Customer Reviews

Panzer General II

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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If survival is a measure of quality, then PZG 2 must stand with the greatest computer games ever made. It was a great example of "brilliance in simplicity" when it was released and time has not in any way diminished its laurels. In an age when even thinking-man's games are often judged on bells and whistles rather than user-friendliness and enjoyability, it's refreshing to have one at hand that combines the ease-of-play of an action shooter with all the mental challenges you'd demand from a game of strategy.

Simply described, PANZER GENERAL 2 is a tactical-strategic game set in WW 2, which allows the player to choose either individual, one-and-done scenarios from various points between 1938 - 1945 or fight out whole, multi-scenario campaigns that took place during the war. (Individual units are at the regimental level, which allows the player to fight corps or army-size battles). Gamers may select from any of the five campaigns:

British: Follows a British army in NW Europe from 1943 - 1945, with special emphasis on the Normandy battles. A fairly short campaign, maybe five scenarios.

American: Follows the American army in NW Europe from 1943 - 1945. Another short campaign, beginning at Salerno and ending at Dessau. (Closely mirrors the British campaign.)

Russian: Follows the Soviet Army from winter 1941 to the assault on Berlin in 1945. Five scenarios or so.

German: "Blitzkrieg" - follows the German Wehrmacht from the Spanish Civil War in 1938 through most of its victorious campaigns in Poland, Norway, France, Greece, Russia, Africa, etc. This is by far the most detailed of the campaigns, and can go up to or past 17 different scenarios, including some great "What-Ifs" including the invasions of Malta, England and America (if you do really well). "Defending the Reich", on the other hand, is a defensive campaign which begins at Stalingrad and leads you through battles at Stalingrad, Salerno, Kursk, Normandy, and Hungary. It offers the German player the challenge of saving Hitler's empire for him, against overwhelming odds.

PZG 2 is built primarily as a campaign game, meaning that the player starts out with a corps or "family" of units which follow him from scenario to scenario (assuming they survive), and also allows him to acquire new units as time goes on. A very impressive and well-researched array of aircraft, tanks, armored fighting vehicles, artillery pieces, infantry units, and so on are available for every side to draw upon. In addition, a detailed requisition board synced into the game's play-clock allows you to upgrade your weapons as time goes on, so that units fighting in 1944 don't have to use 1939 weaponry. Tough combat situations add experience to your units, and extraordinary feats on the battlefield produce "leaders" who lend elite qualities to their units such as tenacity on defense, double attack, etc. In addition, a scenario-builder allows you to design your own games using not only the major combatants but also Hungarians, Poles, Finns, etc. Once you have the game down, this can be a hell of a lot of fun (say, America vs. USSR, 1946!).

PZG 2 was designed to be intuitive, and requires very little in the way of brow-furrowing to master. Movement, fighting, supply, etc. are all very fluid and idiot-proof, allowing you to concentrate on your battle tactics. Unlike many "strategy" games which favor mindless use of brute force or crazy speed, this one demands that you pay some homage to Clausewitz - concentrate your forces, stick to your objective, mind your clock and guard your flanks (failure to do so may result in embarrassing side effects, such as a*s-kicking). While the game's AI isn't exactly on the Brianiac level, it is more than clever enough on defense to give you fits, and has an eerie knack for finding your weak spot and driving a few regiments of tanks through it.

A last benefit: the engines used to power PZG 2 are so simple that numerous downloadable campaigns, with upgraded weaponry and sound, are available for free on the Internet, once you've exhausted all the possibilities of the game itself. But since that takes a couple of years, don't feel rushed. This classic has stood the test of more than ten years in a market where most games are forgotten in a month. It can wait.

this is old but good, works on XP too. I keep going back to it.

Still a great turn-based strategy game for WWII buffs. Obviously, it focuses on the Euro theatre. Graphics are obviously a bit dated, but the gameplay is fantastic. Just today I'm re-installing it for about the 4th or 5th time.

Excellent had major withdrawls when I bought my new PC and had to drop it because it did not work with Windows Vista.

Lots of fun. I am not into shooting people but I love war games stuff. This game really makes it fun to play w/o lining someone up in my gun sights. Thats why they call it war games. It is interactive enough to make it a good simulation. The computer throws some sneaky stuff every so often just to keep you honest. Can play it for hours. You can customize it to fit what you want to do.

The AI is as good as Panzer General, and perhaps better. The problem I've encountered is the need to go to main map and then back to the local battlefield. It is inconvenient. Still, a good game.