Panzer Dragoon Saga (Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG)
Release Date - January 29, 1998 (JP)
Developer - Team Andromeda
Publisher - Sega
Platform - Sega Saturn
The Sega Saturn would be “going out in a blaze of glory” with the release of Panzer Dragoon Saga according to Computer & Video Games Magazine #197. Indeed, many consider this title to be something of a swan-song for the console, which by 1998 was facing very end of its lifespan outside of Japan. No, it would not be the last official release for the system in any region, but it was a culmination of years of hard work and love, and a game that would wring everything out of Sega’s beloved console by the developer, Team Andromeda.
Edge, a mercenary in the employ of a large and powerful military empire, discovers a mysterious girl entombed in the walls of a ruin. The site is attacked, Edge’s companions are all killed and he is left for dead. Saved from certain death by a flying dragon, Edge forms a bond with this creature and begins his quest of revenge and to unravel the mystery of Azel the girl discovered in the ruins.
The beautiful but desolate environments that have become iconic of the Panzer Dragoon series return in Saga.
(All screenshots taken from https://www.youtube.com/@csauce5067 unless otherwise stated)
The Panzer Dragoon series is renowned for the striking and unique universe that carries over between all the games, and Panzer Dragoon Saga is perhaps the game that allows players to revel in this setting more than any other. A desolate, desperate world dominated by the Empire, filled with strange and mesmerising creatures and the remnants of an amazing civilisation that came beforehand but has fallen long ago.
Visiting the same areas in day or night will provide notably different feels and look.
Panzer Dragoon Saga is the third game in the franchise to be released on the Sega Saturn, with Panzer Dragoon releasing in 1995 (and was one of the few launch titles for the Saturn in North America), and the sequel Panzer Dragoon II Zwei in 1996. Both games were rail-shooters, and were highly praised for their fast paced gameplay, unique aesthetics and impressive 3D graphics. Considering the prior games in the franchise, for Team Andromeda to develop an RPG was an unexpected move, but the game would be highly anticipated due to their stellar track record. The excitement around the game was all the more pronounced due to the Saturn’s impending death in the West. With releases for the console drying up considerably, less magazines covering the console and retailers beginning to drop support, to see a big, impressive title like this from a studio like Team Andromeda captured the attention of Saturn devotees like little else could have.
Panzer Dragoon Saga was met with rave reviews by critics. The game really felt special.
Development for Panzer Dragoon Saga began in tandem with Zwei. After the large amounts of praise heaped on the first title for it’s setting and atmosphere, Sega requested Team Andromeda begin work on an RPG set in the same world. The hope was that they could create a game that would rival the PlayStation’s Final Fantasy games. The resulting work was a huge undertaking, with the team creating an engine that could support free exploration and battle sequences for gameplay and real time morphing and shading for graphical effects. Panzer Dragoon Saga would be a game that pushed the Sega Saturn to its technical limits! It certainly showcases some of the best graphics the console ever achieved, with Panzer Dragoon’s signature game world being better realised than ever before. For the first time, players can not only fly over the various environments, but also dismount and explore settlements and interact with other people. Even areas similar to those in previous games, such as the sunken ruins, are a sight to behold with the new tricks that Team Andromeda have picked up. In a testament to the game’s scope, it was released on a whopping four discs!
The battle system is a bold hybrid of turn-based combat and the traditional Panzer Dragoon shooting action.
Being an RPG, naturally the flow of gameplay is significantly different to the rail shooting of the predecessors. In Panzer Dragoon Saga, players have the freedom of flying around the world map, landing in and exploring towns on foot and engage in strategic battles. Walking around towns as Edge sees fully 3D locations, as opposed to the 2D/3D hybrid of games such as Final Fantasy or even Saturn’s own Shining Force III. Perhaps more impressive is the day/night cycle that means returning to the same locations at different times will result in different lighting and different ambience. The world is particularly detailed in these settings, with the ability to walk into buildings with detailed interiors, all consistent with the unique and beloved Panzer Dragoon aesthetic.
Beautiful CG cut-scenes intersperse the action, and all are fully voice acted.
