| Panzer Dragoon II Zwei | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Sega (Team Andromeda) |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Tomohiro Kondo |
| Producer(s) | Tomohiro Kondo |
| Designer(s) | Kentaro Yoshida |
| Programmer(s) | Junichi Suto |
| Artist(s) | Kentaro Yoshida |
| Writer(s) | Katsuhiko Yamada Yukio Futatsugi |
| Composer(s) | Yayoi Wachi |
| Series | Panzer Dragoon |
| Platform(s) | Sega Saturn |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Rail shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei[a] is a 1996 rail shooter game for the Sega Saturn, developed and published by Sega. The second entry in the Panzer Dragoon series and a prequel to the original game, the story follows Lundi and his dragon companion, Lagi, as they pursue an airship of the Ancient Age. The player controls an aiming reticle representing the dragon's laser and Lundi's gun, shooting enemies while the dragon travels through 3D environments on a fixed track. Levels can have multiple pathways, and the dragon grows stronger over the course of the game based on the player's score.
Production of Zwei began in 1995 in parallel with the role-playing video game Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998), with a small staff and little assistance from Sega. In response to player criticism of the original Panzer Dragoon, the team reduced the overall difficulty and expanded the story elements. The soundtrack, composed by Yayoi Wachi, influenced the musical direction of later entries in the series.
Zwei was acclaimed by critics and journalists, with many praising it as superior to the original Panzer Dragoon. Electronic Gaming Monthly named it the 90th best console game of all time in 1997, praising its atmospheric levels and innovative gameplay. A remake for undisclosed platforms is currently in development, handled by MegaPixel Studio under license from Sega.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).