Codename: Panzers Phase One

by CDV Software Entertainment

Product Features

• Real-time strategy game set during World War II
• More than 100 units -- from flame-throwing squads to tanks
• 30 missions spread over 3 campaigns
• Gain prestige points to buy more units or make upgrades and repairs to existing units
• Single player and multiplayer modes

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002BJNV4
• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: October 5, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,489 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

No, this can't be! Initial outpost reports showed only armored infantry, but some serious hardware is headed this way! How could two 70-ton German Königstiger battle tanks simply be overlooked?! Well, no time to lay blame, just aim the bazooka and bring up the tanks from the rear. Only a direct hit can destroy them....

Codename: Panzers thrusts you into the high-powered battles of World War II. Whether played in towns with bullet-riddled buildings, bleak mountain landscapes, or treacherous swamps, Codename: Panzers offers real-time combat rampages with awesome 3D graphics. Create your combat force from over 100 finely detailed units, from a flame-throwing squad to a Soviet Stalin organ rocket launcher to a German Königstiger battle tank. Be the commander--demolish the enemy with clever tactical maneuvers. Experience the nerve-jangling thrill of strategic gaming--in Codename: Panzers!

Features

• World War II sets the scene for thrilling RTS
• Totally 3D: terrain, units, buildings, weather, sound, movement, special effects--realistically portrayed in the minutest detail
• 30 versatile missions in 3 thrilling campaigns
• Every unit is designed with realistic fields of vision shaped by sound, experience and external conditions
• More than 50 individually controllable and historically accurate vehicles: tanks, cannons, trucks, jeeps and motorcycles
• A huge arsenal for the infantry, including flame throwers, bazookas, shells and mines
• Soldiers creep, crawl, run, and dive for cover
• Infantry makes use of equipment such as bandages, field telephones, binoculars and even rubber dinghies
• Using an ingenious bonus system, troops gain prestige points that can be used to buy more units or make upgrades and repairs
• Finely detailed war-damaged equipment and constructions, from realistic function failure to total annihilation
• Dramatic campaigns with German, Russian and western Allied troops
• 4 engaging multiplayer functions with several specially developed battlefields
• Training camp for all strategies and units with special abilities
• Support from bombers, hunters, scouts and naval artillery

Product Description

Codename: Panzers is an incredible real-time strategy thrill ride. Nerves of steel are required when you're a tank driver - One direct hit and you're done for -- but you must throw yourself into the battle, because without your support, many will die. You are the tank commander -- make the hard decisions that win wars! Collect prestige points to use for new units, equipment or repairs Wild multiplayer mode on 4 unique interactive battlegrounds If you're new to real-time military strategy, go into Training Mode for fun practice with each bomber, plane and fighting unit

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lot like WW2, but with a pause button..., July 14, 2004

By 

AntVector (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Codename: Panzers Phase One (CD-ROM)

Ingredients:

1 cup Blitzkrieg
2 tsp A Bridge Too Far
Mixed statistics and HE shells
Big dollop of history

For anyone who ever wanted to click their way through World War 2, this latest real-time-strategy game from CDV may be just the thing. Players take on the role of German, British, American and Russian commanders, boldy leading platoons of little polygonal troops to death or glory. And it's really rather cool, n'all.

Viewed from above the battlefield, players can rotate, pan and tilt the camera to get the best view of the action, zooming out for a wider look at the field, or zooming in to watch individual soldiers take aim. 'Panzers boast an impressive variety of units, all highly detailed and distinctive, so you'll have no trouble telling them apart once things get frantic. Its quite a thrill to see infantry squads taking cover behind meticulously modeled walls and hedgerows, machine gun crews going prone and setting up their weapon bipods and the grit and decals clearly visible on armored units.

