Codename: Panzers Phase Two

Codename Panzers is turning into a solid series for fans of the strategy genre. The first game was a fantastic World War II real-time strategy game. The game had all of the ingredients for a great game; amazing graphics, great gameplay and hard hitting A.I. that kept you on your toes. If you enjoyed the first game, then Phase Two will be another helping of gaming goodness that will surely please. But it should be said that Phase Two seems to be more of an expansion pack then an entirely new game.

Most of the game plays out exactly the same as Panzers: Phase One. I would refer gamers to check out my review of the first game for a better understanding of what Panzers is all about. The review for Panzers: Phase One can be found here: http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21216.htm. Phase Two offers the same gameplay as the first game but with some minor upgrades. In addition to the mandatory new units the game also includes all new scenarios based upon different historical figures of World War II. The players in Phase Two are Dario & Sergio De Angelis and Hans von Grobel from the Axis campaigns. Jeffrey Wilson and James Barnes represent the Allied campaigns. Farvan “Vuk” Pondurovic and Aleksander Efremovich Vladimirov represent the Partisan campaign. The campaign selected will determine which historic figure you will play during the game.

Besides the new units and new characters in the game another new feature in the game are the night missions. During the night missions your headlights determine whether you (or the enemy) will be visible during a mission. The viewing range you have without your headlights on limits you to only see certain parts of the playing field. If you turn the headlights your viewing area increases but so does your chance of being spotted by the enemy. Sure, it might not sound like such a big deal and it really isn’t but the night missions offer a change of pace compared to the usual missions. The graphics of the headlights do look fantastic and helps set the atmosphere of the night missions.

The cutscenes in the game offer an insight into the story of the different characters in the game. The cutscenes will occur usually during the beginning of a mission and at various points during a mission. The voice acting of the characters were well done with Peter Weller (Robocop fame) supplying the voice of one of the characters.  The developers even hired two Hollywood script writers for the story which helps keep the storyline moving along nicely.

If you never played the first Panzer game then there isn’t that much of a difference between the two games to justify which one is better. Read the review of the first game and then weigh your options as to which game you should purchase immediately. Since the first Panzer was released late last year it’s possible that you might be able to pick up the first one at a discounted price. Another big difference between the two games is Phase Two comes on one DVD instead of multiple CDs. It’s so refreshing to see PC game publishers finally embracing DVD media instead of having to waddle through 5 or 6 CDs.

For gamers that lived Phase One night and day then Phase Two might not offer enough to warrant an immediate upgrade. It hasn’t even been a year since the first game was released so it’s hard to feel nostalgic for the game just yet. But I’ve learned that strategy gamers can be rather hardcore when it comes to their games. It’s hard for them to get enough and these gamers are always looking out for the next game to wet their appetite. Phase Two is definitely the game for you if you fall into this category. It’s the same great gameplay, great graphics but with some new weapons/units, night based missions and new characters not in the first game. Just be prepared that if you didn’t enjoy the first game then Phase Two won’t change your opinion.

Gameplay: 8.6
This is a great strategy game that shouldn’t be ignored. Yes, I know that I’ve mentioned the game is similar to the first one but that still indicates that it’s a great game. I still enjoyed being able to pause the game and still being able to issue commands to my troops. 

Graphics: 8.5
The graphics engine looks exactly the same as the first engine. That’s ok since this is an excellent-looking game with some great effects. Destructible environments are still fantastic and the headlights during the night missions look amazing. The graphics of the characters in the cutscenes were one of the few blemishes of the graphics. The characters have a blocky look to them but it’s not a big distraction.

Sound: 8.5
The sound effects of the vehicles blowing up still create a rush of excitement while playing. The voice acting in the game was top notch with some characters while bland with other characters. Some of the phrases spoken by the characters in the missions do get repetitive after the first couple of times.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Strategy games can be a test of will. Sometimes the game will go on for what seems like hours upon hours with no end in sight. I still have a problem with how the game shows the enemies on screen. One minute there’s nothing and then the next minute you’re surrounded. During one mission I was sitting in the middle of the playing field with no enemies in site. Once the mandatory cutscene finished the enemy had me surrounded. Why couldn’t I see them 30 seconds earlier when I was sitting in the same area? 

Concept: 8.2
The first game offered a great idea on how a WWII strategy could be played. Since we’re talking about a sequel there isn’t much of a difference between the two games just some refinements. These refinements, unfortunately, offer nothing so awe inspiring that Phase Two rises above Phase One’s original idea.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The game’s multiplayer mode offers some great online strategy action. The game can be played over the internet via Gamespy or Direct IP (connecting to a specific IP address of another player’s computer). LAN mode is also available for playing against other gamers. The gameplay modes available in multiplayer are Team Match, Domination and Assault. 

Overall: 8.5
To sum it all up if you enjoyed the first game then this should be the game for you, especially if you are a hardcore strategy game fan. It’s still a great WWII strategy game but with some changes not found in the first game. If you were disappointed by the first game then there is nothing in Phase Two that will change your opinion. The Panzer series is a strategy game that shouldn’t be overlooked by gamers looking for a great strategy game.