Panzer Dragoon II Zwei is a 1996 rail shooter game for the Sega Saturn, published by Sega and developed by Sega's Team Andromeda studio. The second entry in the Panzer Dragoon series and a prequel to the original game, the story follows Lundi and his dragon companion, Lagi, as they pursue an airship of the Ancient Age. The player controls an aiming reticle representing the dragon's laser and Lundi's gun, shooting enemies while the dragon travels through 3D environments on a fixed track. Levels can have multiple pathways, and the dragon grows stronger over the course of the game based on the player's score.
Production of Zwei began in 1995 in parallel with the role-playing video game Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998), with a small staff and little assistance from Sega. In response to player criticism of the original Panzer Dragoon, the team reduced the overall difficulty and expanded the story elements. The soundtrack, composed by Yayoi Wachi, influenced the musical direction of later entries in the series.
Zwei was acclaimed by critics and journalists, with many praising it as superior to the original Panzer Dragoon. Electronic Gaming Monthly named it the 90th best console game of all time in 1997, praising its atmospheric levels and innovative gameplay. A remake for undisclosed platforms is currently in development, handled by MegaPixel Studio under license from Sega.
Gameplay
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei is a single-player rail shooter which spans seven levels, with each after the first including a boss encounter. The story is communicated through CGI and real-time cutscenes, with in-game speech using the constructed Panzer Dragoon-universe language with subtitles. Gameplay is mostly identical to the original Panzer Dragoon; the player controls an aiming reticle for a flying dragon and its rider as they move through the level. Enemies can appear from all directions and are tracked by a radar display in the upper right corner of the screen. The reticle can be controlled with the D-pad, analog pad, or Saturn Mouse. The player can attack with either Lundi's gun or the dragon's lock-on lasers. An addition to the original game's gameplay is the Berserk attack, powered by a meter that fills up when enemies are shot down, firing homing lasers that continuously target all enemies on-screen until the meter is depleted.
The player is able to save the game between levels. The dragon's death causes a game over, forcing the player to restart from a save point. The second, third and fourth levels feature a branching route choice, with that choice impacting both the scenery and the enemy types the player encounters for the remainder of the level. Each level is scored based on enemy kill ratio, damage taken, route taken, the number of continues used, and time taken to defeat the boss. Over the course of the game, the dragon evolves into stronger forms based on the player's level-end scores. There are six forms available, with a final form unlocking for the final boss. Completing the game unlocks "Pandora's Box", an extras menu that allows players to view completion statistics, alter dragon attributes, change the game difficulty, access new weapons, alter or replay individual levels, and replay CGI cutscenes.
Plot
Zwei is a prequel set prior to the events of the original Panzer Dragoon, against the backdrop of a war between the Empire and the nation of Meccania over remnants of the Ancient Age, a vanished civilization. Jean-Jacques Lundi lives in a small village whose people ride pack animals called ""; mutant born exhibiting bioluminescence are killed as unlucky omens. Lundi defies the village tradition by sheltering an abnormal born with both a glowing green throat and wings, naming him Lagi. When the animal is fully grown, Lundi rides Lagi outside the village to try to get him to fly. While the two are out riding, an automated Ancient Age airship called Shelcoof destroys Lundi's village. Lagi fires at Shelcoof with lasers from his mouth, the trademark attack of dragons from the Ancient Age.
Lundi and Lagi pursue Shelcoof through the ruined village in parallel with the forces of the Empire, who seek to control Shelcoof. Lundi and Lagi almost reach Shelcoof, but a mysterious dragon attacks and drives them back. After they recover, Lundi and Lagi follow Shelcoof's trail while fending off attacks from indigenous beasts and Meccanian forces. The two reach Shelcoof as its monster guardians destroy the pursuing Imperial fleet. The pair destroy Shelcoof's core, then the hostile dragon which was incubating inside it.