Customer Reviews

Panzer Elite

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Panzer Elite is the game I have been searching for years. I have been playing tank games on paper and on computers for years. I admit to having had some flight simulator envy with their great first person perspective. Now I need not envy anymore. I can hop into my trusty Sherman (or Tiger) and let the lead fly. This game is very immersive. It gets all the essentials of tank combat right. The terrain is modeled in great detail with trees, hills, nooks and crannies great for hiding behind. Tanks are modeled in appearance (insides too), but also in how they respond to damage. Damage to can range from a catastrophic 'brewing up' to a damaged radio. The player can command an American or German platoon in combat from Tunisia to France, by way of Sicily and Italy. The learning curve is steep, but is mostly developing situational awareness and learning to deal in real time with hairy situations. The game ran great for me out of the box. There is great support on the web for any that encounter problems. There is an active user's community growing for Internet play and user enhancement. Panzer Elite has become the new standard that all tank sims will be judged by.

I bought this game with the premise that Wings Simulations web site was correct, a minimum requirement was P166 with a 3D board; on the box, the minimum is a PII and a board. On my system [pentium pro 200 with Voodoo], it runs, but slowly. After tweaking the setup, it is acceptable, but lacking since the graphics move slowly and jerky. The game itself is well done, and the play-time is fun and seems to be pretty realistic. It is a 3 star overall, 4 to 5 with a power system.

Panzer Elite is one of the best sims I have ever played. I have been computing for the last 15 years with a background in studying military history, specifically armor combat of WW2 for the past 20 years. Panzer Elite models all the details of armor combat and it truly gives you the flavor of WW2 tanking.

I had zero problems installing and running the SIM, most users who experience problems do so because they do not have updated drivers necessary for running Panzer Elite proper. I have followed Wings Simulations tech support board for sometime now and to see how they support their clients. Wings has developed patches for those experiencing problems that need addressing a common practice for software publishers patches are part of life for software users. The developer of Panzer Elite has done so with blinding speed and support second to none. In short they are the best company I have ever dealt with. The graphics are gorgeous and immerse you in combat. Enemy AI is top notch and a challenge. Multiplayer support, 80 missions. Varied campaigns make this a must have for anyone who enjoys sims and armor. They are also expanding the product and will enhance Panzer Elite further with addons. Varied realism options help beginners as well as hardcore sim options for those wanting utmost realism.

To sum it up if you want a quake or doom experience of shoot the bad guys, Panzer Elite is not for you. If you want a quality product, the most realistic tank sim on the market, a company who cares about putting out excellent product then Panzer Elite is for you! Buy it, learn it, live it!

This is the quintissential WWII tank simulation; the vehicles are painstakingly crafted in exquisite detail, terrain is detailed and complex both closeup and at a distance, the artificial intelligence is well-developed, crafty and tactically skilled, and the player is confronted with much the same challenges that faced a WWII tank platoon leader. Perhaps best of all, the scenarios and campaign game are logical, believable, and challenging. The simulation also includes artillery, infantry, weather, logistics. With such attention to detail in the design, one can easily becomes totally immersed in the simulation experience. With up-to-date sound and video drivers Panzer Elite has run flawlessly with no crashes from day one. Finally, support is superb -- twice I have emailed questions to customer support... both questions were answered within two hours -- by the leader of the game design team himself! Anyone interested in learning about and experiencing what armor combat was like in the Second World War would do well to acquire Panzer Elite.

The best WWII tank battle simulation ever produced. It includes very accurately reproduced Battlefields with a stunning texture, Panzers and Tanks that actually look and feel like the real thing, devious infantry who actually pops up whenever you less expect it to destroy your tank.

Finally, tanks can destroy trees and buildings and make their way through valleys, hills and rivers. You may even get stuck in mud if you're not too careful, especially in Russia. When it rains, it really pours and your tank will have a harder time to travel across prairies drenched with water.

Gun muzzle blasts are as real as you can get them. You have original crew voices (all in the Nations' respective languages) telling you what they are doing and orders from the High Command you better follow , unless you want to end a loser. Strategies and tactics are up to you and it is also your task to command and protect you platoon from enemy fire.

