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.

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.

[1][2] The story is communicated through CGI and real-time cutscenes, with in-game speech using the constructed Panzer Dragoon-universe language with subtitles.

[1][3] Gameplay is mostly identical to the original Panzer Dragoon; the player controls an aiming reticle for a flying dragon and its rider as they move through the level.

[8] Each level is scored based on enemy kill ratio, damage taken, route taken, the number of continues used, and time taken to defeat the boss.

[1][2] Zwei is a prequel set prior to the events of the original Panzer Dragoon, against the backdrop of a war between the Empire and the nation of Meccania over remnants of the Ancient Age, a vanished civilization.

Lundi defies the village tradition by sheltering an abnormal coolia born with both a glowing green throat and wings, naming him Lagi.

[12] After they recover, Lundi and Lagi follow Shelcoof's trail while fending off attacks from indigenous beasts and Meccanian forces.

[19] The aim was to expand upon the gameplay of the original game and improve its technical performance with a higher frame rate and smoother visuals.

[22][23] Series creator Yukio Futatsugi originally oversaw both projects' narratives, but as his attention shifted onto Saga, Zwei's story became the responsibility of Katsuhiko Yamada.

[6] Lundi and the Emperor were voiced by Shigeru Nakahara and Ryūzaburō Ōtomo; as with the original game, the dialogue is in the fictional language of the Panzer Dragoon world.

[20] A notable element was the water effects, which were created using a combination of parallax scrolling and layers, allowing a look impossible on the 3D-focused PlayStation without exceeding the hardware limits of the Saturn.

[18] Panzer Dragoon Saga composer Saori Kobayashi credited Wachi's shift away from the first game's musical style with shaping her future compositions for the series.

[1][33] The original Japanese album was released digitally worldwide on February 14, 2018, alongside the other Panzer Dragoon soundtracks to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Saga.

[34] Panzer Dragoon II Zwei was announced in Japan and teased at the promotional event "Toshimaen VS Sega Saturn" in December 1995.

[41][42] Following the releases of Saga for the Saturn and Panzer Dragoon Orta (2002) for the Xbox, the series went dormant due to low overall sales, with Sega licensing out later projects.

[43] Remakes of both Panzer Dragoon and Zwei were announced in 2018, published by Forever Entertainment and developed by their internal MegaPixel Studio under license from Sega.

[51] A reviewer for Next Generation said that while the gameplay makes only minimal innovations to the restrictive on-rails format, the game keeps the player hooked though its gorgeous visuals and absorbing story.

He summarized: "In a surprising victory for art and plot direction, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei proves that visual sophistication and compelling storylines can sometimes overcome less than revolutionary gameplay.

"[53] Maximum's Daniel Jevons concurred with Scary Larry that the game "positively laughs in the face of any competing PlayStation 3D shooters."

He pointed out that the much-maligned on-rails format is necessary to create the experience the game offers, noting as an example that it allowed the developers to synchronize the soundtrack with what is going on.

He also praised the animation, 3D graphics, high frame rate, absence of pixelation even on the heavily detailed bosses, precise controls, lock-on attacks, and the ability to adjust the game's difficulty by choosing different routes.

[55] The following year they ranked it number 90 on their "100 Best Games of All Time", citing its atmospheric levels and evolving dragon, as well as how, like the original, it represented a true 3-D evolution for the shooter genre through the player ability to rotate the perspective.