Total Tank Generals
- March 30, 2023
- Noobz From Poland
Get on SteamTotal Tank Generals is a turn-based strategy game that simulates large-scale armored warfare. Command your troops across diverse battlefields, utilizing a wide range of historical tanks and artillery from World War II. Your strategic decisions and military leadership skills will determine the outcome of each battle and the fate of your forces.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Total Tank Generals offers a thrilling and addictive gameplay experience with a focus on realism and historical hex-based strategy.
- The game features engaging campaigns with iconic leaders and allows for unit stacking, which adds depth to tactical decisions.
- The graphics and audio are well-executed, providing an immersive battlefield experience, and the game runs smoothly even on low-end systems.
- The game suffers from a lack of a tutorial, making it difficult for new players to understand the mechanics and strategies needed to succeed.
- Many players find the AI to be overly punishing and unbalanced, often leading to frustrating experiences where the player feels outmatched.
- Campaigns are criticized for being too short, with limited missions that do not provide enough content for the price.
- gameplay52 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as addictive and challenging, with a strong emphasis on unit movement and combat mechanics that are generally well-received, though some players note that certain mechanics feel underdeveloped or flawed. While the game features unique elements like unit leveling and resource management, it suffers from issues such as small maps, a cumbersome UI, and overpowered artillery, leading to a mixed reception overall. Despite its solid foundation and appealing visuals, many reviewers feel it falls short compared to similar titles like Panzer Corps, leaving room for improvement.
“Gets you enough to be addicted to it, and after you've played all of the campaigns, there is more difficulty and other things you can play around with to make it even more exciting. I highly recommend this game if you love realism and historical hex gameplay.”
“Total Tank Generals is an elegant, gritty wargame with gorgeous hex-based maps and quality-looking miniature style pieces coming to life with layers of game mechanics and modifiers.”
“Gameplay is smooth so far; it reminds me of scaled-out XCOM, though I don't have much time in those games.”
“The only thing I don't like gameplay-wise is how overpowered the artillery is; I've been cross-mapping poor dudes that didn't know that the blitzkrieg was coming.”
“Really like some of the unique mechanics like the much-liked unit stacking, but the UI needs some work and gets in the way so you can't see what you're doing at times, and it is another game with turn limits... so there will be missions that must be replayed over and over in order to progress.”
“The basic gameplay itself feels almost like a carbon copy of Panzer Corps, from unit types to hex biomes and other things.”
- story32 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game features four campaigns with a total of 28 missions, offering a mix of unique mechanics and recurring units that retain experience across missions. While the mission design is praised for its creativity, players express a desire for larger, more dynamic campaigns and improved UI, as well as concerns about difficulty balance and the need for repetitive gameplay to progress. The introductory cutscenes are noted for their quality, adding to the overall narrative experience.
“Total Tank Generals is like any other hex-based strategy game; however, here there are four campaigns (with more to possibly come?) that introduce recurring units from your previous missions, keeping all their experience and skills.”
“An approachable map and mission editor combined with a workshop is perhaps one of the nicest gestures that a developer could add to their game in these modern times.”
“It does look very pretty, and the little intro movies for the campaigns and their missions are well made, authentic, and unique.”
“This game's mechanics are superior to its competitors in my opinion, however it needs to be fleshed out more - the maps are somewhat small or closed in feeling and the German campaign I played was only 6 missions.”
“A dynamic campaign would be awesome - currently this is probably the most unreasonable thing to ask for, given the way that Total Tank Generals is built - but it would be nice to have a larger campaign instead of a few campaign missions that are strung together.”
“Playing the Falaise mission as Patton, unfortunately I am getting swamped by Jagdtigers, King Tigers, numerous 88s plus mechanized Panzergrenadiers while having 37mm anti-tank guns and M3 Lee tanks, and the German airfields are so heavily defended they are impossible to hold anyway.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their decent quality and smooth performance, even on low-end systems, with attractive visuals and good sound effects enhancing the experience. Users appreciate the ability to zoom, turn, and tilt the camera, as well as the informative user interface that integrates historical graphics. However, while the graphics are a strong point, some reviewers feel that the gameplay does not live up to the visual standards set by similar titles like Panzer Corps.
“The beauty of those franchises was that they captured the operational essence and feel of the historic campaigns, all in an approachable and fairly attractive graphical package.”
“The graphics are really nice, and an added touch is that the camera can be zoomed in, turned, and tilted with the middle mouse scroll button.”
“Launched in 2023 with one major update since, the game has decent graphics and audio, running smoothly even on low-end systems.”
“The user interface displays nitty-gritty numbers live and on-screen with historical graphics for the grognard via tool-tips everywhere, where Panzer Corps 2 requires accessing separate menus to get to the details.”
“Better graphics and sound for sure.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on older hardware, such as nine-year-old rigs. However, the latest build of Panzer Corps 2 tends to strain older machines without providing significant benefits to the wargaming experience. Overall, the dynamic difficulty adjustment and prestige system enhance gameplay without compromising performance.
“Missions typically last around an hour, and the difficulty dynamically adjusts based on your performance.”
“Moreover, a prestige system lets you acquire new units based on your overall performance, rewarding both major and minor victories.”
“The program runs smoothly on nine-year-old rigs, whereas the latest Panzer Corps 2 build stresses older machines - and for no real wargaming benefit.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the strong replayability of the game, largely attributed to the availability of a mod workshop that enhances gameplay. Additionally, updates like the recent "May the Fourth" event further contribute to its replay value, making the game feel fresh and engaging.
“There is a workshop for mods, and the replayability is very good.”
“Thank you for the new May the Fourth update; it makes the game more playable.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music and sound design in the game are consistently praised, with users highlighting their quality and overall effectiveness.
“The game features good sounds and music that enhance the overall experience.”
“The soundtrack is impressive, adding depth and emotion to the gameplay.”
“The music perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, making every moment more immersive.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that a lack of difficulty balance and constant misses in combat make gameplay feel like a guessing game. Additionally, time limits impose a restrictive playstyle, penalizing those who struggle by limiting access to better units unless they grind through earlier missions. Overall, the grinding mechanic detracts from the game's potential enjoyment.
“Honestly, I think that there is a great game buried under a seeming lack of a difficulty curve. The constant missing makes combat more of a guessing game, and the time limits force you to play in a certain style if you want access to units. It punishes struggling players by limiting their access to good units unless they grind through previous missions to meet the requirements.”
