Panzer General: Allied Assault - Review
Added November 6th, 2009 by Karmum
Card based video games appear to be a dying breed. People complain the WWII setting is being used too much. Well, we have another WWII game, but it isn't a shooter. Panzer General: Allied Assault follows the card based formula, and is a good example of what you should do in a card game. It isn't spectacular, but if you're into an Army-like figures battle, this is your kind of game. Don't judge a book by its cover, because you'll be surprised to see how much fun Panzer General: Allied Assault is.
Panzer General revolves around the battle board. It's tiled based, and you're going to start on one side with your opponent on the opposite side. In both Skirmish and Campaign mode, you can only play as the Americans (however, online you can be either), but considering the Allied won the war, that isn't a big deal. The idea is to march your way across the field (or in this case – a board), and force your opponent into submission. Think like a Yugioh card based game with Advance Wars mixed into it. Sounds great, doesn't it? Panzer General features both a Campaign mode, which depicts several different historical battles, such as the storming of the fronts of Normandy. If you like classic battles, you're going to really like what you see here.
The game works on a turn-by-turn based system. You acquire four cards per turn, and can earn additional cards by buying them with “Prestige.” Prestige can be earned by the amount of tiles you have on the field, specific cards that allow you to gain more Prestige, or earnings by winning battles. On the flip side, you lose Prestige for dropping down troops and when you decide to acquire more battle cards. Prestige is pretty much your currency in the game, and it's both fair and easy to understand. The game starts you off with a tutorial mission, which does a great job of showing you all its features as they appear in the campaign.
Winning the battle at hand requires you to attack your opponents. To initiate an attack, either you or your opponent charges into battle, and begins a back-and-forth process. Different classes have higher or stronger attack and defensive ratios that will play into your battle. If you attack an opponent with no support or defense, chances are you're going to win. There are specific combat cards that allow you to gain more attack points, attack the enemy before the official attack, and so on and so forth. Sacrificing cards also allow you to either boost up your attack or defense, depending on the situation you're in. The final part of the attack begins with rolling a dice – red numbers drop the attack, a zero will keep the attack wherever it was, and anything above zero will add attack points to the person on the offensive.
Terrain also plays a big deal in Panzer General. If you are hiding behind a hill or trees, you'll gain a defensive bonus. This also goes the same with the opponents. “Digging in” allows you to be even more defensive, and the person on the attack subsequently ends up being on the defense at first.
Tanks, artillery, and troops are some of the different cards you can initiate into battle. Artillery will provide support in battle from a distance, and strategizing yourself with the right tanks and troops will be crucial. Surrounding your allied folks with the proper support will have you as the victor.
Chances are that you're going to breeze through its Campaign and want more than playing CPUs in Skirmish mode. Online mode allows you to battle anyone across the world, whether you decide to play ranked or in a player match, and also allowing for some customizable options.
Visually, Panzer General is mediocre even for an Arcade game. Colors are average, explosions are weak, and your units aren't animated very well. Instead of troops or a vehicle dying in action, they simply disappear. Although the game has a great orchestra, and certainly has that war-like feel. I could probably listen to the audio for hours.
Panzer General hits it where it counts – in the gameplay department. If you can get past the weak visuals, you will find a surprisingly good game. Another small gripe happens to be its slow pace, which is common in this genre. If you like to approach your games in a methodical fashion, Panzer General is right down your alley. WWII strategy buffs out there, you finally have your game for a remarkably low $10 price tag.
