Panzer General

Overview

Panzer General is a turn-based game, set on operational level hex maps. One plays lone scenarios from either Axis or Allied side and against a computer or human opponent. In Campaign Mode, the player assumes the role of a German Generalissimus against the Allied computer.

Panzer General is an operational-level game, and units approximate battalions, although unit size and map scale from one scenario to the next are elastic. While the names and information for the units are reasonably accurate, the scenarios only approximate historical situations.

Its novel feature was to link individual scenarios into a campaign spanning World War II from 1939 to 1945. Units are able to gain experience and become stronger, where success in one battle would award the player prestige to upgrade units, acquire additional units, and select a better scenario for the next battle.

In 1996, Panzer General won the Origins Award for Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1995. The game and its sequels spawned a loyal following, who have revived online head-to-head play and added many units, features, and over 2,500 scenarios. New ideas are still being developed two decades after its initial release.

Campaigns

Panzer General has 38 scenarios based on real or fictitious battles from World War II. The player can engage in a single battle or a campaign mode.

In Campaign Mode, a series of battles unfolds as a campaign heads to victory. There is one long campaign as Germany, with five starting locales:

The task in most scenarios is to take all objective cities in a given number of turns; taking them at least 5 turns earlier is considered a major victory. In scenarios from later stages of war, the Germans try to hold positions against a stronger enemy. A typical task is then "hold at least two of our objective cities for 20 turns; for major victory, hold at least five."

All campaigns branch out and end either by the general being sacked for incompetence or end of the war. In Campaign Mode, a major victory could possibly change known historical events. For example, after a major victory over France the player invades Britain. Later in the game, after a major victory in Barbarossa, the player can convince the German High Command to attack Moscow immediately (which costs him or her much prestige) rather than diverting to Kiev before Moscow.

If the player achieves a major victory both in Britain and in Moscow, he or she is allowed to invade Washington. In any other case, he/she must fight well in many battles to get another chance to attack them. If either Britain or USSR survive this attack, they drive the Germans all the way back to Berlin. The best the player can do is to fight well in each battle to have enough prestige for the next one - and to achieve a major victory in the final defense of Berlin.

Tactical elements

The game requires the player to use combined-arms tactics, where each unit is strong against some unit types but very vulnerable by others. Dug-in enemy positions must be softened by artillery, which is vulnerable and needs protection. Before attacking the infantry and anti-tanks, one needs to destroy the artillery which protects them from behind. If no tank can slip there, one does this mostly by bombers, but then it is advantageous to destroy the air defense units first. The fighters have a dilemma between destroying enemy air force and protecting the bombers.

One must carefully observe the road system to speed the advance, or he/she can use Bridge engineers to cross the rivers. The game rewards a Blitzkrieg strategy - penetrating deep into the enemy positions while postponing destruction of some of the encountered enemy units for later.

The performance of units is affected by their experience, which takes very long to collect. Particularly in Campaign mode one then has to protect the experienced units as the most valuable asset.

Allied General

Allied General (titled Panzer General II in Germany) allows play from the Allied point of view and features four new campaigns.

Pacific General

Pacific General introduced different graphics, naval features, and Japanese involvement.

Panzer General II

In 1997, Panzer General II (titled Panzer General 3D in Germany) upgraded the interface to use an overlay of photorealistic terrain, and to display different unit facings, resulting in an improved appearance. In the April 2000 issue of PC Gamer, it was voted the 44th best computer game of all time.

Despite dated graphics by today's standards, the gameplay mechanics and field HQ interface still have significant merit and popularity.

A gradual move from turn-based toward real-time style of play have not diminished Panzer General II's status within the genre.

People's General

Released in 1998, People's General is an upgraded version of Panzer General II based on a World War III scenario between China and the UN. Panzer General also provided a Play by Email (PBEM) system.

Panzer General 3D Assault

True 3D came in with the 1999 release of Panzer General 3D Assault. The units were small 3D models, and the view could be a perspective view over the battlefield.

Panzer General III: Scorched Earth

Panzer General III: Scorched Earth was released in 2000, with better graphics and a redesigned interface.

Panzer General: Allied Assault

Panzer General: Allied Assault is an Xbox Live Arcade game that was released on October 21, 2009.

Panzer General: Allied Assault board game

Panzer General: Allied Assault was also released as a board game, using tiles to form a board and cards simulating military units and combat situations. The game was released the first week in January 2010.

Panzer General Online

On August 19, 2013 Ubisoft announced that Blue Byte was developing a free-to-play, browser-based version of the franchise called Panzer General Online. This is a tactical turn-based game utilizing collectible card game and table top game elements, that allows players to command their own armies. On September 17, 2013 the game went into Closed Beta in Germany and the UK. Players can register for a Closed Beta key on panzergeneral.com. The Open Beta began on May 5, 2014. As of 31/10/2016, Panzer General Online has been shut down.

Panzer Corps

In 2011, Slitherine published Panzer Corps on PC and in 2013 on iPad. Panzer Corps retains the look and feel of the original game and was described as a "reverent clone" by Pocket Tactics.

LGeneral

LGeneral is a free and open-source clone written in C and released under the GPL. It is implementing SDL and it is possible to import graphics and scenarios from the original game.

Reception

Reviews for the 3DO version were generally positive. The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly remarked that the game's high level of complexity makes it difficult to get into and unappealing to anyone but enthusiasts of the genre, but that the gameplay design is solid and there is a strong dose of variety to the campaigns. A critic for Next Generation argued that while the music and battle animations quickly wear thin, the game allows them to be turned off and "what it lacks in style, it makes up in substance." He made particular note of the impressive depth of the strategy and the ability to control nearly every land and air craft used in the World War II European theater. In 1996, Computer Gaming World listed the Game Over scene as #8 on its list of "the 15 best ways to die in computer gaming".