First impressions...

[SotiCoto]

Very good recreation. Had to pause a few times from tearing up due to nostalgia overload.
Just a few little things stand out...

1. The encounter with the Prototype Dragon in the desert was a bit too easy. I mean it didn't go down quite that quickly back in the original. Conversely that first boss... the airship, took a hell of a lot longer to beat. Actual minutes as compared to the Prototype Dragon, which went down in under 10 seconds. O'course the airship has multiple stages that it has to cycle through where it won't take damage past a certain level... plus a difference in lock-on target density...
Also that glowy orange shockwave attack... I can handle it being blurred, so it is difficult to know the bounds of the hitbox... but it used to have a VERY obvious sound-effect that let me know it was coming, while now it seems to be effectively silent... or at least very quiet. I will reference this again lower down.

2. The guardian in the caves... episode 4. That little cutscene with a close-up of it waking up detracts from the tension of the scene and was never there in the original. I felt the original way of just flying slowly and silently past it, then just catching a glimpse of it starting to wake up and give chase in the rear view was a much better way to start that fight.

3. The forest boss. The mobile base. A pointless thing to remember, but I really miss the way the whole thing would bounce along exploding apart after defeating it. Watching it just bloop out in one little explosion in the remake was a bit underwhelming.

4. It has been a long while since I played the original on the Saturn or even the version included in Orta on the Xbox... but I don't recall Episode 6 being that unforgiving before. I mean Episodes 1 through 4 were complete easy mode, Episode 5 was kinda tough, then Episode 6 I died 3 times and restarted over manually about 8 more because my health would drop down below half in the first 20 seconds of the Episode. I mean I can handle it. I beat it eventually, but it was a bit of a jarring shift after having done every single other Episode on my first try.

5. The final form of the prototype was underwhelming in this incarnation. It didn't scream loudly like the original. It moved slower. Those orange shockwave attacks were nearly silent again... which really lacks impact since the difference between the desert fight and the final fight used to be really emphasised by the rapid-fire sound of those going off. It doesn't help that the storm sounds are drowning out most of the dragon / fight sounds.
And again, much as in the desert, it died far too quickly. It was a complete walkover compared to Episode 6... and I remember really struggling with the final boss in the original game.
Again... Prototype dragon flapping up close in Lagi's face really needed that desperate screech of despair as it dies. It really doesn't feel right without the vivid sound-effects.

6. ... I can't get into Pandora's Box. At all. I've input the code on the title screen and it does nothing. I've input it with the controller, with the keyboard... nothing. No response. It literally has the words "Pandora's Box" in red at the top of the screen but I can't get to it.


Anyway... on the whole a fun time. Good stuff. =3

[Stnank]

Agreed on everything. I remember having my ass absolutely handed to me in Episode 4 and the final boss. But I managed to do it first try no problems in this version. I wonder if it's because of the higher framerate it's easier and it the old gameplay didn't translate well? It's hard to pin.

[Stnank]

Also I found to enter Pandora's Box, you need to input that code as fast as you can. I did it on controller, worked fine. Just do it real quick.

[SotiCoto]

Yeah, I found that out eventually. It is tough to get the input right. Didn't expect it to require being so fast.
Also I pretty much got used to Episode 6 now. Remembering where all the enemies are coming from helps considerably.

[KomdivCCCP]

Does it have original OST?

[SotiCoto]

Originally posted by KomdivCCCP:

Does it have original OST?

All the music has been remade, but they're pretty much like subtle remixes of the original music... right down to the cutscenes, menus, etc. I've got absolutely no complaints about the music.
Plus I could be wrong, but I think there was an option in the settings to have it play the real original music... but I didn't test it yet.

[Cervantes]

Originally posted by KomdivCCCP:

Does it have original OST?

Both original and a new one by Saori Kobayashi (PD Saga and Orta's composer). You can choose in the options, it uses the original music by default.

[Cervantes]

About the impressions, I agree on almost everything, besides the Episode 6 being more unforgiving (I remember it being like that in the original, too). If anything, the forest episode is the one that seems a bit easier, at least the boss - the entire thing go down much quicker in the remake and its missiles in the last phase are slower.

My general opinion: I love the work done in the remake, PD is my favourite series and I'm glad the developers did a great job on it, even if they didn't have a large budget or time to work with. What caught my eye as things that could be fine tuned are the following ones:

1. The water in Episode 1 is too static, I really miss the waves, especially when you get to the boss area. The waves are a defining feature of the original.

2. The sound of the dragon's screech when it's hit (and in the opening movie, too). It's painful and strong in the original, as it should be, but too subdued in the remake. As that sound in engraved in everyone's memory and was barely changed through the sequels, it would be better to use it instead of the new one.

3. As other people noticed, the iconic opening shot in Episode 1 should start with the camera much closer to Keil.

4. This is more a pet peeve, but I think the final boss is either smaller or positioned a bit farther in the remake. In the original version, it feels closer to the player, so it looks huge and the player has to dodge its tail through the entire fight. As it's positioned farther in the remake, it looks smaller and I had no problem with his tail attacks. Maybe that's why SotiCoto thought it was underwhelming in the remake (I thought it was a bit, too). The widescreen amplifies that impression, too.

Besides those small touches, the remake is a very good start and I have great expectations for Zwei.

[SotiCoto]

Yeah. I think the dragon and enemy sound effects need to be enhanced and made more striking in general... with perhaps a bit less emphasis on ambient sounds like rain (and the gibbon or whatever making noises in the forest).

It is as you say with the final boss being either too small or too far. Well, that and it doesn't seem to move as quickly.