In between the towns, you’ll be flying around on the back of your dragon. During your flights, you will spot enemies in the sky and can engage them (or be attacked by them!) to initiate a battle. Once in a battle, the combat is somewhat similar to a turn-based game, but instead of waiting for a set ‘turn’, you must wait for your action bars to fill before you can perform an action. You have three bars that will charge sequentially; one bar being filled will allow you to use an item, shoot Edge’s gun or fire the dragon’s laser. Waiting for at least two bars to fill will give you access to the very powerful ‘berserk’ attacks. Berserk attacks are roughly analogous to ‘magic’ in other RPGs, and have various effects from being large attacks to healing your dragon. What’s particularly impressive is that most of these actions are taken directly from the previous Panzer Dragoon games and adapted to this more strategic battle setting. What really sets the combat apart in this game from other RPGs is the ability to fly your dragon around your enemies, and vice-versa. Positioning becomes an important factor in fights, as different enemies will have different weak spots or particularly dangerous spots (In some battles the weak points may not be obvious until you’ve uncovered it, adding another layer to the combat). Enemies know where their weak and powerful positions are too, so battles will involve jockeying for position as you try to avoid their dangerous attack zones and get to an advantageous position. While you can move without any bars filled, they don’t charge while you’re moving, so it’s a delicate balance. It all comes to a head when you’re flying to an enemy’s weak spot, firing off an attack, and then quickly retreating to a safe spot as they try to reposition to counter-attack your dragon.
The battle system is easy enough to pick up, but has enough nuance for players to sink their teeth into and create unique builds.
Keeping in tradition of the Panzer Dragoon series, the boss fights are often huge and very impressive, with spectacular looking models and alien designs. From enormous ships and machinery to huge beasts that are defending their territory, Panzer Dragoon Saga doesn’t disappoint.
Players will gain experience points from their battles, which can be invested back into your dragon to improve its abilities. Depending on how well you did in a fight, the more experience points you can earn, another callback to the ranking system from Panzer Dragoon and Zwei! You can even go back and view 3D models and details for all the enemies you’ve defeated, and the game even records the details of how well you did in the battle against them. The experience points earned will let you develop your dragon across various speciality lines. At a certain point of levelling up, you can choose to make your dragon an all-rounder, or focus on aspects like attack, defense, agility or spirit. Each form of dragon has its own pros and cons and will affect how you approach your battles and which berserk attacks can be learnt.
Different dragoon forms will be available to suit a variety of playstyles.
The graphics have already been praised for this title, but it must be mentioned again how impressive this was for the Saturn hardware; real time lighting effects, gorgeous 3D models, fog, reflections and some beautifully animated organic and mechanical friends and foes. In particular the dragon’s flight animation is beautiful, not to mention the morphing between forms. This is coupled with the welcome return of CGI cut-scenes to tell important story beats. Having wowed gamers in the first two games, they’re back and better than before, complete with voice acting (in some cut-scenes the game even uses the fictional language of "Panzerese" that was created for this series, and combines elements of Ancient Greek, Latin and Russian!)
It would be remiss to not mention the absolutely beautiful soundtrack that Panzer Dragoon Saga has. An aural treat for the players, the game features an exotic and unique sounding selection of songs that will both help you sink into the immersion of exploring a mysterious world as well as feel the pressure of a white-knuckle air-battle against your foes. Using a similar style to the prior Panzer Dragoon shooter games, the soundtrack helps really tie Saga into the existing world, and makes it instantly familiar to anyone who had played the previous entries. Arguably as iconic as the wonderful visual art and graphics, the soundtrack is one of the aspects that makes Saga seem truly special. The sound effects are equally as well executed, of particular note being the sound of the your dragon taking damage… you’ll really feel bad as the animalistic shriek rings out from your Saturn console every time it takes an attack from an enemy.
To this day, the world of the Panzer Dragoon series remains unique. A real sense of discovery awaits players.
Upon release, Panzer Dragoon Saga received overwhelming praise from critics, it is arguably the most praised Sega Saturn game there is! Widespread praise was given to the gameplay, graphics, and beautifully realised world, achieved through great design of visuals and sound. The gaming world lamented only that the game would reach such a small audience, having been released so late in the Sega Saturn’s lifespan. Panzer Dragoon Saga has gone on to attain a nearly mythical status, due to the glowing critical reception and very scarce print runs. Copies of the game in English regularly demand very high prices for purchase, and the game is still one of the most talked about amongst the Sega Saturn’s extensive and fondly remembered library. It remains to this day an extremely unique and beautifully realised game, a labour of love that showed the world just what the Sega Saturn console could do.
A sense of mystique rightly surrounds Panzer Dragoon Saga. Truly, a beautiful send-off for the Sega Saturn.