Those who have played Azel/Saga fully may have noticed that the bonus dragon evolution that is the origin of our host’s namesake looks significantly different from any other version of the Armored Blue Dragon.
The “Solo Wing” is longer and leaner looking, especially the horn itself. And the wings are much larger, about twice the surface area compared to the classic design. Also the “ear” plates on the side of the head are slightly different, rounded somewhat, more organic.
It was very hard for me to even look at the classic in-game model after that, with it’s atrophied legs and miniscule wings. I was a little surprised that they used the original style for the Blue Dragon you can select in Box Games in Orta, but since it’s basically a better looking version of the CG model it still looks sweet, self shadowing and all.
I still give the edge to Solo Wing myself, it just looks more threatening somehow. I’ve spent hours just looking at that model flying over the burning forest. But comparing those 2 models, Orta’s or Saga’s which do you prefer?
When I first read the topic name, I thought you were talking about Blue Dragon as in the Xbox 360 RPG. I was a bit confused to say the least.
I would have to prefer the Solo Wing as well however, because just like you said it looks like a leaner more effective fighting machine, and force to be dealt with than the Blue Dragon. And since the wings are longer it gives it a sense of grace almost that I find lacking in the other designs.
To be clear I don’t mean for anyone to rate the low-poly in game model from Panzer Dragoon or Zwei. (also re-used in Azel for the “ghost dragon” inside Shellcoof and also Sestren Exis’s form) But the fundamental proportions of “Solo Wing” are distinct from any other artwork or renders of ‘Blue’.
And the “Blue Dragon” model in Orta is the best classic version to go by I would say.
I had 'em, so I thought I may as well post 'em. Also, some slightly random observations on the subject:
Though the details on the Blue Dragon and Solo Wing are definitely a bit different (one has red eyes, the other has yellow eyes, they have different patterns on their armour etc), the Solo Wing’s differently proportioned body looks like it might have taken its lead from the high-quality Blue Dragon render made for PD1, which had a much longer horn etc. than the in-game model:
Curiously, the “hologram dragon” that appears inside Shelcoof in PDS actually does use the old Blue Dragon model from PD1 and PD2, rather than the new Solo Wing model made for that game:
Looking at its proportions, the new Blue Dragon model from the Sega Ages Panzer Dragoon does appear to be based on the original in-game model, rather than any other rendered / artwork versions:
The high quality renders are somewhat of a hybrid I guess. I think the horn’s length relative to the body is still in line with the classic in-game model, but in-game the thickness is exagererated to get across the right curvature with the severely limited polygons. The wings in the third image seem closer to Solo Wing’s, makes me wonder if the original “shrinkage” was an extrapolation of in-flight stretched posture. The oversized leg-plates and the flat looking face-plates are the remaining major differences.
The Sega Ages model should be about the same as Orta’s, and it’s interesting to note it’s nearly identical to the CG render’s except for the thinner looking wings lifted from the original in-game.
It’s actually no great mystery to me they didn’t use the same Solo Wing model for either the holo-dragon or Sestren in Azel. They clearly budgeted a huge number of polygons for the principal model, it’s the one thing you’re looking at up close all the time. It may not have been even possible for little ol’ Saturn to render 2 Solo Wings at once and still be able to show much of anything else.
