Panzer Corps

About

"Panzer Corps Gold" is the ultimate edition of the acclaimed turn-based strategy game, featuring hundreds of scenarios and all expansions. Command massive armies across various World War II fronts, and enjoy unlimited replayability with a vast number of mods and custom scenarios. Experience an engaging and challenging gameplay, praised as "nothing short of brilliant" by the press.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,478 reviews

story11 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Well optimized and easy to learn, making it accessible for both new and veteran players.
Offers a vast amount of content with numerous campaigns, scenarios, and unit types, providing high replayability.
Captures the essence of classic hex-based strategy games like Panzer General, delivering a nostalgic experience.

Dated graphics and UI that may not meet modern standards, potentially detracting from the overall experience.
The AI can feel scripted and predictable, often relying on numerical advantages rather than strategic depth.
Expensive DLCs that are necessary for a complete experience, leading to concerns about the overall value of the game.

story
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
90%
2%
The game's story is primarily driven by its dynamic campaign structure, where players' performance in missions influences future scenarios and outcomes, including branching paths and alternate historical events. While the storytelling is functional, it lacks depth and character development, relying on a narrator for context. The strategic elements, such as unit progression and mission-specific objectives, enhance engagement, but the overall narrative experience is considered limited and somewhat formulaic.
- “Missions are varied and entertaining with objectives and side objectives that change mid-mission and give bonuses for the mission or future missions.”
- “Your performance in missions determines what missions you will play later.”
- “The game's main feature is the dynamic campaign; each scenario has specific parameters to achieve 'decisive victory' which is actually quite hard to achieve even in the early levels.”
- “There is no character, no flavor other than a between-missions narrator with an accent.”
- “My chief complaint is related to the campaign and the way the missions are connected together.”
- “Defending Berlin is somewhat impossible on normal difficulty if you have only strategic victories previously until that mission.”
gameplay
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The gameplay of Panzer Corps is praised for its exceptional mechanics that balance accessibility with strategic depth, earning high marks for its addictive and replayable tactical experience. While the game retains the classic feel of its predecessor, it introduces new features and a variety of units, though some mechanics may not be fully explained, leading players to seek external resources for guidance. Overall, it offers a straightforward yet complex combat system that rewards strategic planning, making it engaging for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
- “Its gameplay mechanics are exceptional, striking a perfect balance between accessibility and depth.”
- “The game rewards strategic thinking and careful planning, earning gameplay a well-deserved 9/10.”
- “In summary, Panzer Corps excels as a tactical strategy game, offering addictive gameplay and incredible replayability.”
- “However, some mechanics discovered here can be ported to PC2 to make it more realistic, like an improved version of the soft cap and more realistic toned down rewards of heroes and medals.”
- “They can't even get the left click, right click principles correct, and that's a minor (but seriously annoying) issue, compared to the plethora of dubious mechanics and poor gameplay design choices that they seem to embrace.”
- “Repetitive and sometimes frustrating gameplay, especially on higher difficulties, expensive DLC policy, extremely outdated graphics.”
graphics
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The graphics of the game are generally described as functional but dated, with a score around 5-6/10. While they prioritize clarity and maintain a nostalgic charm reminiscent of classic strategy games like Panzer General, they lack the detail and polish expected in modern titles. Overall, players appreciate the simplicity and usability of the graphics, which serve the gameplay well, even if they do not impress visually.
- “Geographical realism is tops, along with extreme detail in all aspects.”
- “Excellent strategy game, great graphics, endless replayability options.”
- “This game brings back the feeling of the classic SSI games (Panzer General 2 in particular) but with updated graphics and polished game mechanics.”
- “The hex-based maps and unit models prioritize clarity over aesthetics, and while they capture the essence of classic strategy games, they lack the detail and polish expected of modern titles.”
- “The graphics are blurry, text is often unreadable, it's hard to make out units, see which ones have already moved, and sometimes just see which ones are on each side.”
- “The graphics cannot compete with newer titles, the gameplay does not offer a lot of depth.”
replayability
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
41%
6%
Panzer Corps is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, scoring as high as 10/10 from users who appreciate its extensive campaigns, custom scenarios, and multiplayer options. The game offers a vast array of strategies and unit combinations, ensuring that players can enjoy countless hours of varied gameplay, even with the base game and its numerous DLCs. While some users note a lack of replay value after achieving victory, the overall consensus is that the game's design and mechanics provide significant replayability, making it a standout in the tactical strategy genre.
- “With a wide range of campaigns, custom scenarios, and multiplayer options, it offers near-limitless replay value.”
- “Replayability is infinite, as is the enjoyment.”
- “The replay value is incredible, multiple scenarios and paths to victory.”
- “There is not much replayability once you get the victory you desire and there is no reason to try again due to the fixed nature of the map.”
- “The grand campaigns are underwhelming and don't have the same variety and replayability of the regular ones.”
