Info about Codename: Panzers, Phase Two:

Official game description:
**Remaster Features:**  
*   Fully remastered to work with modern systems  
*   Support for modern display resolutions  
*   All patches included  
*   Re-implemented multiplayer and NAT traversal for a smooth online experience
In Phase Two, players will encounter new and familiar heroes as the battleground of World War II shifts to Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans. New units, buildings, terrain, and tactical capabilities, along with challenging and surprise-filled missions and campaigns, round out this newest offering from Nordic Games and Stormregion. A full-featured mission editor will also be included to expand the gameplay. No fan of World War II or RTS games will want to miss it.  
**Features:**  
*   Three captivating campaigns, inspired by key battles of World War II  
*   Play American Allies, the German-Italian Axis, or the Yugoslavian resistance forces  
*   Day-night cycles take on an even greater importance with night time stealth and search and destroy missions  
*   Hundreds of fully destructible object types and buildings comprise the battlegrounds in which units interact even more realistically with the terrain  
*   More than twenty new unit types and variants are introduced, broadening tactical capabilities.  
*   All missions support competitive and cooperative game play.

Release date: Feb 18, 2016

Categories: Real-time Strategy, WWII Setting, Tactical Combat, Single-player Campaign, Co-op Multiplayer, Map Editor, Destructible Environments

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 5; verdict: Works Well; summary: The provided feedback contains only positive Steam Deck runability evidence, with users reporting that the game runs and plays well on Steam Deck OLED. No Linux, Proton, SteamOS, Wine, anti-cheat, launcher, or performance problems are mentioned.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $3.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews repeatedly anchor the game's value at roughly $3 during sales, while the regular $15 price is described as overpriced for a reskinned sequel with limited additions. Even positive reviews recommend waiting for discounts or buying cheaply, suggesting the community's fair base-game price is low. A range of $3 to $10 captures the sale-price anchor while allowing a modest non-discount premium for the base game.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 30.0h
  - Story completion: 30.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The clearest concrete playtime claim states a minimum of 30 hours to finish all three campaigns, so gameCompletion and storyCompletion are set to 30 hours. The other quotes indicate many hours and long-term replay over more than a decade, but they do not provide a quantifiable average session length or endgame hour count, so those metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Players describe a steep opening for strategy newcomers, but the game's tactical freedom, pause-and-order control, and creative scenario options are the main sources of enjoyment. Multiplayer is mostly reported as dead or unstable, with one contradictory nostalgic positive note.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: First hours are very hard for players new to strategy games; Campaigns can feel somewhat forced; Steam multiplayer servers are dead; Multiplayer frequently freezes and always disconnects
  - Unlock drivers: Pause-and-order controls reduce reliance on clicks per minute; Creative tactical approaches such as flanking and rear attacks
  - Conditions: If it is the player's first strategy game, the first hours are very hard; Multiplayer depends on external Discord or Gameranger communities because Steam servers are dead; Multiplayer stability is poor for some players; One player still finds the unused multiplayer memorable
- Player Archetypes:
  - Nostalgic Series Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: To relive childhood memories and revisit a formative WWII RTS from their early gaming years.
    - Playstyle: Replays single-player campaigns and compares later entries against the original games they remember.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Panzer I; Codename: Panzers - Phase One
  - WWII Tactical RTS Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience classic tactical WWII combat in the Mediterranean and North African theaters.
    - Playstyle: Plays mission-based tactical RTS battles with tanks, infantry, and combined-arms scenarios.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Blitzkrieg; Sudden Strike; Age of Empires; Codename: Panzers - Phase One
  - Casual Accessible RTS Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: To have accessible, relaxing real-time strategy fun without needing deep genre expertise or a powerful PC.
    - Playstyle: Plays casually through campaigns or skirmishes, favoring simple mechanics over competitive or hardcore simulation depth.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Multiplayer Community Diehard (sale)
    - Motivation: To keep playing online multiplayer matches and stay connected with a small dedicated community.
    - Playstyle: Seeks online matches through external tools and community contacts when official servers are unavailable.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Graphics praised for age (weight 0.39): Multiple clusters highlight that the graphics are good, appropriate, and well-made for the game's time, with some noting they are dated but still clear and viewable.
- Gameplay is fun (weight 0.39): Reviewers consistently describe the gameplay as a lot of fun, enjoyable, and mindless fun.
- Improvements over predecessor (weight 0.37): Sequel updates mechanics, increases difficulty, improves story, and enhances graphics compared to the first game.
- Varied missions and tactical depth (weight 0.34): Missions are noted for their variety, and the game is described as very tactical and an excellent strategy game.
- Great story and voice acting (weight 0.28): The story is called incredible and nice, and voice acting is praised as excellent and high quality.
- Strong sequel continuation (weight 0.28): The game is considered a great sequel and a good continuation of the first part, retaining the good traits of the original.
- Beautiful visuals and cutscenes (weight 0.27): The game looks gorgeous, and cutscenes are described as incredible, interesting, and building atmosphere.
- Large unit variety (weight 0.26): Includes a larger unit selection due to previous game units and new factions, with a huge variety of vehicles and tanks.
- Must-have for WW2 RTS fans (weight 0.2): It is praised as one of the best WW2 RTS games and a must-have for fans of the genre.
- Replayable and charming (weight 0.19): The game remains enjoyable and replayable despite its age, with a pleasant and simple charm.
- Easy-to-use interface (weight 0.11): The GUI is easy to use and the interface is quite easy.
- Rare Yugoslav campaign (weight 0.11): Features a Yugoslav campaign, which is rarely seen in games.
- Well-crafted game (weight 0.11): The game is made very well and well-crafted for its age.
- Similar to Phase One (weight 0.11): The game is good and similar to Phase One, so players who enjoyed Phase One will enjoy this one.
- Beautifully designed maps (weight 0.11): Maps are very beautifully designed, large, and look good enough.
- Long-lasting satisfaction (weight 0.1): The reviewer still loves the game after over a decade and finds it provides incredible satisfaction even after more than ten years.
- Fun campaign (weight 0.1): The campaign is fun and more interesting.
- Play as Italy (weight 0.1): Being able to play as Italy in the Axis campaign, with its own units and campaign, is a rare feature.

