17. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (Sega Saturn – 1996)
The Panzer Dragoon series is dripping with atmosphere, and in many ways the limitations of the hardware of the time may actually have benefitted that atmosphere, as the remake of the first game completely lost that. I love the lore of this franchise, and the 3D on-rails shooting is just perfectly executed, possibly the best of the entire genre. The level design is amazing, and while the difficulty is certainly toned down significantly from the brutality of the first game, it is still challenging enough for the progression to feel very satisfying. Branching paths also offer replay value. The game is also one of the true technical masterpieces of the system, maybe the greatest accomplishment in that regard, or at least tied with Virtua Fighter 2, although NiGHTS has a slight edge when it comes to artistic beauty.
