Panzer Dragoon: Remake (Nintendo Switch) Review

By Neil Flynn 05.07.2020

Review for Panzer Dragoon: Remake on Nintendo Switch

Taking a beloved SEGA Saturn classic, and revitalising it for the modern day should make people scream with glee. However, fans of cult-classics know all-to-well that the propensity for errors is somewhat large, especially when it can be the endearing nature of hardware limitations, or on the contrary, perceived hardware power (at the time) that gave the original its edge in the first place. Over 25 years later, the classic has been remastered and reborn on the Nintendo Switch, but can it live up to the high expectations set by the 1995 original?

Panzer Dragoon is an on-rails shooter series which at the time of the SEGA Saturn looked and played amazingly, almost at the envy of every PlayStation and Super Nintendo owner. Utilising its 3D space in unique ways, the player is able to rotate their camera view in increments of 90 degrees to see to the front, to the left, right, and behind of the character - a novel, and underutilised gameplay mechanic that enables to shoot enemies coming from all directions. Nonetheless, Panzer Dragoon: Remake retains the 360 degrees turn-and-shoot playstyle but gives everything else a clean-up, including new backdrops, character and enemy models, and even a new soundtrack.

Screenshot for Panzer Dragoon: Remake on Nintendo Switch

Unfortunately, the new visuals aren't anything to write home about. They are fine, but look like something that would have been somewhat average on the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3, or a tad better than the Xbox's Panzer Dragoon Orta. The excellent original soundtrack is still present, but an option for a newer soundtrack is available - this is a nice touch, but for those familiar with the original there is no real other option. Additionally, a new modernised control scheme has been added to help update input, however, once again, it is difficult to recommend the new over the original style, as it somewhat feels awkward, and takes some getting used to, if there is muscle memory related to the Saturn classic.

Performance in docked mode is smooth at most times maintaining a steady 30fps , but handheld can mostly feel just a bit off the pace in comparison. The visuals also take a bit of a hit, looking much muddier than they should do, especially given the difference in performance in docked mode. It can take a little while to load a level - although nothing to complain about, it is surprising that this has been one of the reminiscent things brought over from the Saturn original. It also has to be said that Panzer Dragoon is short, incredibly short, clocking in at around one hour, which considering there are no branching pathways or alternate routes, such as those in the Star Fox series, it can leave those who have purchased it relatively high price feel a bit aggrieved.

Screenshot for Panzer Dragoon: Remake on Nintendo Switch

Cubed3 Rating

6/10
Rated 6 out of 10

Good

At a cheaper price this could be recommended for a quick Sunday afternoon stroll, especially for anyone nostalgic of the original title. A nifty touch would have been to include the original game as an unlockable, which would at least help sweeten the fact that this can be completed within an hour or two. Despite its abundant and underwhelming flaws, Panzer Dragoon: Remake is still a piece of gaming history that deserves to be played, and shooting down waves of enemies does still prove to be satisfying.

Developer

Forever

Publisher

Forever Entertainment

Genre

Shooter

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  6/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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