This may be my favorite 90s FPS. Gameplay is a mix of fast-paced shooting and some simple platforming, which isn't as bad as it sounds. Likewise, the collectathon elements of the game to progress were not that painful, and I was able to find all the collectible keys and weapon parts naturally. My biggest gripe with this game, and all of the old-school FPS games is that levels can feel endless and exhausting to go all the way through. The story is mostly non-existent and follows a very comic-book lost lands style story about going through various jungles, canyons, and alien ships in order to defeat evil aliens and some dinosaurs. Despite being called Turok: Dinosaur hunter, the dinosaurs are not all that important and are mostly just mid-level enemies.

Panzer Dragoon Orta was my introduction to the Panzer Dragoon series. It was a tough-as-nails experience that left me exhausted, but satisfied, after each level. Aiming and avoiding attacks demands some serious hyper-focus and quite a few deaths, but it always feels fair. The game's presentation is genuinely amazing. The art and designs are reminiscent of old science-fiction and fantasy art (the Moebius inspiration is clear, he even did the Japanese cover of the original Panzer Dragoon game). Story is also a strong point, following the journey of Orta as she travels across the land to escape and ultimately defeat an empire. Narrative and lore are expanded upon in an extras menu, and it is very impressive how much worldbuilding was done.

I greatly enjoyed my time with Panzer Dragoon Orta, with its gorgeous alien landscapes and made-up language dialogue. It made my imagination run wild in a way that is rare among media.