Chained… How long had it been…
Since she had been free of this dark prison?
She could not remember…
Platforms: Original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Original Release - December 19th, 2002 (JPN)
360 BC Release - April 19th, 2007
XB1 BC Release - April 17th, 2018
Price: $10Player(s): 1
Format: Digital/Physical (Xbox.com purchases and Original Xbox discs)
Developer: Smilebit
Publisher: SEGA
Rendering Resolution:
OG Xbox/360 - 480p
XB1 - 960p
XB1X - 1920p
Frame Rate: 60fpsAspect Ratio: 16:9 (there was underscan on the original release so something closer to 15:9 unless the XB1 version changes that)
ESRB: T
Size: 3.04 GB
What is this game?
Panzer Dragoon Orta is the last entry to date in the Panzer Dragoon series. Created without the guidance of the series creator, Yukio Futatsugi, Orta was nonetheless a critically acclaimed rail shooter praised for its strong visuals, audio, gameplay and story.
How does it play?
The most mainstream point of comparison for Orta would be StarFox 64 in terms of controls. You navigate Orta and her dragon across the screen by guiding a targeting reticle with the left analogue stick. You'll use that cursor to shoot Orta's handheld weapon and paint targets for her dragon's lock on laser. The player is also responsible to watching for enemies from all around Orta by rotation the camera around her with the left and right triggers.
Do I need to have played the previous games in the series to understand the story in Orta?
No, Panzer Dragoon Orta can be seen as a standalone story. No previous knowledge of the series is required to enjoy it.
How does the dragon progression and multiple forms work?
Orta's dragon has three forms or "Wings" in the game. Switching between them is essential to tackle different enemy/boss types.
The Base Wing is the dragon's standard form and offers the Glide Attack and the largest amount of targets for the homing laser.
The Heavy Wing has a smaller amount of lock on targets and cannot glide but has a stronger attack and can aim the dragon's special berserk attack.
The Glide Wing can glide the longest but has no targeting laser and instead uses a rapid fire attack. Using the berserk attack in this form will also restore your life.
To level each Wing of your dragon you must collect Gene Bases by destroying enemies. The blue lights in the indicator at the bottom right of the screen displays how close you are leveling. Note that only the wing that gets the Gene Base will get experience. Once maxed out (Wing lvl. 5) experience will not have any further effect on that Wing.
Does this new digital release work on 360?
Yes. The digital and physical release of Panzer Dragoon Orta will run on all the consoles listed in the OP aside from the digital copy working on an OG Xbox. There was a level progression glitch in the PAL copies of the game running on a 360, but that seems to have been resolved now for both PAL discs and digital copies of the game.
Does it have achievements?
No. Like all Original Xbox BC titles there are no achievements in the game.
I heard the Original Panzer Dragoon is included in this game. Does it still work on 360 and XB1?
Any other unlockables?
Yes. There is a side story campaign from the perspective of the empire and a couple standalone missions as well. There is also a series of supplemental content relating to the game such as concept art, an encyclopedia of the Panzer Dragoon history, and a bestiary.
How good is the soundtrack?
Real good.
Metacritic: 90
IGN: 9.2
Gamespot: 9/10
GameRevolution 4.5/5
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