Tanks.
You're Welcome
Welcome
to the wonderful world of tanks. This is the follow-up
game to Codename: Panzers, Phase One. It's not a sequel
and you don't have to play the original - not that
anyone did. It was a damn good game but it just got
buried in the avalanche of RTS offerings last year.
Phase Two offers more of the same great strategy with
more focus on the story and real time action.
With
little in the way of micromanagement, Phase Two lets
you get down to the business of blowing things up
with tanks. The environments are totally destructible
whether you're shooting up cities or the European
countryside. Inspired by real life events from WWII,
Phase Two offers more cutscenes and narration which
gives us a deeper understanding of the storyline.
It's not fantastic by any stretch with some ham-fisted
lines and B-movie situations but it does a good job
of keeping us focused on our objectives and motives.
I won't call it an interactive movie but it's in the
neighborhood.
Units
are divided into three sections: Artillery; Infantry,
and Tanks. It's the tanks that everyone wants to get
their hands on and the game doesn't disappoint. If
used correctly they can be incredibly powerful and
effective for changing the tide of war. Tank units
will gain experience much the same as in a RPG. By
having experienced characters in your class you will
reap the rewards of better aim, better maneuverability
and ultimately better tanks. You'll have a vested
interest in protecting these experienced characters
which makes for more intense and strategic gameplay
since you don't want to waste your best guys on a
guess.
There
are different ways to win most battles. Take the time
to explore as many options as time will allow. You
may not want to experiment with your best guys but
you can afford to send a few rookies into a potentially
deadly situation. The upgraded class will more than
make up for any small mistakes that you may make.
Look for different routes into a town and don't forget
to take cover or lie in ambush.
Tanks
have the ability to shoot other tanks with their cannons
in addition to knocking things over such as trees,
buildings, walls and power lines. Infantry is basically
useless against a tank but they can still use flamethrowers
to heat them up and force the enemy out. The armor
of a tank is thinner at the rear so it's best to take
them on from that position as opposed to a frontal
assault where the armor is thicker.
In
each mission you have a certain allotment of artillery
strikes and air support that you can use. Knowing
when to use it is where the strategy comes in. A new
feature is night battles in which you can turn off
your headlights and basically disappear. It comes
at the expense of a decreased visual range.
The
multi-player mode accommodates up to six players and
doesn't rely on any specific missions or campaigns.
It's basically a free-for-all in which you attempt
to eradicate the enemy by any means possible. It's
not a particularly deep mode but it's a hell of a
lot of fun.
The
graphics are a little dated. They aren't sharp or
well detailed. The isometric perspectives are rather
distant which makes it a little difficult to get a
perfect aim. The fog of war limits the visibility
but there are icons that warn you of the various off-screen
activities. You will encounter some pathfinding problems.
They mainly occur with winding roads but at least
your troops will engage the enemy when they encounter
them without having to be told twice.
Codename:
Panzers, Phase Two is an accessible strategy game
that can be enjoyed by gamers of all ages and skill
levels. There is a sense of freedom that lets you
explore more sophisticated degrees of strategy as
you yourself gain more experience with the gameplay.
With both the single and multi-player modes you can
expect a lot of replay value out of this game.
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