- “While the replayability is quite low, if it takes 650 hours to play through: even at full price, the cost opportunity is pretty good like 10 cents an hour.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game's optimization is generally praised for its smooth performance and bug-free experience across various systems, making it accessible to a wide range of players. However, some users note a lack of support for modern gaming features and updates, which may hinder its appeal on contemporary machines. Overall, it combines a well-optimized experience with engaging gameplay mechanics that reward player performance.
- “It's remarkably bug-free and runs smoothly, providing a seamless gaming experience.”
- “System runs smoothly, has been around for years, no bugs & still lots of fun.”
- “The game also uses a semi-dynamic campaign which will give you access to new missions depending on your performance.”
- “Your performance has no effect on the outcome of the war.”
- “No battle/war statistics displayed at the end of each campaign/war (this is a historic grand strategy game, so tables, graphs, and performance charts are a must-have!).”
- “Prestige (the game currency) depends on your performance in the scenario.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
21%
21%
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and enjoyable, enhancing the overall experience with solid sound effects and background tracks. However, many users note a lack of variety, with repetitive tunes that can become tedious over time, leading to a desire for more musical content. While the sound design is appreciated, it doesn't reach the heights of some classic titles, leaving room for improvement.
- “The sound and music enhance the experience, with atmospheric battle anthems and effects that bring the battlefield to life.”
- “It has a nice musical background and great yet simple audio battle sounds.”
- “Good music and sound effects, although not much variety.”
- “Music isn't great either; it's okay. Again, Panzer Generals is awesome... I've seen many reviews comparing the two games, but there is no comparison.”
- “The graphics are solid, but I wasn't thrilled with the music.”
- “One area that really could use some help is music; it's okay, but after a while, you wish you could just turn it off.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that grinding in Panzer Corps significantly detracts from the gameplay experience, particularly due to the tedious process of capturing enemy cities. While the introduction of historical figures adds some balance to the grind, the overall repetitiveness and complexity can make the game feel laborious and less enjoyable.
- “Taking enemy cities can be tedious beyond belief.”
- “It turns what could be a very good wargame into a tedious grind.”
- “Panzer Corps is a game that could have been great, but is ruined by the amount of tedious grinding required to capture enemy-occupied cities.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by its evocative sound design and music, which effectively immerse players in the battlefield experience. While the graphics may feel dated, the detailed units and satisfying sound effects contribute to a nostalgic charm that resonates with fans of WWII games. Overall, the combination of engaging audio elements and a hint of humor adds to the game's immersive quality.
- “The sound and music enhance the experience, with atmospheric battle anthems and effects that bring the battlefield to life.”
- “Highly recommend to anyone who is looking for an atmospheric and complex WWII game.”
- “The atmosphere is there, but the landscape isn't all that great. The units are well done with detail, the sounds are satisfying, and the music gets you in the mood. Even your silly oberkommando with his broken English accent adds to the immersion, surprisingly having a hint of humor.”
- “While the graphics and sound effects may show their age, the overall environment and atmosphere still manage to captivate, adding to the nostalgic charm.”
- “Every time I play this game, I immediately start feeling the old Panzer General atmosphere.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many users praise it for being virtually bug-free and polished compared to other turn-based wargames, some report issues such as freezing and bugs that prevent certain triggers from activating.
- “The game is virtually bug-free.”
- “It's a lot more polished and bug-free than most other turn-based wargames. It has enough depth and strategy to satisfy experienced wargamers, yet it's still accessible enough for newbies to the genre to enjoy, which is quite a brilliant balancing act.”
- “But it can be buggy, and sometimes it will not trigger.”
- “Great game, but it freezes.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging due to its immersive gameplay and mechanics that enhance emotional investment, particularly through the challenge of preserving core units and their experiences. While the stock campaign offers a fun experience, some feel it lacks depth compared to the more detailed grand campaign, leading to a sense of loss when reflecting on their choices.
- “That said, buy the game now as it has good gameplay, hours of campaigns, and additional mechanics that increase emotional investment in your game. It is reasonably historically accurate and highly replayable.”
- “The real difficulty is in preserving your core units and their hard-won experience. I'll admit to using the cheat console to resurrect lost units for the next battle if I have suffered a particularly heartbreaking loss!”
- “The stock campaign for the Wehrmacht essentially plays each front/country as one to a few scenarios. It's very abstracted and condensed, which, while it was fun, made me feel like I was missing out in hindsight when I played the more fleshed-out grand campaign.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its unexpected elements, such as the best tank in the 1939 campaign not being German, which adds a comedic twist to the gameplay. Players appreciate the quirky portrayal of characters, particularly the oberkommando's genuine yet amusing broken English accent, which enhances the immersive experience. Overall, the humor contributes to a lighthearted atmosphere amidst the serious historical context.
- “It's always hilarious to me that the absolute best tank you can buy in the 1939 campaign, the one whose stats you salivate over and you scrimp and save up enough to buy it, isn't even German!”
- “The atmosphere is there... the landscape isn't all that great but the units are well done with detail, the sounds are satisfying and the music gets you in the mood. Even your silly Oberkommando with his broken English accent is part of the immersion, and surprisingly enough, he has a 0.001% of humor as expected.”
- “And you're laughing, over your German beer and with your fraulein sitting in your lap, you're one of the best army generals in the Nazi regime.”