'Orta' graphics superior in battle scenes

Sega's "Panzer Dragoon" series originally appeared on the Sega Saturn console, which means it was played by about a dozen people. Fortunately, those 12 people are fans of the ravenous and loyal variety, prompting Sega to bring "Panzer Dragoon Orta" to the Xbox. What Sega has created is a beautifully crafted, surreally imagined and supremely entertaining gaming experience.\nAt its basic level, "Panzer Dragoon Orta" is a rail shooter, which means players control the direction they shoot rather than the direction they fly. "Orta" adds levels of depth that aren't usually seen in a genre that can sometimes become stale. Deciding which attributes of the different dragon forms will work in specific situations can determine outcomes of stages and boss battles, while levels are set up with multiple paths to give each stage a fair amount of replay value. All of this added together creates a game with many throw back ideas in a modern package.\nThe game play in "Orta" is just as exciting (or more) than many recent games on any format. Stages are filled to the brim with enemies that come from all directions. As entertaining as levels are, the game is made in its boss battles at the end of each stage. Bosses, such as the pair of giant water worms or the heavily armed airship, are all hugely detailed and fill the screen.\n"Orta's" graphics are a testament to the muscle of the Xbox. The game is sensory overload all the time. The screen can swarm with enemies and the 360 degree camera rotation lets gamers see every one of them. But no matter how hairy the action gets, there's not a second of slow down anywhere. \nA warning, though, "Orta" is an intense game that some may find frustrating. Portions of levels and boss battles require large amounts of patience, which some fair-weather gamers may not have.\n"Orta" is an incarnation of a great game series overlooked simply because they existed on a console that was very short lived. Fortunately, history shouldn't repeat itself.