Panzer Corps 2

With the release of Panzer Corps 2 and its updated graphics, improved UI, greater accessibility to newcomers and expanded player options, it’s a must-buy for any history and strategy game fan.

73%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

optimization, stability

83% User Score Based on 3,154 reviews

Critic Score 81%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $13.31

Buy NowGet on Steam$39.99

Buy NowGet on Epic Games Store

About

"Panzer Corps 2" is a turn-based strategy game that simulates World War II battles. Players command army units across diverse landscapes, engaging in tactical combat and managing resources. The game features a grand campaign mode, historical scenarios, and multiplayer options, with a focus on realism and historical accuracy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,159 reviews

graphics205 positive mentions

optimization18 negative mentions

Great graphics and improved mechanics over the original Panzer Corps.
The game offers a variety of units and strategic options, enhancing replayability.
Encirclement and hero systems add depth to gameplay, making it more engaging.

The AI can be overly simplistic and sometimes makes illogical decisions.
Some units feel unbalanced, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The game lacks a comprehensive Allied campaign, limiting the overall experience.

graphics
541 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
4%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players praising the updated 3D visuals and attention to detail, while others express disappointment, preferring the older 2D art style for its clarity and charm. Many users note that while the graphics are generally improved, they can be demanding on system resources, leading to performance issues and difficulty in distinguishing units on the battlefield. Overall, the graphical enhancements are seen as a significant upgrade, but not without their drawbacks, particularly in terms of usability and optimization.
- “The graphics are stunning and the gameplay can be fast or slow, which is good to be able to pick from.”
- “The graphics are really nice, the interface is easy to understand, and the game mechanics are really well thought out.”
- “The leap to 3D graphics is a noticeable improvement, providing a more immersive and visually appealing gameplay environment.”
- “I hate the graphics.”
- “The graphics are nothing short of horrible... the gameplay is confusing and scattered; they had a real chance here to build on the old game and missed the mark by a long shot.”
- “Unjustified for the very basic graphics, which are so bad you can't even tell what a unit is a lot of the time.”
gameplay
505 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
62%
4%
The gameplay of Panzer Corps 2 has been described as a solid evolution from its predecessor, featuring improved mechanics such as encirclement, overrun, and enhanced air force operations, which add depth and strategic options. However, some players find certain mechanics clunky or unbalanced, particularly regarding unit interactions and the AI's performance, leading to a mix of enjoyment and frustration. Overall, while the game offers a rich tactical experience with customizable settings, it also presents challenges that may deter newcomers or those expecting a more streamlined experience.
- “In terms of the baseline mechanics, PC2 is a solid upgrade over the previous game. The substantial improvement of recon units and the slot system are well-implemented and feel like a natural evolution of what PC1 had to offer.”
- “The new mechanics are great, as are several of the new features. The gameplay is much more balanced, with a higher combined arms approach and various styles of play for higher replayability.”
- “Overall, Panzer Corps 2 is a very welcome audiovisual and gameplay update to the vaunted PG/PC franchise and should be on every non-grognard wargamer's wishlist.”
- “Some of the gameplay mechanics just don't work well in practice. For example, it's interesting to be able to use captured equipment, but inevitably you can't replace it, so I'm not sure what the point is in paying to upgrade to captured equipment if after a very short period of time the unit has to be changed back to equipment you can actually replace.”
- “The whole gameplay is clumsy and nothing like the original, or even an upgrade.”
- “Combat mechanics are still funky and not enjoyable, and do not allow for the application of a strategy or tactics.”
story
406 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the missions repetitive and lacking in depth, often revolving around similar objectives like capturing hexes. While some appreciate the historical context and character-driven narratives in certain DLCs, others criticize the overall execution as feeling rushed and uninspired. The campaign structure, which limits progression to a single victory or defeat, has also been noted as a drawback, leading to frustration when missions feel overly simplistic or grindy.
- “Fantastic blend of story line, strategy, and tactics.”
- “Overall it's an excellent game with fun mechanics, just enough flavor in terms of background 'story', and a wide variety of units, tweaks, strategies, paths, and approaches to explore - highly recommended.”
- “The graphics are detailed, the storyline is immersive, and it makes you think like a general.”
- “The missions are all too samey - basically you have to clear the map every time.”
- “The mission following Moscow is one of the most boring missions they could have possibly made and covers the retreat to Rzhev.”
- “However, their storyline leaves something to be desired.”
music
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
49%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as immersive and enhancing the overall experience, while others find it repetitive or mismatched with the game's tone. Many players appreciate the variety in the music, noting its ability to set the historical mood, but some express disappointment, suggesting that older titles had superior soundtracks. Overall, while there are standout tracks, the music's effectiveness varies significantly among players.
- “The game's soundtrack enhances the overall experience, delivering a memorable and immersive musical backdrop.”
- “I especially love the attention to detail that went into everything, the fantastic soundtrack, the cute looking graphics, and the highly-configurable difficulty settings.”
- “Also, some people don't care as much but the music is also fantastic, and I get some real epic war movie vibes from it.”
- “Another big minus is the music.”
- “The music is getting on my nerves after 10 minutes already.”
- “The game includes some generic music that would be better fit in a hotel lobby elevator than scoring the epic campaigning fields of WWII.”
replayability
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
35%
