series and the best rail shooter ever in my opinion. I was hoping to see this in the last Direct but at least its confirmed for this year.

Great news! I loved the remake of the first game, so I'll definitely be getting this one as well. It's great that people who never had a Sega Saturn can play some of its best games on the Switch. Sales figures show that almost no one had a Sega Saturn, so I'm sure these games will sell on the Switch.

Such a shame that M2 didn’t handle these ports.

Forever Entrainment leave me with little to no confidence.

wonder if they'll do a Panzer Dragoon Saga remake

@Sabrewing I did? So what I said were your reasons? (Or if you’re not a fan, then other’s reasons?)

Well the visuals/music(?) may have been awesome at the time, but even the remake is just decent. No idea about the story, that’s why I asked. So you think it’s great? That’s what people/you like about it? The arcade challenge thing... really? People love that about it? I mean I like arcade games, but people really hold this game as special. Is it all nostalgia? If so, I may pass.

@BlubberWhale Again, doesn't sound like I can do anything to change your mind, if you've already decided that the games aren't for you. Just watch a longplay of them and go from there. Though if you own anything in the Xbox family, there's literally no reason not to get a digital copy of Panzer Dragoon Orta. It's still one of the most beautiful games around, it's forward compatible all the way through Series X/S, and $10 is a steal when you're getting two (arguably three) full-fledged campaigns and a wealth of other bonus content.

@Sabrewing I thank you for your response, but you need not convince me either way. I was simply soliciting fans to tell me what THEY like about it. Are you a fan? You don’t seen too enthusiastic about it, so not sure. I’m happy to listen to people who are passionate about something (or even just like something), even if I don’t necessarily have the same feeling on the subject.

You’re right, I can make a decision based on gameplay video, but I wasn’t strictly asking to be convinced or make a decision, just curious what people find good or special about it, in their own words.

@BlubberWhale I'm totally a fan of the series, but I'm also just exhausted in general with hyping something to someone, and then they just shrug and walk away.

@Wavey84 yeah, I played it, but only at a Toys R Us kiosk as a young teen. I remember it being mind-blowing (and a bit confusing) for me at the time. I loved the design though and was particularly looking forward to seeing it remade...until it was remade.

@Sabrewing Fair enough my friend. I won’t ask that of you. (Not that I was asking you to hype anything, nor would I shrug off your sincere comments.)

I’ll just continue wandering through life wondering about the mysteries of Panzer Dragoon. 😂 (Nah might pick it up on a sale someday.) Lol take it easy and have a beauteous, peaceful day!

@Yanina After buying the remake at launch while being completely unaware of Forever's history, I definitely regret that decision. Had I researched and saw all the low-grade stuff they were pumping out, I would've waited until a sale like 75% off or lurked on eBay for the original at a cheap price (like I did with Radiant Silvergun, buying a 360 would cost the same or more).

The game now is certainly in a better state, but the real thing that made me stop playing it was the atrocious loading times.

@Jellyghost Orta was so good. Hope they rerelease that one too. Wouldn't even need to remake it. It was such a polished game already, a remaster would be fine.

Happy to hear this. Zwei was the one I grew up playing a lot, not the first one.

@Kilroy Yeah same. I only learned that the game was not done by Sega itself during the startup screen. I guess that is on me. But playing it on launch day was still a mayor letdown in many ways.

While I'm glad to hear Panzer Dragoon is getting more love (Hopefully Saga will be after Zwei), the remake of the original Panzer Dragoon was pretty horrible. I really hope they step up their game or hire a whole new team to do Zwei.

Game Atelier did an excellent job with the Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, which easily surpasses LizardCube's attempt at reimagining WonderBoy III's visuals, no question. an complete night and day difference.

@Wavey84 I'm looking forward to playing Cursed Kingdom (I'm looking for a physical copy), now that I've played LizardCube's "remake". Just to be clear, your criticism is only directed at the visual style, yes? I rather enjoyed the game itself (I never owned a Sega system, so I'm only enjoying all this stuff via the Switch).

@Onion Have you played it since all the updates were done? I think it's far from horrible. Forever Entertainment actually listened to all the complaints and addressed them. I'm looking forward to the Zwei remake. Here's hoping for an E3 reveal.

I'll definitely get it... if there's going to be a physical release.
The developers deserve it because they are listening what the fans have to say.
My opinion about why the first game didn't sell well is this:
a) It was digital only (unless we count the Limited Run release , which I bought), the Panzer Dragoon series is nostalgic to older gamers and most older gamers prefer physical releases.
b) It wasn't well advertised. Most gamers are not even aware the game exist. I personally find out about it by accident.