panzer dragoon whips into full force from stage one, second one with ridiculously lush visuals and a surprisingly orchestral-arrangement soundtrack that still manage to wow even now. the clear influence this would have on yoko taro, particularly drakengard, was far from lost on me. it's rare for launch window games to manage to so clearly define the aesthetic and technical masterworks of the consoles they're on - unless you're a mario 64 or something, which, reminder - this came before.

i found the stage direction and boss battles particularly enthralling as well, with some really creative designs and patterns that kept me thinking that this could've just as easily fit in arcades in those sit-down machines that move around with the player. typing that out, i really wish that'd been what panzer dragoon remake had been, and that it'd come out during that craze about a decade after this title's release... but i digress.

unfortunately, the only places i feel panzer dragoon show its age in a detrimental manner are in the lock-on functionality - or rather, the cumbersome nature of it - and in its camera. i appreciate the fact that with a mere button press you can shift between over-the-shoudler and neutral third-person views, but the tilting of the camera along with the dragon's movement made perspective difficult to ascertain sometimes, and left me getting hit by obstacles i was absolutely in the clear about and avoiding actively. the consensus seems to be that zwei is a direct improvement on this game, and considering i already enjoy the art direction and fundamental gameplay mechanics of this title more than i do, say, starfox... i expect great things. as for the original, definitely give it a go! it's probably an hour-and-change of your time and a true landmark in gaming history. cannot believe the aspects of this game that hold up do so as well as they do.