Codename: Panzers, Phase One

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Codename: Panzers - Phase One is a real-time strategy game set in World War II. Command German, American, or Soviet forces across diverse missions, from desert outposts to European cities. Using tactical maneuvers and a wide range of units, overcome enemy forces and complete your objectives.

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 262 reviews

story20 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

Great graphics for its time and spectacular gameplay moments that create strong identification with the situation and characters.
Requires strategic and tactical capabilities, making it rewarding for players who enjoy planning and execution.
Offers a diverse and engaging campaign with multiple factions, providing replay value and varied gameplay experiences.

The game feels outdated and shows its age, with some mechanics and AI being frustratingly poor.
Pathfinding issues can lead to units getting stuck or not responding properly to commands, detracting from the overall experience.
The difficulty can be unbalanced, with some missions being excessively hard, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.

story
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
76%
3%
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of humor and cheese, with some players appreciating its charm while others find it bland and commonplace. The narrative varies across different campaigns and languages, adding an interesting layer, but the overall execution can feel janky and predictable. Despite these criticisms, the game offers a variety of missions and character backstories that keep the gameplay engaging, though some players noted issues with mission clarity and difficulty spikes.
- “Finally found a gem, which has a proper single player mode, with story and everything.”
- “The most loved panzer game also has a good story.”
- “Story is very well written, panzers themselves are well realized.”
- “- the storylines and cutscenes are full of jank and cheese, especially in the allied campaign.”
- “I have also heard from one of my viewers that the campaign story and characters are apparently wildly different between different languages.”
- “The developers try to hide this with scripting in the missions, but it's noticeable.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
42%
11%
The gameplay is characterized by spectacular moments that foster player identification with the characters and situations, despite some jank in cutscenes and writing. While it features a variety of mechanics and units that enhance replay value, the game suffers from bugs and inconsistent difficulty, with some missions feeling tedious. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable and satisfying, bolstered by a legendary soundtrack, though it may not stand out against other titles from its era.
- “The gameplay during the campaign has a lot of replay value because you have a point system.”
- “There are quite a bit of mechanics for infantry and vehicles which gives the game a lot of replay value.”
- “It has a challenging gameplay, which is not perfect at all, but it's really satisfying to get through it.”
- “It's your run-of-the-mill arcade RTS, with really basic mechanics that are easily outshined by multiple titles from the same and even prior years.”
- “Some missions are much more difficult than others, causing the gameplay to become dull and tedious because of the absurd difficulty.”
- “Game mechanics and AI route finding are terrible.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
16%
9%
The graphics of this 2004 RTS game are widely praised for their quality relative to the time of release, showcasing impressive physics and detailed environments, including destructible elements. While some aspects appear dated, the overall aesthetic remains appealing, with many noting that the visuals have held up well over the years, especially when played on modern hardware. The combination of good graphics and immersive gameplay contributes to a nostalgic yet enjoyable experience for players.
- “Each and every map is aesthetically pleasing and rich in attributes, showcasing villages and towns, countrysides and farms, various bodies of water, and allowing for some destructible environments.”
- “Seriously, the graphics for a 2004 RTS game are amazing.”
- “The graphics in this 2004 RTS game are incredible and the gameplay is absolutely magnificent, but there again it's from the real golden age of RTS games (spearheaded by the likes of Age of Empires II and Command & Conquer: Red Alert), so why be surprised?”
- “Even though its graphics show their old age, DirectX 9 is the correct term; it still dazzles on an NVIDIA laptop.”
- “For an older title, the graphics have held up really well, and the interface to the game is well thought out.”
- “The graphics are bumped up to 1920 x 1080 at 144 Hz.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Overall, the game's stability varies among users; while some report a stable experience with minimal bugs on high-end rigs, others note increased issues in the latest version (1.25) compared to earlier updates, including objective completion bugs and crashes, particularly for modders. A few users experienced minor issues, such as the opening scene not running automatically, but generally, many found the game to be mostly bug-free and enjoyable.
- “On my rig (AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070), the game ran very stable and mostly bug-free, which was a welcome surprise for a game this old.”
- “The game in the current version 1.25 is much more buggy than it was back in v 1.21 (e.g. objectives not completing upon completion, mortar/rocket/artillery bug).”
- “Good game, but can be a bit too buggy and has too many crashes for modders.”
- “The steam version, although a little buggy, keeps the good fun.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as mostly funny, with a touch of cringe, particularly highlighted by the absurdity of playing for over 800 hours on the same computer. Players find the comedic elements tied to the game's mechanics, such as the consequences of poor decisions leading to character deaths, to be amusing.
- “The story is mostly funny, maybe even cringe.”
- “Funny since I played over 800 hours on this very same computer...!!!”
- “As funny as it sounds, you have a fixed force at the beginning of missions and if you do something wrong, people... die!”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
12%
13%
The game's soundtrack is praised as legendary, enhancing gameplay and memorable moments, making it a standout in the RTS genre. However, some players feel that while the music is good, it lacks a lasting impact, as they struggle to recall specific tracks. Overall, the music contributes positively to the experience, though its memorability may vary among players.
- “The soundtrack for this game is legendary; there are some really good tracks that make certain moments and the gameplay even better.”
- “Many ways to win, combined with a good soundtrack and the simplicity of gameplay, make this one of the best RTS games that I can remember.”
- “- Great soundtrack”
- “The music, as part of the package, is not that stirring because I cannot recollect any at all.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is mixed; while some players report smooth performance and acceptable resolution, others experience significant stuttering during missions, leading to refunds despite initial enjoyment.
- “It's an old game, but it runs smoothly; the resolution is okay.”
- “The game keeps stuttering for me during missions, so I had to refund it, which is unfortunate since I was really enjoying it.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers significant replayability due to its point system and diverse mechanics for both infantry and vehicles, encouraging players to revisit the campaign for different experiences.
- “The gameplay during the campaign has a lot of replay value because of the point system.”
- “There are a variety of mechanics for infantry and vehicles, which gives the game a lot of replay value.”
- “The gameplay during the campaign has a lot of replay value because you have a point system.”
- “There are quite a few mechanics for infantry and vehicles, which gives the game a lot of replay value.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that the grinding aspect of the game can lead to a frustrating experience, as certain missions are disproportionately difficult compared to others, resulting in dull and tedious gameplay.
- “Some missions are much more difficult than others, causing the gameplay to become dull and tedious due to the absurd difficulty.”

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