Like CDV's other RTS, Blitzkrieg, players must carefully manage and defend their units, since every squad that survives the mission will be carried forward to the next battle. In addition, battle-hardened troops gain experience that boosts their accuracy and mobility, so it's worth playing smart. To bolster your ranks you can purchase additional troops or vehicles before each mission. The game currency is 'prestige', earned principally by completing missions. It's possible to recieve a prestige bonus by completing a mission with few casualties, inflicting lots of damage on your foes or by finishing in record time, and there is immense replay value in trying to gain maximum points. Naturally, the practical payoff of careful planning will be more units to command next time around. Each completed mission concludes with a report from the battle, grading your performance, and this can be a real help in taking on the next challenge, seeing what you can do better etc.

There are lots of options to play around with on the battlefield; all units can be commanded to alter their behaviour, responding aggressively to threats or remaining passive (great for ambushes). In addition, infantry can be instructed to move crouched, or to crawl, which adds another dimension to your strategy. Infantry units can also occupy buildings and take control of captured vehicles - like Blitzkrieg, it's possible to take out a gun crew, for example, and then make off with the weapon, swelling your combat effectiveness mid-game. It's even possible to gently persuade tank crews to bail out by super-heating their ride with flamethrowers or molotov cocktails! Many units have alternate weapons, including grenades, landmines and rubber boats, so there's almost always more than one way to complete your objective. Battlefield support is often available in the form of bombers, recon planes or artillery. Like in Blitzkrieg, planes can't be directly controlled, rather, given a starting objective, so you need to use them wisely.

Everything in the game is rendered in loving detail, and the maps are no exception. There's an astonishing amount of attention paid to buildings (which can be reduced to shattered shells with sustained fire), and plenty of wonderful ambient details - grass and trees that sway in the wind, birds that flap lazily about, and the water effects are among the best I've ever seen in a strategy title. It's a pleasure to lead your troops through such varied locations, from the hedgerows of France to the frozen streets of Stalingrad. There's even a working weather - (in pouring rain your heavy armor may find itself bogged down) and a functioning day/night cycle that throws up new gameplay possibilities - why not wait until darkness falls to sneak your platoon right down the enemy's throat?

Mid-game cut sequences, using the game engine, occur periodically to highlight objectives or spotlight a particular event. Its a simple but effective way of introducing story elements into the game, and makes the whole sha-bang feel all the more personal. Another nice touch is the inclusion of a game speed button - it's possible to compress time for those long trips, or pause the action. The real boon of the pause function is that you can still rotate the view and issue orders in this mode. Large battles become a lot more manageable as a result, since you can pause the game, rattle off intructions, and then unpause and see how it all plays out. The fog of war, a common RTS element is present and correct, but 'Panzers throws the factor of sound into the mix...visual icons represent when your troops can hear, but not see, enemy troops or vehicles. There's a great sense of tension as you and your men hear the rumble of approaching armor, waiting to see what emerges from the fog...a platoon of tiger tanks anyone?

Any downsides? Well, you'll need a decent computer to get the most from all the graphical effects, although my P.4 handles it smoothly enough at 1280x960. CDV is a German publisher, and its pretty clear that all the English language, spoken and written, was translated from the original - non-sequiters and strange phrasings pop up in the mission briefings, and some of the soldier chatter is rather iffy. Still, there's so much charm on display here that it matters nought. Also, much like the WW2 action game Call Of Duty, it's a rather scripted experience - that is, you'll be facing the same enemy components each time you play a given mission. Still, battles seldom play out the same, and there's lots of room to make your own variety through tactics and troop selection. It's also difficult to recommend this title to anyone who was on the fence about Blitzkrieg. It doesn't offer anything radically different enough to truly seperate it from that title. Indeed, I think it's pretty fair to say that 'Panzers plays much like the plucky younger brother of Blitzkrieg, expanding on many ideas and refining others. Basically, if you liked that game you're gonna love this.

Armchair generals take note...this title represents a new wave of WW2 strategy, and would be a worthy medal to add to your collection.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A step forward for the RTS genre, October 13, 2004

By 

Daniel Choi "Demigod" (Toronto, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Codename: Panzers Phase One (CD-ROM)

Codename: Panzers is a nice break from the traditional build-and-destroy RTS games. It's an action-oriented strategy game, ignoring all aspects of economy and focusing on the strategy and tactics of warfare. This game delivers on its gameplay promises and then some.

