Sega has certainly had its ups and downs in the video game market, both in terms of the varying quality of its games and major franchises, and its now discontinued line of consoles. One of the odd balls of that line was theSega Saturn, which was known for games that drove fans to mod the controller, one of the best ad campaigns ever in the form of Segata Sanshiro, and a slew of good games that had the misfortune to be on a short-lived system.
One of the star games of the Sega Saturn wasPanzer Dragoon, which eventually grew into its own trilogy on the system and achieved widespread acclaim at the time. Becoming something of a cult classic, the series was beloved enough that it is getting a remake of sorts this year, and not just any remake, aVirtual Realityremake.
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To be clear, this is not at all the same as theotherPanzer Dragoonremake that was announced in 2019for the Nintendo Switch. While that remake will cover the first game in the series and feature updates to gameplay and graphics, the newest announced game, titledPanzer Dragoon Voyage Record, will be a bit different. It is stated as a rework, not a full remake, of all three of the original games for the Sega Saturn:Panzer Dragoon,Panzer Dragoon 2: Zwei, andPanzer Dragoon Saga. As previously stated, the game will be for a VR system, putting the player directly into the POV of the dragon being ridden.
The actual VR system thatPanzer Dragoon Voyage Recordwill be released for is not currently known, which means there are a couple of different options. If it is released for Steam and the Valve Index, there may well be some competition with theabove mentionedPanzer Dragoonremake, which is also coming to PC. If relegated to the PS4, it will most likely stand apart from much of its VR competition by virtue of being a remaster of not one, but three cult classics, and will be suitably separated from the otherPanzer Dragoonremake.
The idea ofPanzer Dragoonas a VR game has intrinsic appeal, as the typical VR formula of on-rail shooter mixed with immersive environments is just an expansion of what the first twoPanzer Dragoongames were anyway. The game’s feature a tracking mechanic that locks onto multiple enemies before letting fly with magical blasts from the dragon’s rider, similar to thebow segments ofSayonara Wild Hearts. How the VR aspect will translate toPanzer Dragoon Sagais less clear, as it was a full-on RPG with features not seen in the previous two games, including ground segments that may be more awkward to rework for VR.
Panzer Dragoon Voyage Recordis not the only upcoming resurgance of classic Sega onto the gaming scene, as games likeStreets of Rage 4offer continuations of series that used to live and die on Sega consoles. Only time will tell if these series' will still hold the same clout in today’s gaming environment, so it falls to the gaming community to put their old formulas to the test.
Panzer Dragoon Voyage Recordwill release in March 2021 at the latest, for unknown systems.
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