Sega’s Panzer Dragoon series returns as a VR game

Sega’s Panzer Dragoon series is coming back as a “VR dramatic shooter” titled Panzer Dragoon Voyage Record, developer Wildman announced on Tuesday. It’s not a new chapter in the franchise, however; it will let players relive episodes that appeared in the original Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei, and Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Tokyo-based Wildman is developing Panzer Dragoon Voyage Record, and plans to release the game for unspecified virtual reality platforms by March 2021. Wildman calls Voyage Record “a completely new work” that will be played in a first-person view optimized for VR headsets. Players will wield a VR controller that acts as a handgun for the rider.

The developer of Panzer Dragoon Voyage Record previously worked on a title inspired by the Panzer Dragoon franchise called The Gunner of Dragoon. That game was also a VR title, and was playable at the BitSummit indie game festival in Japan. The Gunner of Dragoon distinguished itself by incorporating a Panasonic Joba, an exercise device that simulated horseback riding in order to improve core strength.

Sega has also licensed the Panzer Dragoon brand to developer Forever Entertainment, which is working on remastered versions of the first two games in the franchise. The original Panzer Dragoon and its sequel were released on Sega Saturn in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Sega released follow-ups for Saturn (Panzer Dragoon Saga), Game Gear (Panzer Dragoon Mini), and Xbox (Panzer Dragoon Orta) in the following years. Panzer Dragoon series creator Yukio Futatsugi released a spiritual successor, Crimson Dragon, for Xbox One in 2013.

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Michael McWhertor
Polygon