Common complaints:
- Frequent crashes and startup failures (weight 0.57): Players report the game often stops working, crashes on launch, or freezes with error messages, including after reinstall and at full resolution. Some cannot start it at all on Windows 10.
- Short and rushed campaigns (weight 0.42): Campaigns, especially the Partisan campaign, are very short and feel rushed and underdeveloped. Overall content is shorter than the first game, with fewer missions per campaign.
- Dated graphics and poor effects (weight 0.35): Graphics feel dated even for their time, with coarse textures and poor explosion effects. The intro is low definition and ugly, and the game lacks optimization for modern resolutions.
- Multiplayer broken and underpopulated (weight 0.34): Multiplayer is described as impossible to play due to constant freezes and disconnects, and the community is so sparse that finding matches is difficult.
- Pathfinding and unit collision issues (weight 0.34): Vehicle pathfinding is poor, with units constantly getting stuck, colliding in tight spaces, and taking strange detours. Troops block each other and sometimes get stuck in one place.
- Unbalanced and unrealistic tank combat (weight 0.3): Tanks are overpowered with too much health, making battles feel unrealistic, and artillery deals more damage to tanks than tank destroyers. A single machine gun tank takes many shells to kill infantry.
- Graphical and audio bugs (weight 0.3): Players experience a recurring graphical bug in Partisan missions creating a duplicate screen, and sound issues including lost voice audio during cutscenes. Alt-Tab often causes crashes.
- Difficult and unbalanced missions (weight 0.3): The game is extremely tough even on normal difficulty, requiring micromanagement and pausing, with some missions nearly impossible without experienced units. Specific missions like Tobruk are highlighted as very hard.
- Poor infantry and cover mechanics (weight 0.29): Infantry is weak and has a minor role, with no cover possibility or protection bonus, making them equally exposed in all terrains. AI mortar crews are a deadly threat only due to numbers.
- Feels like overpriced reskin (weight 0.29): The game is described as a reskinned copy-paste of the first game with few new ideas, essentially DLC with no new mechanics. Many find it overpriced for its quality.
- Unit replenishment and control flaws (weight 0.29): Repair and ammo vehicles always drive to the unit being serviced, taking damage, and ammunition trucks do not always automatically replenish. Units sometimes take strange paths when moved in groups.
- Poor voice acting quality (weight 0.28): Voice acting is widely criticized as laughably bad, with low production values and amateurish delivery. English voices in particular are singled out as extremely bad.
- Missing features from first game (weight 0.28): The game lacks many features present in the first two titles, including HD resolutions, HD textures, and modern system adaptations. Specific content like a beach and Pegasus Bridge are also missing.
- Stupid and scripted enemy AI (weight 0.27): Enemy AI is limited to rigid scripted set pieces, only rushes without regard for losses, or spams certain units without effective use. It is described as absolutely stupid and lacking intelligence.
- Vague secret objectives and broken ratings (weight 0.21): Secret objectives are too vague with no map markers, and at least one fails to trigger. Mission ratings are broken and can give a poor rating even after completing all objectives.
- Music and audio quality issues (weight 0.2): Music sounds cheap despite being good and is forgettable, not on par with the first game. Volume levels are problematic after cutscenes.
- Missing achievements and Steam extras (weight 0.18): There is no achievement system and no extra Steam materials such as wallpapers or cards, reducing incentive for some players.
- Bothersome fog of war and range (weight 0.15): Fog of war distance is too short, letting the enemy see and shoot vehicles long before the player can see them. Fire range of tanks is ridiculously close, similar to riflemen and artillery.
- Mediocre and amateurish story (weight 0.15): The story, cutscene delivery, and narrative are criticized as mediocre and amateurish, with forced comedic elements that are distasteful and unnecessary.
- Enemy rocket vehicles overpowered (weight 0.11): Rocket vehicles reload too quickly and are devastating, making encounters frustrating and unbalanced.