The presentation of this game is simply astounding. There has never been a RTS game with as lush and immersive visuals as this game. It features a fully-3D environment with highly detailed environments and units. The level of detail and interactivity is impressive. Trees waver in the wind and can be knocked down by your tanks or artillery fire and power lines can be broken and knocked down. Explosions and special effects are done well and realistic and the level designs and textures are fantastic. The developers wasted no expense in making the levels as accurate as possible, mimicking german towns or russian cities down to the last detail. It really helps to create an immersive environment and it truly does feel like you're back in 1939, whether in wide-open fields or in bombed-out cities. The audio is also well-incorporated and you can literally feel the blast of artillery fire as it rips through the battlefield. The sound of advancing enemy tanks also helps create a feeling of tension before each major battle.

The units were also great and varied. The tanks are modelled well and are accurate for the most part and the infantry are highly-specialized, ranging from riflemen to mortar teams to flamethrowers. There are a lot of different strategies and tactics you can adopt for any given situation, making the game more than just a run-and-shoot game. Tank blitzes are always fun but you can also choose to bombard enemies from long range with siege weapons or soften them up with bombing runs. You can also have infantry occupy buildings for cover and support. The real focus of the game is around tanks and large-scale tank battles are the real selling point for the game. They are what I crave for in every mission and for most of the missions they deliver. However, using infantry to incapacitate lone tanks (or even take them over) can also be fun and rewarding.

The story and characters haven't been neglected either. The story is told through cutscenes and journal entries and they show the state of the war and the personal thoughts of the commander you are playing. There are three heroes, one for each of the three campaigns and you get to know them very well by the end. Your role as the commander hero is prevalent and in fact I felt such an empathy with them that I wanted them to succeed in all their missions, even though I knew they wouldn't from history. You also form a bond with your men as you maintain relatively the same array of units from level to level and they won't be replaced in-game. It gets to the point where a single unit killed is a major blow. This is a definitive break from economy-based RTS games where you can simply replace lost units and the true reward of a mission is coming out with all your men alive.

Of course every game has its ups and downs and this game is no exception. There are a number of gripes I have with the game. I personally found the AI severely lacking. Often times enemies will simply stand there while you pummel them with artillery and they don't use any real strategies. Moving units can also be a big hassle, especially tanks. They seem to take up more space than they do visibly and they often times get trapped or cut off others, forcing them to shuffle around unnecessarily to get into position. These issues aren't anything new for RTS games and in fact I have encountered them in almost all RTS games. They don't ruin the game by any means but it would be nice to see enemies using coordinated attacks and units moving in logical formations. The game also could have used some background music and some more varied unit voice-overs. All the heroes seem to say the same thing. The game also isn't too realistic in its gameplay, although no one wants to play a game that's too real. I wouldn't really consider it a flaw as just about every game foregoes realism for the sake of gameplay (first-person games wouldn't be much fun if you died by a single gunshot ;)).

Overall I would give this game a 85% rating. No game is perfect but this game comes close considering its goal. In a genre dominated by build-and-destroy Warcraft or Command and Conquer games Codename: Panzers is something different that sets itself apart from the masses and succeeds. It is truly a step forward in RTS games and it's nice to just get into battles and fight. It features unparalleled graphics, fast-action gameplay with large tank battles, and good warfare elements. It's easy enough for the average gamer to get into yet provides enough complexity and strategy elements to satisfy the hardcore RTS gamer. If you're a fan of World War 2 games or action-oriented RTS games then this game will be perfect for you. It is certainly worth playing if you're into the genre at all.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read all reviews before puchasing, March 31, 2005

By 

J. S Thomas "Jethro" (Arlington, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Codename: Panzers Phase One (CD-ROM)

This game is the BEST ground based WW2 game on the market hands down. The details in the vehicles is stunning and accurate. The germans speak german, russian speak russian, etc. The missions are enjoyable with some very tough ones. The cut scenes are wonderfully done bringing in the characters the game portrays. Check out the longer reviews and in more depth as they are right on the money and its money well spent on this game.