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Panzer General: Allied Assault Review

By Tamizander - November 17, 2009 - 19:38 UTC

There’s got to be something said for a game that gives you all of the joy of a table top card game, but removes all the frustration of keeping cards and finding a large enough space to play. Panzer General: Allied Assault is the most recent addition in the long line of Panzer General games, dating back to 1994. While it is notable that none of the Panzer General games were originally table top card games, this turned based series still holds the spirit and gameplay of that genre. This time around, developer Petroglyph Games and publisher Ubisoft deliver an experience that should satisfy fans of the Panzer General series and entertain fans of table top card games. However, the snail’s  pace speed may deter some fans from staying for the full ride.

Panzer General: Allied Assault is a digital card game that boasts 240 action and unit cards. It’s played upon a grid board made up on squares. At one end are the Allied forces and the other houses the German forces. Of course, the main goal is to advance and battle your opponent. There are many scenarios, all which can be played in under an hour. Now, that may sound simple, but where Panzer General: AA will really astound is with the incredibly deep and complex strategy that is needed to play this game properly. It is a bit overwhelming at first, and I do admit that I put down the demo a few times before committing myself to the game. But, once you understand the statistics and value of the cards, you really allow yourself to ‘nerd out’ and enjoy playing.

As much as you can nerd out and enjoy playing this game, there are a few things I wish could have been better. For instance, the explosions and sounds aren’t as grand as they could have been, in my opinion. Triumphantly capturing a city isn’t as engrossing when the effects don’t reach the level of excitement you’d feel. Also, the graphics are average for an Xbox Live Arcade game, but they are right where they need to be for this game. I imagine that anything else would take away from the gameplay and take you out of the moment. It is, after all, giving the impression of playing a board game.

If there’s anything that’s a glaring fault with this game, it’s the speed of play. Now, I’ll admit that I did lose track of time during some extremely harrowing battles, but most of my time was spent wishing that the game would hurry up. It’s not that the game is just slow, just not to my speed (or the speed of many other gamers). You see, every battle can be customized so many ways in terms of support cards that you find yourself spending more and more time to ensure that you win the battle. Add to that the fact that there is no option to speed up battle or skip certain sequences, and you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time waiting.

Overview:

This isn’t a game for the masses and it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s a very deep game that’s challenging and rewarding at the same time. This game feels like it is a game for ‘nerds’ of card games or strategy games. It provides hardcore fans of those genres the fix they need. This is an excellent companion to Magic: The Gathering, which is already on the Live Marketplace. In my opinion, it’s more complex and should be more rewarding to those looking for a challenge. For those who aren’t fans of the genre…you might want to look elsewhere. The game isn’t going to dumb itself down for you, and it shouldn’t have to do so. It isn’t for the ‘popcorn’ gamers. There are no shiny effects and astounding explosions. Just don’t play this game if you’re in a hurry.

Score: 7.5 – Good