It is not "as if" you were in WWII, but rather as if you "are" in WWII.
Every mission is based on accurately researched historical events, with historical settings, vehicles and soldiers. Even the camouflage patterns on your tanks change during the course of war and according to the terrain in which you do battle.

You can drive almost any tank imaginable in that period: from a Valentine to a Firefly, from PzKpfw II to a King's Tiger and from StuG III to a Hunting Tiger! Each tank comes with its own realistic set of fuel, armament and equipment and you better make sure you fuel it up before a mission, otherwise you're stuck like a lame duck.

The only downside to this game is that you won't have any aerial cover nor having Allied aircraft attacking you. This is though, compensated by an ever-present heavy Artillery attack which can happen at any moment and wherever you may be...

The interiors of the tanks are as accurate and minutely researched as their exteriors (most of the documentation comes from Tank Museums). You are able to sit in the tank as well as seeing it from an exterior view which you can swing like a camera filming it (at every angle, except from below, but who would like to see his own tank from underneath it?).

The weight of the vehicles you drive is also there. The feeling of driving an M-8 might be exhilarating, especially due to its speed, but when you face a Tiger you better duck, or it will blast you off in thousand pieces. If you command a Tiger instead, you will be much slower, but you wouldn't have to worry too much about a Lee or a Sherman. You just stop the heavy beast, aim, fire and move forward. One shot with an 88mm caliber gun will send a Sherman's turret fly as if it were made of Aluminum.

The main attractivity of this game though, is that it keeps expanding. More and more scenarios can be added almost monthly.
From Africa to Italy and from the vast steppes of Russia to the shores of Normandy and beyond, you will have to survive through the entire conflict.

Moreover, its system of MODs, or additional functionality modules, allow it to have it a different feel with every single one enabled. You want to fight in Normandy in Winter, instead of in the Summer? Fine, you just enable the Night and Winter MOD and you have it. You want to drive more vehicles in the African Desert than those that came with the game? Enable the Full-Monty MOD and you will have that too.

The description could go on forever. Suffice it to say that this is a unique simulation that cannot compare to any other similar one ever produced. The people who have worked and still work at it are passionate artists, programmers and above all, historians. They know perfectly what they are doing and do it extremely well.

A warning though! Since this game is meant to be played directly from your Hard Drive, because you have to completely install it there, including all the additions and scenarios (just to make the game smoother) it is only recommended to those of you who have large HDs and a very performing Graphic Card with lots of memory included.

To conclude, until someone will come up with a photo-realistic game, based on WWII, that actually shows the true villages, towns and cities as well as the actually filmed vehicles, this will remain the jewel in the crown of any other similar simulation.

I would nominate it the best WWII simulation of all times and also of times to come...
Up to you now, to make up your minds, but if you don't buy it, you will never know what you have missed.

this is a great challenging game. it does have selectable levels for toughness so anyone who is really interested and over 12 years old can have a great time. there is currently no reliable way to hook up easily for online play although Kali has devoted one server to it #64. as soon as WON or Kali etc. get their acts together with this sim we will all finally have a tank sim that is the ground equivalent of Warbirds. happy hunting!

Panzer Elite is a detailed WW II tank, platoon size simulation.

After a few days struggle /crashes & lockups/ with videocard drivers I finally found the right ones /in my case nVidia Detonator 3.53 for my Viper 550/ and since then the game rules!

Graphics, sounds and gameplay are very good, didn't play another game since then.

The game still has some bugs, but thanks to absolutely exceptional tech support from WingSimulations development team led by Teut Weidemann /yes, these guys are actually listening what the players are complaining about, and fixing the things accordingly, in a fast pace; pretty amazing! ; there is a PE forum running at their site, responding very fast all the gameplay and tech aspects/ the bugs will be sorted out in a short time..

Game is a bit hardware hungry; fast CPU plus 3D card is a must for a smoother gameplay at higher resolutions.

Would recommend this program to anyone interested in the WW II armor battles; some patience in order to fine-tune it on player's computer might be needed as well.

Overall, PE rules and will rule even more after the rest of small glitches will be removed!

