History YMMV / PanzerDragoon

** ''Orta'' looked absolutely phenomenal when it was first released on the original Microsoft UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, and its digital re-release on the Microsoft UsefulNotes/XboxOne shows that it's aged well. Special mention goes towards the episodes "[[{{Cyberspace}} Forbidden Memories]]" and "[[FinalBoss The End of Destiny]]".

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny:
** The first game came out in 1995, at a time where the only notable console 3D {{Rail Shooter}}s weren't quite up to par with its graphical splendor or multi-directional battles. It's really hard to realize just how ''insane'' that was for its era, effectively working as a technical showcase of the next generation of the time in its direct competition with the Sony UsefulNotes/PlayStation. ''Zwei'' would go on to improve every aspect of the game only one year later, while ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' would go on to dethrone it as one of the most celebrated {{Rail Shooter}}s in the medium during 1997. By the time ''Panzer Dragoon: Remake'' was released in 2020, the antiquated and simplistic arcade mechanics and short length consequently made its asking price of $25 for the equivalent of just updated, yet cheap-looking visuals hard to stomach.
** When it was first released, ''Saga'' was seen as the holy grail of the Saturn that pushed the console to its limits with its impressive graphics, unique world, soundtrack, and combat system that retained the flight and shooting elements of the previous games, and many of those lucky enough to snag the title upon release consider it to be one of the best games for the console. Because of the hype and its reputation as one of the most rare and expensive games for the Saturn, some players found themselves disappointed when they got their copies years later, believing that while it's a good game, it wasn't as great as they were led to believe or worth the ridiculous prices it currently goes for. While voice acting and cinematics have since become a standard in video games, the graphics in ''Saga'' have aged, its combat system doesn't stand out as much as it did then, and not everyone enjoyed the shift from RailShooter to EasternRPG.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Version 1.3 of ''Remake'' made a number of improvements to the game, such as eliminating input lag, speeding up the camera controls, returning the targeting reticle and dragon animation to being more in-line with the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn original, even introducing a 60 frames-per-second "Performance" graphics setting, as well as an endless "Episode 0" and adjustments to Pandora's Box and other unlockables.

* ThatOneAchievement: In the remake for the first game, the Lifeless achievement is awarded for playing the game for more than 100+ hours. To put this in perspective, the main campaign is 30-45 minutes and you can get all of the other achievements in five hours TOPS.

* UncannyValley: Azel's appearance in the FMV sequences in ''Saga'' - although she looks great in the opening sequence, the quality of the character models take a dip afterward and she can look a bit freakish at times. Notably averted with Orta in ''Orta'': both her CGI and in-game models have remarkably realistic facial animations for 2002.

* UncannyValley: Azel's appearance in the FMV sequences in ''Saga'' - although she looks great in the opening sequence, the quality of the character models take a dip afterward and she can look a bit freakish at times.

** Perhaps the biggest criticism of ''Saga'', especially from EasternRPG veterans, is that it's incredibly short for such a game, with a full playthrough taking only 15 to 20 hours. Considering how short the RailShooter games are, fans of the previous games were fine with the length, believing that it encourages repeat playthroughs, and that it's a short, but sweet and unforgettable experience.

* ItsEasySoItSucks: Although beloved by the fans, one of the main criticisms of ''Saga'' is that it's not a particularly challenging game, especially compared to the previous entries and other games in the genre. In interviews, Futatsugi wishes the game had been made a little harder.
Fortunately, there is plenty of depth to warrant multiple plays. Of note is the rating system at the end of the game - for example, miss a rare enemy or a part of the map on your travels (even a teensy bit), and you won't be getting a clean sweep at the end. As an RPG, it's a little deeper than kill percentages... and even then, those percentages don't mean you've discovered everything.

* {{Woolseyism}}: The English localizers for ''Saga'' had a lot of freedom with how they translated the game and ran with it. Moderately enforced because their initial work had a lot of gaps to fill. Some of the enemy names that didn't translate well to English were given special names that were inside jokes to the development team, with the story proper actually being made DarkerAndEdgier than it actually was. The localizers also didn't believe that English players would catch onto the subtleties of [[spoiler:the romance between Azel and Edge]], so it was made very explicit. Perhaps the most notable example of this in action, however, was the ShoutOut to ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of all things in the Village of Zoah, where an engraving on a figurine reads "They killed Kenny."

