	Codename: Panzers Phase Two
	Developer: Stormregion Publisher: CDV Release Date: Out Now Players: 1	Words By:
Now I know what you’re thinking: If there’s one thing the PC market doesn’t need it’s another WWII RTS… But like women there are plenty out there and only a small number are worth spending time with. Codename: Panzers Phase two is the Carol Vorderman of WWII RTS’ - very smart and still looks pretty darn good… Now enough about Carol Vorderman, let’s get down to business. Panzers Phase one came out at the tail end of last year. I previewed the game and fell in love with it. The game seemed to get everything right: the attention to detail on units and environments, the sheer choice of units available, the unit promotion and purchase system, the personal story arcs… Oh yes, and the chance to burn soldiers out of their tanks with flamethrowers. Phase 2 sees the focus move toward the African theatre of war (which is rarely covered in WWII games), and eventually onto the invasion of Italy. The first storyline follows the exploits of the Italians in Africa, which is a good thing as it’s something different from USA vs. Germany as most games focus on. As well as the British/American campaign you can also play as Partisan (resistance soldiers), which requires you to wage war in a completely different fashion. This brings me on to the strategy element of the game - it’s top notch. The AI is tough, but there’s always a way around the ambushes and heavy defences that lay ahead of you. At the beginning of each mission after the first couple you’ll have points you earned from completing objectives. These points can then be used to purchase other units, which range from snipers to artillery to repair and ammunition vehicles. Unlike most RTS games nearly every unit type is needed to get through the level without being massacred. The standard setup is a unit of snipers running recon for the artillery units and tanks while the infantry take the least defended route. You then use recon planes to scout the areas the snipers can’t reach, and use artillery/air support accordingly. Partisan tactics rely on more guerrilla-type tactics, such as taking out the infantry or artillery (since they usually don’t have any armour themselves), and so take a much more cautious route to engagement. The way the game makes you act like a real General is great, and is unlike any other WWII RTS I’ve played. One of the reasons why I love Panzers so much is because of the little things, one of the great little things being how the units respond in their native language. Hearing an Italian tank column scream “Forza Forza Forza!” through the intercom, or a German sniper whisper “Ich sehe dich, aber du siehst mich nicht” (if you know a little German you’ll get that one) feels very satisfying, but above all feels like you’re commanding a foreign army rather than sitting at a desk. There are so many little things to list (like when the comms crackle and break down as a unit takes more damage), but the borderline anal-retentive attention to detail put into this game is what makes it the best WWII RTS out there. Speaking of attention to detail, the games “Gepard” 3-D engine does a great job of bringing the environment to life, and also destroying it! Pretty much all of the scenery in Panzers can be either run over by a tank column, or reduced to rubble by artillery. This brings another dimension into the game - having trouble spotting an artillery battery due to line of sight? No problem, just bring down a few buildings and you’re free to fire away! The units themselves look great too, each having individual animations, making them easy to distinguish on the sometimes very busy battlefield. Apart from the change of setting from green fields to yellow sands there are only a couple of changes. The biggest one, apart from the addition of the contents of the Italian army, is the inclusion of night battles. When fighting at night units have limited visibility, which is aided by turning on vehicle headlights, but this also reveals their position. These kind of trade-offs appear throughout Panzers, and along with unit selection vastly affect how you handle (and survive) the missions. Unfortunately it’s not all praise for this beauty; she also has a few blemishes, the main one being the same downfall as Blitzkrieg, your unit’s AI. 80% of the time they’ll be fine, but when you order lots of units to different locations at once (that cross paths with each other) they start getting confused. Most stay where they are. The others start to take really long paths around the obstruction, usually towards the enemy. This isn’t fun when you usually only have just enough units to get through the mission anyway, and is a blemish on what is otherwise a great game. Codename: Panzers Phase Two isn’t a completely new game. It’s been a little tweaked since phase one, with a completely new theatre of war, new missions, new units and night battles, but apart from that it’s essentially the same. So why buy it I hear you say? Because phase one was genius in a can, and if you haven’t bought it already then buy this. If you’ve bought phase one already then you know how great it is, and you should buy the second instalment! More of the same has never been such a great thing.

Best Bits
- The best WWII RTS around.
- Plenty of missions.
- Great attention to detail.

Worst Bits
- AI still not quite up to scratch.
- Not that essential if you own the other 20 WWII RTS on sale.


by: Crazypunk