Oooh, finally, some interesting games.
By Video_Game_King 2 Comments
(And by interesting, I mean "not hovering between average and crap.") An example of this (as if I don't give you enough per blog) is beer pong. What I don't understand is why they need an entire framework to get drunk. Why not play my favorite frat game: chug-a-log (chugging down an entire hollowed log full of beer)? Oh, right, because I'm playing a non-beer game: Master of Darkness. If you can't remember that, just call it Castlevania. Why? Well, this game is essentially Sega's version of Castlevania, down to every little detail. Hell, the main bad guy is still Dracula, and you still have to go to Transylvania to beat him up. However, rather than playing as ultimate S&M badass Simon Belmont, you play as the ironically named Dr. Social. Why is he beating up Dracula? A ouija board told him to. So we've established that the protagonist is crazy. Does that make the game any good? Yes, sort of. Like Castlevania, you get a main weapon and a sub weapon, each one capable of upgrades/switching.
Since I have no f'ing idea, let's move onto the next game. *pulls game off reviewing pile, eyes zoom onto title* Oh, yes! Fuck yes! Look what we have here! Panzer Dragoon Zwei II, or whatever the hell you call it. I tried to solve the mystery, and the only thing that came from it was a massive aneurysm. Now before actually reviewing the game, I want to say that I've wanted to play it for quite some time. I just couldn't due to technical problems. However, I have worked those problems out, and the result? A pretty decent game. Well, you start off as Jean-Luc, a French/Mayan kid who's smuggling a glowing iguana. Turns out that the iguana is the series staple, and he has to use it to stop the empire from being mean. Like the last shooter I reviewed, there isn't much story here, but there is structure for a story. I won't touch on it much, mainly because I'm saving that for when I play Saga. Instead, I'll move onto what makes me love the series so damn much (except Mini): the gameplay. And everything else. But gameplay first.
Well, it hasn't changed a whole lot from the previous iteration, yet it tweakes and fixes what it can. You still fly through the skies of Panzerland, shooting down the evil technologies of the Empire. You still have the multi-target move, allowing for some strategy and quick enemy deaths. However, there's a new attack: the charge multi-target laser thing. See, as you kill things, your dragon gains power (presumably by eating their hearts). This power fills up a bar, and once that bar is filled up, your
Speaking of bosses, they reflect a decent trend in this game: difficulty curve. It starts off kinda easy, but slowly builds up to challenging, the final boss being an absolute bastard. This is marred by infinite continues, but not much, given how you have to restart at the beginning when you do so. But more on that final boss guy later. Right now, we focus on the gameplay. You've noticed that it isn't that different from the original, is it? Well, there are some more changes. First off, diverging routes. Each course has multiple ways to approach it, and Zwei rewards you for doing so. There's also an evolution feature, where your dragon evolves based on how you play the game. Nice. All of this adds replay value that is very dearly needed to this game. It's a rail shooter, after all, a genre that isn't exactly known for replay value. Or complexity, but does PDZ really need it? Simple things can be good, just look at Fire 'N Ice. Simple concept evoled into a complex, enjoyable game.
The graphics help a lot, though, as this is one of the best looking Saturn games I've played. Everything is vibrant and excellently colored, the textures are clear, and best of all, the game is displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Yay! The only flaw is that there's no "empty, unpopulated city" level, like in the original, but that's more of a level design flaw than a graphical one, and a minor flaw at that. The CGI is also a bit dated and grainy, but after seeing it happen several times before, I'm blaming that on the system. Music is also good, but I don't have to touch on that. I have video! So all in all, a great game. You should defnitely put this in your Saturn collection, if you're able to obtain the Staff of Ra and track down the anceint temple that would reveal the location of the last known copy of Panzer Dragoon Zwei. Now since there are so many aspects of this game that deserve an award, I'll pick one at random and give it the One of the Best Boss Battles of All Time Award. But wait, I already have a favorite boss battle: the Cybil fight in the original Silent Hill! Which one is better? I guess the only way to decide it is gladiatorial combat through text. Start the battle music! First up, protagonists!
Close, but I give the point to Jean-Luc, because he has a dragon. Do you have a dragon, Mr. Mason? No, just a daughter. Speaking of dragons, antagonists, go!
This one goes to Silent Hill, for originality. Next up: battlefield. Go!
Points to Panzer Dragoon Zwei, if only it for the lack of oceanic nightmares. Next up, their respective systems.....you know how that works out, PlayStation obviously wins. You know what? I'll let you guys decide. WITH VIDEO!!!
And Zwei...
Yea, I know, the video sucks, but it was the best I could do. Now then, decide, for I am too lazy to do so. I'll be off in my gaming room, playing...Legend of Legaia. Even the name makes me wretch.