Gameplay feedback:
- Real-time tactical strategy (weight 0.42): The game is a real-time strategy/tactics title where players control multiple combat units and must plan carefully to avoid quick defeat. It includes dynamic missions that require fast attack or defense decisions.
- Three campaign lines (weight 0.37): There are three interconnected campaigns: Axis (German-Italian), Allied (American/British), and Yugoslav partisan. The partisan campaign unlocks only after completing the first two.
- WWII historical setting (weight 0.28): The game is a World War II strategy game with a historical-realistic focus, offering an RTS experience in various WWII battle theatres.
- Multiplayer and co-op support (weight 0.28): The game supports online multiplayer, co-op play with a friend, and skirmish modes against other players.
- North Africa and Balkans scenarios (weight 0.27): Campaigns and scenarios are set in North Africa, Italy, and former Yugoslavia, including the Italian campaign in Africa and the Yugoslav uprising.
- Multiple playable factions (weight 0.25): Players can choose from factions such as Italy, Germany, USA, UK, Yugoslavia, and the USSR, each with their own units and equipment. The game includes Axis, Allied, and partisan forces.
- Varied mission types (weight 0.15): Missions are diverse in type and objectives, providing a range of tactical challenges throughout the campaigns.
- Fog of war mechanics (weight 0.11): Gameplay features fog of war and unit visibility ranges, adding a layer of tactical awareness.
- Night missions with headlights (weight 0.11): Some missions occur at night and allow toggling vehicle headlights to increase visibility range at the cost of being more easily spotted.
- Skirmish mode available (weight 0.11): The game offers skirmish battles featuring small division-sized engagements.
- Axis campaign includes Italy (weight 0.1): In the Axis campaign, players can control both German and Italian forces, including playing as Italy.
- Gameplay unchanged from predecessor (weight 0.1): The core gameplay is practically unchanged from the first part of the series, offering a familiar experience.

Performance notes:
- Windows 10 compatibility problems (weight 0.2): Several users report that the game does not run properly on Windows 10, including cases where it won't start without running as administrator. Others say it runs dodgy or not at all on Win10.
- Performance stutters and lag (weight 0.2): The game stutters despite various settings on older hardware, and lag can begin after a short time while moving the mouse. Some report better performance on weak computers, but others face persistent issues.
- Audio problems and dropouts (weight 0.15): Players experience sound issues such as no sound, audio dropouts, or crashes on startup related to audio. These problems affect the overall experience.
- Crashes related to Alt+Tab (weight 0.11): Alt+Tabing away from the game often causes crashes, sometimes after about a minute, and can produce error messages. This disrupts multitasking and gameplay.
- Multiplayer freezes and disconnects (weight 0.07): Multiplayer mode often freezes and always disconnects, making online play unreliable. This is a consistent issue reported by players.
- Full resolution crashes (weight 0.06): Running the game at full resolution causes crashes to desktop, limiting playability at native settings.
- Mission selection freezes computer (weight 0.06): After loading, selecting a mission can freeze the computer and display a colored screen, preventing progress.
- Windowed mode and small display issues (weight 0.06): On some PCs, the game displays very small and only runs in windowed mode, which may hinder visibility and immersion.
- Frame rate setting causes error (weight 0.06): Changing the frame rate setting after starting a campaign produces an error that prevents loading, disrupting gameplay flow.
- Positive performance on Steam Deck (weight 0.05): The game runs sharp and fluent at 90fps on Steam Deck OLED, showing good optimization for that platform.
- Solid high frame rates on modern hardware (weight 0.05): Frame rates remain solid at 144 FPS with rare dips into the 120s on modern hardware, indicating good performance for capable systems.
- No glitches or crashes reported (weight 0.05): Some players report no glitches or crashes, suggesting a smooth experience for certain configurations.

