Panzer Corps 2 Review Summary

A deep, strategic improvement over its predecessors with engaging gameplay, but the punishing difficulty, poor optimization, and unrealistic AI hold it back.

Fun and engaging gameplay: Players consistently describe the game as fun and engaging, with a good balance of challenge and enjoyment. It is praised for being a great strategy game that is simply plain fun to play.

Improvement over predecessors: The game is seen as a significant improvement over its predecessors, including Panzer Corps 1 and the original Panzer General. Players note better graphics, more features, and refined gameplay mechanics.

Deep and strategic gameplay: The game is lauded for its depth, offering real strategic and tactical challenges while remaining accessible. It is easy to learn but provides layers of complexity that reward careful planning and unit management.

Nostalgic Panzer General successor: Players frequently praise the game as a worthy spiritual successor to the classic Panzer General series, evoking strong childhood memories while offering modern improvements. It is seen as a deeper, richer, and more engaging evolution of the original formula.

High replayability and variety: Players highlight the game's strong replayability, noting that varying difficulty levels and the dynamic nature of battles keep it fresh across multiple playthroughs. The base game alone offers substantial content that never gets boring.

Difficulty is too high: Multiple reviews report that the game is extremely difficult even on the easiest setting, and higher difficulties are frustrating and punishing. The Grand Campaign on General difficulty and Generalissimo mode are especially hard to complete.

AI behaves unrealistically: The AI on high difficulties makes suicidal attacks and reckless moves, such as rushing artillery without regard for survival. It also throws half its force early and makes illogical beelines for out-of-sight units.

Maps are boring and small: Many maps are devoid of features besides rivers, and map sizes are consistent, reducing the epic scale of big battles. Players miss the variety and grandeur of larger maps.

Not a worthy successor: Players feel the game is essentially Panzer Corps I with improved 3D graphics, lacking the immersive battles of the original. It is seen as a rehash rather than a true sequel.

Base game lacks content: The base game is described as a skeleton with insufficient content and a short campaign. Players expect more missions and features to justify the purchase.

Turn-based WWII hex strategy: The game is consistently described as a turn-based, hex-based strategy wargame set in World War II, with tactical and operational elements. This is the core genre definition across many reviews.

Campaign and scenario modes: The game offers a Grand Campaign mode with multiple branches, scenarios, and decisions, providing varied gameplay paths. This is a major feature highlighted by players.

Encirclement mechanics are key: Encirclement is a central tactic, allowing players to cut off and damage enemy units effectively. This mechanic adds strategic depth and is frequently praised.

Hero system enhances units: Players can attach up to three heroes to units, granting special traits and abilities. This system allows for customization and strategic unit building.

Difficulty settings and assists: The game includes multiple difficulty levels and assist options, catering to different player skill levels. This accessibility is appreciated by the community.

Poor performance and optimization: Players report terrible performance, stuttering, and unplayable lag spikes, even on low settings. The game is poorly optimized on Unreal Engine 4, struggling to achieve half the FPS of other Unreal Engine games.

Frequent crashes and instability: Multiple players report the game crashing, including on the campaign screen, when receiving a hero, and with a 'D3D lost' error. Crashes can start at higher levels, past the Steam refund deadline, making the issue more frustrating.

High hardware requirements: The game is described as demanding on hardware, requiring a powerful PC or a more modern GPU than its predecessor. Some players joke that it needs a 'quantum or NASA computer' to launch, indicating steep system requirements.

Mixed performance reports: While many report issues, some players say the game runs smoothly with no bugs or stuttering, and others note rare crashes or that it's not demanding on hardware. This indicates variability in performance across different systems.

High GPU usage and heat: The game causes high GPU usage and makes computer fans whir even on lower settings, suggesting inefficient resource management. This can lead to overheating and reduced hardware lifespan.

Strongly recommended overall: A significant number of reviewers give a clear recommendation, praising the game for its turn-based WWII strategy. It is considered a must-buy for genre enthusiasts.

Buy on sale: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a discount, as the full price is considered too high. The game is often recommended at 80% off or in bundles.

Not recommended for some players: A minority of reviewers do not recommend the game, citing issues like imbalance, inaccessibility, or lack of strategic depth. Some suggest alternatives like Battle Academy or Panzer Corps 1.

Recommended for WWII strategy fans: The game is highly recommended for players interested in WWII history and challenging turn-based strategy. It appeals to those who enjoy hex-based wargames.

Recommended for turn-based strategy fans: The game is particularly recommended for players who enjoy turn-based strategy games, including those who like board-game-like military strategy. It offers a deep and engaging experience for this audience.

Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00.

Story completion: 70.0h.

Session length: 1.0h.

Panzer Corps 2 has a rough, tutorial-heavy start that can feel boring, but becomes incredibly fun once players learn to coordinate units with artillery and AA support.

Friction: Steep learning curve; Boring tutorial; Missing tutorial key points; Repetitive mission objectives; Inferior starting units.

Unlock drivers: Undo setting; Savings between turns; Tutorial videos; Learning to coordinate units with artillery and AA support.

Disappointed Series Veteran: Careful, methodical, preserving veteran units, avoiding losses, and planning ahead. Motivation: Seeking a challenging, fair strategic experience that respects long-term planning and unit preservation. Stance: no buy.

Enthusiastic Wargame Fan: Strategic, min-maxing, using mods, playing long campaigns, and enjoying progression. Motivation: Deep tactical gameplay, extensive mods, long campaigns, and high replayability. Stance: buy.

Casual Newcomer: Casual, exploratory, not min-maxing, and enjoying the experience. Motivation: Casual fun, accessible strategy, and a WWII theme. Stance: buy.

Monetization: The user feedback focuses on DLC pricing and the base game lacking a full campaign, but there is no evidence of microtransactions, pay-to-win, loot boxes, or other predatory monetization. The game appears to be a one-time purchase with traditional paid expansions.

Spiritual successor to Panzer General: Many reviewers see this game as the modern continuation of the classic Panzer General series, often calling it a worthy successor with improved graphics. It is frequently compared to Panzer General, Panzer Corps, and other 'General' games.

Extensive DLC and expansions: The game offers a large amount of downloadable content, including additional campaigns, units, and nations. Some reviewers note that the core experience is tied to the DLC, with later expansions being less interesting.

Compared to Order of Battle: The game is compared to Order of Battle, another Slitherine title, with some noting that Order of Battle has a better supply line mechanic. Others mention cosmetic differences.

High price and expensive DLC: Several reviewers mention that the game and its DLC are expensive, with the base game costing $40 and additional content adding to the cost. This is a common concern for potential buyers.

Strong modding support: The game supports mods, including community mods and workshop integration, allowing players to customize units and content. This is seen as a positive feature that extends replayability.