** Orta: locked up alone in a tower for most of her life, feared by the Seekers who see her as a weapon only useful for war, and has no friends or known family. Without knowing the reason, she's targeted by the Empire for extermination. When Mobo takes her to his village, the elder Ponta can see it's left her nothing but resentment and bitterness at the world. Thankfully, things change when they invite her to stay with them and Orta later discovers her origins when chasing after Abadd. At the end of her journey, [[spoiler:the dragon that saved her life dies, yet the epilogue shows she's no longer alone]].

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Version 1.3 of the remake made a number of improvements to the game, such as eliminating input lag, speeding up the camera controls, returning the targeting reticle and dragon animation to being more in-line with the Saturn game, and even introducing a 60 fps "Performance" graphics setting, as well as an endless "Episode 0" and adjustments to Pandora's Box and other unlockables.

* BreatherLevel: After the very difficult penultimate stage of the original game, the final level mercifully pulls the brakes and provides the player with a much simpler final level. Unlike previous levels, the stage and its boss are also split into two seperate episodes, so you get a small health refill after passing the stage and a full health retry in the event you need a continue once you reach the boss.

** The soundtracks for the first two games. Some fans of the first game's orchestral songs were disappointed that ''Zwei'''s soundtrack lacked similar songs and [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks deem it inferior for that very reason]]. Many others believe that the atmospheric soundtrack for ''Zwei'' easily stands its own against its predecessor.
** Most fans see ''Orta'' as the fourth canon entry in the series, especially since former members of the disbanded Team Andromeda were involved with the game. But there are some, including Futatsugi himself, who believe the story ended with ''Saga'' and view ''Orta'' as a [[AlternateContinuity separate]] entry, as the game wasn't developed by the original team.
** Which is the best RailShooter in the series? ''Orta'' or ''Zwei''?

* EvenBetterSequel: All of them. ''Zwei'' is widely considered to be superior to the first game on all counts ([[BrokenBase although opinions vary between the soundtracks]]), with the introduction of the Berserk mechanic, a more fluid framerate, and better replay value through multiple paths and the dragon's evolution. Despite being an RPG, ''Saga'' was received even better and hailed as a masterpiece with gorgeous graphics that pushed the system to its limits, explored the series' world in depth with a great story and memorable characters, and introduced a unique battle combat system, all while maintaining everything the series was known for. ''Orta'' takes a page from ''Zwei'' and improves upon it by implementing elements taken from ''Saga'''s battle system, such as positioning and changing dragon forms in real time.
* GoodBadTranslation: Pandra's Box, a bonus mode unlocked after beating the game in ''Zwei'' and ''Saga'', is also a common Japanese mistranslation of "PandorasBox", but many fans believed it was a play on the phrase using the game's title ''('''Pan'''zer '''Dra'''goon)''. Sega corrected it in ''Orta'' and the Sega Ages version of the first game, and some fans would've preferred they hadn't.
* GrowingTheBeard: The original game was a unique rail shooter that showed off what the Saturn was capable of and introduced players to the world of ''Panzer Dragoon''. But ''Zwei'' really established the series' mysterious desolate but gorgeous atmosphere, sound direction and lore that would be further explored in ''Saga'', while streamlining the gameplay to deliver a more fluid experience with improved replay value.