Recommendations:
- Strong Overall Positive Reception (weight 0.45): Many reviewers give the game high recommendations, often describing it as a must-have or worth buying. General sentiment is very favorable across multiple clusters.
- Appeals to WWII RTS Fans (weight 0.41): The game is repeatedly recommended for fans of WWII strategy and real-time tactics. It fits well within the niche of historical RTS games.
- Good for Phase One Players (weight 0.27): Players who enjoyed the first game are encouraged to get this sequel, often as a campaign expansion. Some prefer it over the predecessor for story reasons.
- Wait for Sales or Discounts (weight 0.26): Many suggest buying only on sale or at a steep discount, especially if you liked the first game. Bundles with all three games are highlighted as great value during sales.
- Specific Faction and Theatre Interest (weight 0.2): Players interested in the Italian Army, African campaign, or WWII battle theatres are specifically recommended. Hungarian players are also called out.
- Gameplay Tips and Tweaks (weight 0.17): Users share practical advice: save often due to attacks beyond view range, invest in British Archers for the allied faction, and keep repair/rearm/medics available. Also, launching in windowed mode then expanding to fullscreen helps on modern systems.
- Alternative to Company of Heroes (weight 0.17): Some see it as a more fun or cheaper alternative to Company of Heroes 2, though others suggest getting the Men of War series instead. It is also recommended for those with less powerful computers.
- Dated Graphics and Old-School Rules (weight 0.15): The game is recommended for those who can overlook outdated visuals and accept classic mechanics. It is not for players seeking modern detailed content.
- Low Scored or Negative Reviews (weight 0.13): A few reviewers give low scores or do not recommend the game, citing no reason to play or faint praise limited to AFV models.
- Nostalgia and Childhood Appeal (weight 0.11): The game is recommended for players who played it in the 2000s and for nostalgia. It is also seen as a childhood game by some.
- Accessible for Newcomers (weight 0.11): Reviewers note it is easy for someone unfamiliar with the genre to jump in and learn. It is also a good entry point for real-time strategy newcomers.
- Suited for Casual or Arcade Play (weight 0.1): The game is recommended for those wanting a leisurely, arcade-style WWII strategy experience. It is also suggested for players who do not want to think too hard.
- Language Immersion Recommendation (weight 0.05): One reviewer suggests setting the game to its original language if you understand English so each faction speaks its own language.
- Steam Deck Trackpad Compatibility (weight 0.05): The game fits perfectly for Steam Deck's trackpad according to one user.

