Spiritual successor to the acclaimed
Panzer Dragoon series.
Directed by Yukio Futatsugi the creator of the Panzer Dragoon series and Phantom Dust.
Soundtrack by Saori Kobayashi, one of the composers behind Panzer Dragoon Saga and Panzer Dragoon Orta.
26 different missions across 6 different regions on the planet Draco.
Both traditional on-rails levels and open free control boss encounters.
Lend your dragons to your friends to gain skills/items when your dragon is returned to you.
3 player simultaneous co-op -
Pending a December update
Classic and Casual difficulty with the former offering a bonus to experience and better loot drops.
There are 6 species of dragons each with it's own strengths and weaknesses. One may be able to recharge it's skills quickly while another may have more health.
Each dragon has 3 tiers of evolution that can be unlocked by feeding your dragon an evolution seed after they have reached level 10.
Your dragon's skills are gained through special items rewarded for defeating enemy swarms. There are 90 different unlockable skills such as lock-on fire, lasers, etc.
A 7th, exclusive, dragon available for anyone who purchases the game before December 31st 2013.
Crimson Dragon is fully controllable with the Xbox One controller with optional Kinect features.
Use your voice to command your wingmen or lean side-to-side to roll your dragon with Kinect.
Supports the Xbox One rumble triggers.
GameInformer 6/10
I loved the original Panzer Dragoon games, so just to make sure I wasnt misremembering the quality of the series I went back and sampled the library. I had more fun playing the first levels of Segas old shooters than I did with my entire time with Crimson Dragon. Hardcore fans of classic on-rails shooters like Star Fox or Space Harrier might be able to play through this while wearing rose-tinted glasses, but it doesnt hold a candle to its precursors that came out decades ago.
Polygon 4/10
But I could forgive all of these missteps, the weird microtransactions, the underwhelming graphics, the off-kilter systems, if, on a very basic level, it was fun. It's not. Crimson Dragon manages to take riding on a sweet flying dragon and make it a bland, frustrating slog. In my book, that's about as unforgivable as sins come.
IGN 5.9/10
Crimson Dragon works well enough as a straight arcade shooter, and theres plenty of challenge in it. Theres some nostalgic value, too, but its weak graphics and frustrating free-flight boss fights make it tough to enjoy the stroll down memory lane.
Edge 5/10
Crimson Dragon is at its most absorbing when its not hard. Theres a sense of satisfying caretaking to easier levels, and the constant stream of instant rewards for playing well is more gratifying than it should be. Its during its harder moments that Crimson Dragon pushes you away. A combination of heavy handling and poor communication make you feel hoodwinked rather than outmatched, and the ability to buy continues with Gems youve purchased with real money sullies the challenge. Its a good job that the Zen gardens of those easier levels are always there to return to.
Destructoid 8/10
Crimson Dragon was a pleasant surprise. As a massive fan of the Panzer series, I was worried that this wouldn't quite honor it, but there's plenty here for gamers who have been longing for an entry since 2003's Orta. There are some mechanical problems, but any old-school rail shooter fan will be able to handle them.
Special thanks to the game fonts database for...well... the font! And to CrunchinJelly for the fantastic thread title.
