Panzer Elite

Review

by Joel Durham

Panzer Elite is the game that computer gaming, World War II enthusiasts have been crying out for. Part tank sim and part platoon-level strategy epic, it fills a niche in war gaming that's never truly been satisfied before. If even the tiniest part of you is a World War II buff, you'll be more than happy when playing this game. Panzer Elite is a tank buff's dream.

Don't worry if you've never played a sim before. This friendly title is stocked with outstanding tutorials and documentation. Not only is the manual thorough and well written, but a thoughtful companion book is also included. It discusses the history of tanks in warfare and provides a handy reference of every unit in the game.

You play the roll of a tank commander. Depending on your preference, you can command a single tank or an entire platoon of five. You can also control exactly how hands-on you'll have to be in order to emerge victorious: you can let AI crewmembers who you select drive, load, and fire your tank, or you can do it all yourself by jumping from station to station.

The control interface is revolutionary. A simple, mouse-based interface lets beginners monitor and navigate the tank, rotate the turret, designate targets, aim and fire without having to learn a single key command. As you become familiar with the game, you can learn convenient keyboard shortcuts at your own pace.

The graphics are solid if not stupendous. You can view the action from realistic stations in your tank, or from various external views. The landscapes look great, and rolling along over uneven ground will give you a realistic tummy ache if you watch it from within your tank. The only complaint is that the rendering engine is a dog, even at lower resolutions on powerful PCs. The action is always a bit choppy.

Campaigns and single battles cover three, unique theaters: the East and West Fronts, and North Africa. Your successes and failures will influence the paths of campaign games, increasing both the immersiveness and replay value of this title.

Campaign games are heavily engrossing. You're responsible for recruiting crewmembers based on RPG-like stats, for upgrading tanks with new technology, replacing obsolete vehicles, and commanding your forces in battle. Wings did an excellent jog including a huge array of tank technology, which becomes available realistically as the war progresses.

Panzer Elite just about has it all. A more capable rendering engine would have brought it precariously close to perfection, but as it is, it's excellent in nearly every way.