** Perhaps the biggest criticism of ''Saga'', especially from JRPG veterans, is that it's incredibly short for an JRPG, with a full playthrough taking only 15 to 20 hours. Considering how short the rail shooter games are, fans of the previous games were fine with the length, believing that it encourages repeat playthroughs, and that it's a short but sweet and unforgettable experience.
** The 2020 remake is largely faithful to the original game, and in this case, it also means that what was acceptable for a Saturn launch game dipping its toes into 3D in 1995, now has a much more uphill battle regarding value vs. length, with several gamers balking at the hour-long campaign with a $25 asking price. Furthermore, it has the misfortune of existing in ''Orta'''s shadow, which padded out its short length with a wealth of extra content, among them side missions, the encyclopedia, and ''the entire first game''.
* JustHereForGodzilla: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Q5WtGrBGE U.S. Commercial]] for ''Panzer Dragoon Orta'' featured an exclusive song that had people swarming gaming message boards wanting to know where the song was from, and were far more interested in the song than the game itself. Many were disappointed to find out it wasn't in the game, and some even swore off the game because of it. The song was eventually revealed by the song's original artist: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMmy1sxa4dA "Violet" by Bones Domingo]][[note]]Although there's a similar sounding song named [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ierk_i6Sd4 "Violate"]], also by Bones Domingo, the latter lacks the beat of the former. Many fans mistake "Violate" as the song used in the commercial[[/note]].

* PlayerPunch: Mostly with Saga.
** The DownerEnding of almost each game, which often involve the death of [[spoiler: the dragons]]. ''Saga'' is the worst offender, revealing that [[spoiler: Edge was DeadAllAlong and is never heard from the others again]].
** When the Empire destroys [[spoiler: Zoah, killing everyone in town. All the times you listened to Juba, when you gave Jael the pipe and got the music box from Rhoda? All dead]]. You find out there were a few survivors, but wish there were more.

** The first game came out in 1995, at a time where the only notable console 3D rail shooters weren't quite up to par with its graphical splendor or multi-directional battles. It's really hard to realize just how ''insane'' that was for its era, effectively working as a technical showcase of the next generation of the time in its direct competition with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation. ''Zwei'' would go on to improve every aspect of the game only one year later, while ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' would go on to dethrone it as one of the most celebrated rail shooters in gaming history in '97. By the time ''Panzer Dragoon'''s remake came out in 2020, the antiquated and simplistic arcade mechanics and short length consequently made its asking price of $25 for the equivalent of just updated yet somewhat cheap-looking visuals hard to stomach.
** When it was first released, ''Saga'' was seen as the holy grail of the Saturn that pushed the console to its limits with its impressive graphics, unique world, soundtrack, and combat system that retained the flight and shooting elements of the previous games, and many of those lucky enough to snag the game upon its release consider it to be one of the best games for the console. Because of the hype and its reputation as one of the most rare and expensive games for the Saturn, some players found themselves disappointed when they got their copies years later, believing that while it's a good game, it wasn't as great as they were led to believe or worth the ridiculous prices it currently goes for. The voice acting and cinematics have since become a standard in games, the graphics have aged, the combat system doesn't stand out as much as it did then, and not everyone enjoyed the shift from rail shooter to RPG.

** Stage 5 of the first game will likely give you headaches. It's one of the longest stages in the game, filled with an onslaught of brutal enemies including multiple tank-like ones that cannot simply be bombarded with bullets, as they need pieces disabled before they can be shot down, and you still have to deal with smaller enemies while you're focusing on them. Several parts of the stage also require you to face sideways, a view you cannot steer yourself in, so you have to shoot down targeting projectiles instead of being able to dodge them. To top it all off, you have to get all the way through this brutal level and its difficult stage boss, who is a ''two-part'' boss, all on the same life! And if you die at any point on the stage, it's back to the beginning.
** In ''Saga'', the Underground Passage in Uru. Since the dragons are absent, a Floater is used instead, which is capped at a Laser Rank of 0 and has no special berserk abilities. The real issue is that it cannot go up slopes, and the maze-like dungeon is filled with them, meaning that not only is it easy to get lost, but any missteps and you'll be doing a lot of backtracking. If you're going for a HundredPercentCompletion rate for map exploration, you'll need to explore every area and backtrack some more before raising the water.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The modern remake of the first game ''completely'' overhauls the visual style in a way that will utterly [[BrokenBase break the base]] depending on whether one thinks it's an interesting re-interpretation or flat-out unfaithful to the original game, not to mention tweaks to the controls that make it noticeably more sluggish than the original game that ran at around half the framerate most of the time.
* UncannyValley: Azel's appearance in the FMV sequences in ''Saga''. Although she looks great in the opening sequence, the quality of the character models take a dip afterward and she can look a bit freakish at times.
* VideoGameMoviesSuck: There was a ''Panzer Dragoon'' [[TheAnimeOfTheGame OAV produced in the 1990s]]. 25 minutes of {{Flat Character}}s, nonsensical plot, bottom-of-the-barrel LimitedAnimation and horrible CG. It was universally panned, and ended up on several -- er, well, just about ''every'' "Worst Anime of All Time" list. Outside Japan, it was only released on VHS by the now-defunct Creator/ADVFilms, and hasn't been picked up by any other licensor.