8%
The game boasts high replayability due to its diverse campaign paths, customizable commander traits, and a random scenario generator that enhances variety. Players appreciate the ability to tweak difficulty settings and explore different strategies, contributing to a dynamic gameplay experience. However, some reviews note that while there are many scenarios available, certain missions can feel repetitive over time, potentially limiting long-term replay value.
- “The random scenario generator is amazing and adds tons of replayability and variety!”
- “The main campaign is huge, with multiple branching paths which should give the game a lot of replayability.”
- “Immersive - with the variety of units, commander traits, heroes, and scenario paths, there is incredible immersion and replayability.”
- “Definitely a recommend, but fair warning, there is a lack of replayability.”
- “Scenarios are 'set in stone' so if you fail they are easy to replay to win - but poor long-term replayability - which they make up for with tons of scenarios.”
- “It's the same feature that made the grand campaigns in pc1 dull and destroyed replayability, in contrast to the basic campaign.”
optimization
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
61%
32%
Panzer Corps 2 suffers from significant optimization issues, with many users reporting poor performance that detracts from the overall experience. Despite some improvements noted in past updates, the game remains demanding on hardware, often requiring top-tier systems to run smoothly, leading to frustration and refunds from players. While the graphics are praised, they come at the cost of performance problems, including stuttering and crashes, which have not been adequately addressed by the developers.
- “Downsides: originally I complained about performance issues, but these seem to have been fixed as of August 2021.”
- “Looks amazing and plays like it should with no noticeable performance issues in between turns like some others (looking at you OOB).”
- “Very fun and engaging, also kind of hard; I have had crashes every couple of hours, but other than that it runs smoothly.”
- “Panzer Corps 2 is a completely unoptimized mess; everything about this game is satisfactory besides the horrendous performance.”
- “It’s been 3 years with the same old performance issues, which the developers continue to turn a blind eye.”
- “The performance issues take away from the experience; there’s no reason I should need the very top-of-the-line hardware just to play.”
stability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs and lag, particularly in multiplayer modes, while others report a generally smooth experience. Although initial glitches were noted, the development team has been responsive in addressing issues. Overall, while single-player gameplay can be stable, multiplayer functionality remains problematic for many users.
- “Panzer Corps 1 runs great on an old laptop, so I used to play in bed, on the couch, etc. (It's an i5 460 with integrated graphics and 6 GB RAM).”
- “My games have been bug-free.”
- “Very good game spoiled by buggy issues.”
- “Multiplayer is a buggy mess!!!”
- “So much so that sometimes there is too much on the screen that it overlaps and hinders fluid gameplay; the options menu that is supposed to facilitate comfortable preferences for individual gameplay is buggy and annoyingly non-functional at times.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, with many missions described as tedious and overly repetitive, particularly in the DLC content. While some mechanics can alleviate the grind, such as enabling unlimited turns, the overall experience is marred by a lack of dynamic movement in battles and a punishing combat system that detracts from the sense of achievement in hard-fought victories. Despite these issues, the game offers a wealth of content that may offset some of the grinding frustrations.
- “The DLC missions get overly grindy and break the sense of historical immersion.”
- “Once the combat mechanics are figured out, it's just a punishing, tedious comp stomp.”
- “Most scenarios I played so far are grinding WWI style positional battles and not battles of movement.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its excellent presentation and visual effects, contributing to an epic experience. However, mission descriptions are criticized for being boring and lacking historical context, which detracts from the overall atmosphere. The humorous fake German accent in briefings adds a lighthearted touch, enhancing the experience despite the shortcomings in mission narrative.
- “The atmosphere, presentation, and visual effects are all excellent.”
- “The fake German accent briefings are hilarious, whether intended or not, but it's nice and lightens the atmosphere while giving you the essentials in an entertaining manner.”
- “Much more epic and atmospheric.”
- “Very boring mission descriptions which lack atmosphere and historical context.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game compelling, as they develop attachments to their units, making losses feel significant and heartbreaking. The game offers a unique blend of heartwarming moments, particularly through the potential for a triumphant ending, though some players express disappointment over the lack of celebratory cutscenes for major victories. Overall, the emotional engagement is highlighted as a strong point, enhancing the player's experience throughout the campaign.
- “It's easy to get attached to the units that stay with you, and it can be heartbreaking if you ever happen to lose one.”
- “The option to celebrate the victory in the campaign is already heartwarming and wholesome enough; truly an amazing game!”
- “A wonderful WWII game; I got the wholesome ending where Uncle Adolf conquers the US and wins WWII.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing fake German accent used in the briefings, which adds a lighthearted touch and makes the delivery of essential information entertaining. Players find this aspect both funny and effective in enhancing the overall atmosphere.
- “The fake German accent briefings are hilarious, whether intended or not. They lighten the atmosphere while providing the essentials in an entertaining manner.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for failing to deliver on promises regarding varied degrees of victory, as players find that secondary objectives do not significantly contribute to gameplay. Overall, the lack of meaningful content related to victory conditions has left users feeling disappointed.
- “The promises made in the advertising about different degrees of victory are not reflected in the game; secondary objectives aren't true degrees of victory, and there are very few of them.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see that the game is designed to push players towards spending more money rather than enjoying the content.”