Other player notes:
- Old game from 2005 (weight 0.45): Multiple reviewers note the game is old, released in 2005, and still playable or aged well. Some consider it a classic from their childhood.
- Compared to other RTS titles (weight 0.31): Reviewers compare the game to Blitzkrieg, Sudden Strike, Men of War, Steel Division, and Age of Empires with tanks. It is described as more arcade-like than some titles.
- Multiple localizations available (weight 0.29): The game supports several languages including Hungarian, Polish, Italian, and Spanish dub. However, a built-in Russian language is likely missing, and Japanese is not supported on Steam.
- Compared to Company of Heroes (weight 0.24): Reviewers frequently compare the game to Company of Heroes, noting it can compete with that title but lacks base building and unit production. It is often called the predecessor to Company of Heroes.
- North Africa campaign setting (weight 0.23): The game features a campaign set in North Africa, continuing the story from the first game. It is an Afrika Korps themed edition of Phase One.
- Frequently on sale cheap (weight 0.22): The game is often available on sale for a very low price, and a pack with all three Panzers games is available. The Steam sale includes all three games.
- Runs on modern systems (weight 0.21): The game is compatible with Windows 7 and Windows 10, and runs on Steam Deck OLED. It is stable and identical to the original without compatibility issues.
- Developed by Hungarian studio (weight 0.21): The game was made by Hungarian developers Stormregion and published by THQ Nordic. It is part of a series that includes Phase One and Cold War.
- Feels like an expansion (weight 0.21): Reviewers describe the game as essentially a DLC or expansion to Phase One, with similar mechanics and graphics but new missions and settings. It is often seen as a standalone add-on rather than a full sequel.
- Includes map editor (weight 0.2): The game includes a full-featured mission editor and map editor, though the card editor only works with the Steam version. These tools allow players to create custom content.
- Fewer missions than first game (weight 0.2): Compared to Phase One, this game has fewer missions per campaign, with around 20 missions instead of about 30. This contributes to a shorter overall experience.
- Old-school WWII RTS style (weight 0.18): The game is an old-school, traditional World War II RTS typical of its era, with updated graphics. It has a unique flair compared to other similar games.
- Cutscenes voiced in Russian (weight 0.15): Cutscenes are voiced in Russian due to localization, while regular troops are voiced in their native languages. The cutscenes use mocap but animations are poor by today's standards.
- Campaigns offer 30+ hours (weight 0.15): Three campaigns provide at least 30 hours of playtime, with factions recommended to be played in order: Axis, Allies, Partisans. The game will take some time to play.
- Reviewer scores vary widely (weight 0.13): Reviewers give scores ranging from 62 to 10/10, indicating mixed opinions. Some praise it highly while others are more critical.
- Mods restore missing vehicles (weight 0.11): Vehicles from the first part are absent but can be restored through mods. A large fan-made mod called 'Panzers 3' fixes technical aspects and expands units and strategic options.
- Physical version includes manual (weight 0.1): The original boxed version was impressive at release and includes a manual with images of each vehicle. The physical version is noted for its quality.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Players are frustrated by severe technical problems including crashes, startup failures, and instability on modern systems that prevent them from playing. They also cite gameplay issues such as poor unit pathfinding, overpowered tanks, broken mission ratings, and excessive micromanagement.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Players feel let down by a sequel that is smaller and less polished than the original, with worse music, voice acting, and story. They are also disappointed by the lack of online activity, missing Steam features, and persistent bugs.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.12): Many players fondly remember playing this game during childhood or watching family members play it. Repurchasing it years later brings back strong memories and a sense of retro comfort.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Players enjoy the tactical gameplay that focuses on unit control without base management. The desert terrain, tank destruction, and mission planning provide a fun and charming experience.
- Amusement (weight 0.06): The game's cheesy story, exaggerated accents, and awful yet endearing voice acting make players laugh. Quirky character interactions and dated cutscenes add to the comedic charm.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players find satisfaction in the historical context, detailed vehicle destruction, and impactful combat. Mastering unit usage and experiencing the game's aged but solid design feels rewarding.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): The game is praised for its impressive visuals, sound, and cutscenes, especially considering its age. Its well-developed story and inclusion of Italian forces make it stand out as one of the best WW2 strategy games.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Players are annoyed by units taking strange paths or blocking movement, as well as a sound bug in cutscenes that requires a restart. Manual coordinate entry for object placement and repetitive voice lines also irritate.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm stems from excellent music, story, character chemistry, and gameplay, along with three campaigns and destructible environments. The North Africa setting and variety of factions and vehicles add to the excitement.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players express deep love for the game, especially the North Africa campaign with German and Italian factions. Many have cherished it since release and will keep it in their hearts forever.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is shown for the three campaigns, well-built units, and audiovisual quality that has aged well. The ability to play as the Italian faction and rediscovering the game as an adult are also valued.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement comes from playing the Italian campaign in Africa and engaging in strategic scouting and ambushes. The game's improved objectives and story make it an excellent strategy experience.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players are surprised by the well-crafted scripted stories in each campaign and the unique opportunity to play as Yugoslavia. The fact that online multiplayer still works is an unexpected bonus.
- Fun (weight 0.01): Fun is derived from playing co-op with a friend in Afghanistan while progressing the campaign. The campaign itself is also enjoyable.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): The game feels like a masterpiece and continues to surprise the reviewer. They were astonished when the game first launched.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness comes from seeing personal Yugoslav history portrayed in the game and the original game receiving a map editor on Steam.
- Impressed (weight 0.01): The reviewer is impressed by the amazing single-player campaign with nice mechanics and good progression pacing.
- Warm nostalgia (weight 0.01): Journal entries and videos between missions evoke warm nostalgia and remind the reviewer of childhood.
- Mild concern (weight 0.01): There is mild concern about editor stability issues on newer systems.
- Mild frustration (weight 0.01): Mild frustration arises from AI units getting stuck or making poor decisions.}