The original Codename Panzers was a solid take on the World War II RTS genre, and was a generally well received entry to the genre. Now, developer Stormregion has launched the sequel, Codename Panzers: Cold War. Taking the series out of World War II in favor of a post-WWII Cold War approach, Codename Panzers: Cold War utilizes newer weaponry and vehicles in a fictionalized take on the tense conflict between the US and Russia from the mid forties until the early 90s.

However, while the setting has changed from previous Codename Panzers games, the gameplay is very familiar to the previous entries to the franchise. It doesn’t really bring a lot of new elements to the franchise, instead adding subtle refinements here and there on top of the new setting.

Codename Panzers: Cold War allows you to play as either the Allied forces or as the Soviets, each with their own rosters of vehicles, through a variety of missions. Following a “what if?” campaign after the Second World War, Codename Panzers: Cold War has the two largest superpowers in the middle of a very hot war after an accidental collision between an Allied plane and a Soviet one. The events escalate into a full-blown conflict throughout several areas in Eastern Europe.

Fans of the series will notice that the missions are structured very much like the previous games in the Codename Panzers series. The environments switch up quite a bit, putting you in a snowbound area one moment and storming a beach setting the next. The scale of these battles is never too large, which does allow you to focus on less units and employ more intimate strategies in battle. While this also allows you to play with more strategy and helps the campaign play out more intuitively. Unfortunately, the other side of that is that the battles never really feel that impressive, and usually lose a sense of their scope as a result.

Additionally, the game’s overall feel is just too similar to other titles in the Codename Panzers franchise. Moving the setting to an alternate “Hot War” is a solid move and opens the possibility for a large-scale conflict with new areas and vehicles, it just feels like a fresh coat of paint on a new car. There are some extra features, but never at any point does the game feel like a truly fresh experience, for fans of the series or those who are simply familiar with the RTS genre.

However, some of the game’s biggest issues are related to performance. There are a variety of bugs that rear their heads, including some that will crash the game and even those that ruin your save at times, each of which can be very frustrating. Hopefully the game will get patched soon to rectify these issues.

Graphically, the game’s engine performs quite well. The unit models are very detailed and the environments are nicely done, and the game’s particle and explosion effects are very impressive looking. While it isn’t the sharpest looking game on the block, even within the RTS genre, it’s still a very competent looking title.

The sound is also pretty good. The music sounds helps add to the theme of the game, and the sound effects do their job. The voice work is also quite decent.

Codename Panzers: Cold War is a solid entry to the series. While there are some issues, including bugs and lack of innovation, hardcore fans of the series will enjoy what’s on offer here.

Gameplay: 7.0
The game’s 18 missions showcase the same brand of RTS action that the series has become known for, and the interface is solidly implemented. Unfortunately, there are a variety of performance bugs throughout that hurt the gameplay, and the experience on the whole doesn’t really bring a lot new to the table.

Graphics: 7.5
The engine is solidly implemented, and while not as dazzling as other RTS games on the market, Codename Panzers: Cold War gets the job done.

Sound: 7.5
The music and sound effects are pretty good, and the voice work is decent.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
While the change in setting it a welcome one for the series, the overall feel isn’t terribly removed from what fans of the series have played before.

Multiplayer: 7.5
There are some limited co-op options (no full campaign) and some competitive modes.

Overall: 7.0
Codename Panzers: Cold War is a decent enough RTS title that builds on its predecessors and offers a solid interface and fun gameplay, but doesn’t really bring enough new to the table to make it stand out in the highly competitive RTS genre.