** ''Saga'' easily boasts some of the best visuals on the Saturn. The ability to alter the dragon's VoluntaryShapeshifting for each of its forms is quite an impressive technical feat, especially considering the console was not designed for 3D. The game's InUniverseGameClock is also impressive by the system's standards, particularly in Zoah where sunset soon becomes night.
** ''Orta'' looked absolutely phenomenal when it was first released on the original Xbox, and its digital re-release on UsefulNotes/XboxOne shows that it's aged well. Special mention goes towards the episodes "[[{{Cyberspace}} Forbidden Memories]]" and "[[FinalBoss The End of Destiny]]".

** Azel becomes this towards the end of ''Saga'' after she loses [[spoiler: Atolm, her lifelong companion, and Craymen, the man who woke her]], undergoes her HeelFaceTurn and loses her sense of purpose. She slowly becomes more human when she and Edge traverse the Tower for one last time, all before [[spoiler: she declares her love for him and loses him as well. When Sestren and the Towers are destroyed, she goes to the ends of the earth in a vain attempt to find him]].
** Orta. She's been locked up alone in a tower most of her life, feared by the Seekers who see her as a weapon only useful for war, and has no friends or known family. Then she gets attacked by the Empire. When Mobo takes her to his village, the elder Ponta can see it's all left her resentful and bitter at the world. Thankfully, things change when they invite her to stay with them and when she later discovers her origins. Then, at the end of her journey, [[spoiler: the dragon that saved her life dies, but thankfully, the epilogue shows she's no longer alone]].
----

* ThatOneLevel: In ''Saga'', the Underground Passage in Uru. Since the dragons are absent, a Floater is used instead, which is capped at a Laser Rank of 0 and has no special berserk abilities. The real issue is that it cannot go up slopes, and the maze-like dungeon is filled with them, meaning that not only is it easy to get lost, but any missteps and you'll be doing a lot of backtracking. If you're going for a HundredPercentCompletion rate for map exploration, you'll need to explore every area and backtrack some more before raising the water.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Dermont's Ranch in the Pandora's Box of ''Saga''. "Strange" is putting it nicely.

** When it was first released, ''Saga'' was seen as the holy grail of the Saturn that pushed the console to its limits with its impressive graphics, unique world, soundtrack, and combat system that retained the flight and shooting elements of the previous games. Many of those lucky enough to snag the game upon its release consider it to be one of the best games for the console, and because of the hype and its reputation as one of the most rare and expensive games for the Saturn, some players found themselves disappointed when they got their copies years later, believing that while it's a good game, it wasn't as great as they were led to believe. The voice acting and cinematics have since become a standard in games, the graphics have aged, the combat system doesn't stand out as much as it did then, and not everyone enjoyed the shift from rail shooter to RPG.

** When it was first released, ''Saga'' was seen as the holy grail of the Saturn that pushed the console to its limits with its impressive graphics, unique world, soundtrack, and combat system that retained the flight and shooting elements of the previous games. Many of those lucky enough to snag the game upon its release consider it to be one of the best games for the console, and because of the hype and its reputation of one of the most rare and expensive games for the Saturn, some players found themselves disappointed when they did got their copies years later, believing that while it's a good game, it wasn't as great as they were led to believe. The voice acting and cinematics have since become a standard in games, the graphics have aged, the combat system doesn't stand out as much as it did then, and not everyone enjoyed the shift from rail shooter to RPG.