I've been playing this Sim for nearly four hours a day for nearly two weeks now w/o any lockups. This is a great game, no question. It does take some time to learn but what good meaty sim doesn't these days. Very immersive, very tactical, very fun. This game is what Panzer Commander wanted to be but couldn't pull off. If your a WWII buff this is THE tank sim for you. Enough talk, now its time for me to get back to brewing up some krauts. Panthers and Tigers and Hetzers OH MY!

Highly recommended for all Panzer-geeks and Treadheads. Speaking as a DesertStorm "Hell On Wheels" M1A1 tanker, PanzerElite is a realistic yet playable armor sim. The tanks and terrain graphics live up to the hype. The Artificial Intelligence is fantastic, making the game very challenging and thus very fun. I've experienced one crash in 30+ games. Tech support by the lead designer couldn't be better. AWESOME!

I was so anxious to get this game. I mean really anxious. I'd been playing SSI's `Panzer Commander' for over a year and the buzz about Panzer Elite was so favorable and so electric, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

I finally got the Panzer Elite game home and I literally ripped it out of the box and threw the CD into my computer. What ensued next was the beginning of a long series of headaches, disappointments and aggravating computer "down time". While the install itself went smoothly (the opening cinematic sequence was nice as well) it was all down hill after that. I attempted to jump right into game play only to discover that my video card was having some serious problems. Without hesitation I went to the Panzer Elite web site and then straight to the PE trouble-shooting forum. As I suspected, it was recommended that I download the latest drivers for my Riva 16mb 3D card. It took me nearly an hour and a half to find the right drivers (no fault of the folks at Panzer Elite HQ)! Once installed, I discovered I was going to have to "tweak" the settings of my 3D card via a 3D tool that came with the game as it was still not working properly. I downloaded a diagnosing utility from the Panzer Elite site, made a few more adjustments and the problem was fixed (!). I jumped right into game play and things SEEMED to be off and running. The frame rate looked a little sluggish and I considered tweaking my 3D settings again, but then I decided to live with the minor problems. The graphics looked great and the pre-campaign/mission briefings were absolutely outstanding. Panzer Elite gives you full control of your tank crew and I found myself immersed in the decision making. Then I began to notice that the audio in the game did not seem right. The only thing I was hearing during game play was the sound of my tank engine and nothing else. Ok, now I knew I was having a sound card problem. Again I went to the PE web site which suggested I get the latest audio drivers for my Turtle Beach sound card. After installing the new sound card drivers I was still receiving minimal sound. I even tried 2 different sets of speakers. No luck! The install and help manual that comes with Panzer Elite is wretched. One of the most vague, UN-detail oriented game manuals I have ever read. No trouble-shooting help to speak of, no practical tips or suggestions, nothing! I later realized that not only was I missing out on all the audible pops and whistles, cracks and bangs of warfare in Panzer Elite, but my tank crew members also spoke and relayed orders and directives. This of course is imperative to game play. Without it, you'll find yourself struggling to read the scrolling text that brings you up to date with what's going on in your tank.

The `Help Forum/Chat' at the Panzer Elite web site was a welcome trouble-shooting guide, but after trying numerous suggestions, my system (450Mhz, 128mb RAM, the works, etc!) could just not handle the game. I put it back in the box and took it back to the store and got my money back.

If there was one good aspect of the game, it was that the folks that make it are very helpful and very patient. "Teut", one of the designers was kind of enough to help me try to work through the bugs and glitches. This type of one-on-one attention is almost unheard of in the software gaming world. Hats off to the designers of PE for their commitment to their customers. That said, I did notice that A LOT of other people seemed to be having problems just like mine. The PE on line Help Forum was clogged with questions similar to mine, some even worse.

I know the designers of Panzer Elite delayed the release date of this game by almost a year, but it seems as if they should have waited longer. It should have been re-tested on a multitude of systems and then tested again. I consider myself to have a reasonably standard system, and one I've even enhanced for game play. I've never, ever experienced problems like I did with Panzer Elite.

My recommendation to persons considering buying this: Approach with caution, and save your receipt. The game is apparently breathtaking once you get it going -it's getting to that point that will try your patience.