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Panzer Dragoon Orta is a 3D shoot 'em up released on Xbox on January 14, 2003, developed by Smilebit and published by Sega. This is the last episode of the Panzer Dragoon series started on the Sega Saturn. In this game the player takes control of a character riding a dragon and that have to eliminate any enemy appearing on the screen. This game can be designated as a rail shooter, because unlike the games Star Fox or Star Wars: Rogue Leader, the player can't control the dragon completely, because it follows a predetermined path.

The game takes place therefore several decades after the events of Panzer Dragoon Saga. The Empire was returned to power and uses technology from ancient times to create genetically-engineered dragons, called Dragonmares. It is now thanks to their fleet with many Dragonmares who spread chaos and terror in their path, that the Empire ruled the world once again with an iron fist.

In a remote village, lost amid the mountains, a young girl named Orta lives alone and recluse in a tower. She is held prisoner in this place, because the city's inhabitants fear that she is perhaps a harbinger of their doom. She lives and is locked up in this tower from an early age, not knowing anything of the outside world, when, one fateful night, the Empire and some Dragonmares came ravage the valley and the village. While Dragonmares would take the life of Orta, the legendary Dragon of Destruction made its appearance and eliminates the assailants of the frail girl. Then Orta climbed on the back of the majestic dragon and both fled out of the valley. So this is the beginning of a great adventure for Orta, who will face the Empire with the help of the Dragon of Destruction.

Panzer Dragoon Orta includes a total of 10 different levels, in which we have to try to survive while fighting hordes of enemies wanting to pick a fight. The player therefore can not fully control the dragon, but may nevertheless speed up or slow down its progress, or make small maneuvering to avoid enemy fire. On the other hand, the player can turn the view all around the dragon in order to eliminate the enemies arriving on his flanks or behind him. In order to shoot down his opponents the player can use normal shooting attack and lock several enemies at the same time and then launch guided missiles. During the battle, a Berserk a gauge fills up, and once full, we can trigger a devastating attack, very useful in difficult situations.

The more interesting element of the gameplay of Panzer Dragoon Orta is obviously the transformations of the Dragon of Destruction. It may take 3 separate appearances: a standard, a slight and a heavy shape. The standard is the basic appearance, and is fairly balanced. The slight transformation makes the dragon smaller, making it less powerful, but more maneuverable to effectively evade enemy fire. The heavy form transforms the dragon in imposing creature, with an impressive fire power, but loses the ability to slow down or accelerate, making it an easy prey. The player can adapt to situations, passing from one form to another in real time. It is also possible to improve each form in order to make them more effective.

Panzer Dragoon Orta is, like the previous opus of the series, a very good shooting game that makes the player plunge into a captivating world with a dreamlike atmosphere.

Panzer Dragoon Orta reviews