I recently met with David Huggele and Jens Schafer of 10Tacle Studios for a hands-on demo of their new PC game, Codename Panzers: Cold War. The title is an RTS and is set during the time period of the 1950’s when tensions between the Western powers and the Soviet bloc were at a peak.
CP:CW plays in the manner of classic real-time strategy games, and veterans of this genre should have no problems at all in adapting to the gameplay. Fortunately for those who are not as familiar with RTS genre, the interface is simple and easy to use. You’ll be able to get up and running in the game very quickly. The detail in the game is really good. The developers have taken great care in making sure the time period is true to historical settings. The vehicles, terrain, weapons, backdrop and objects in the game are very authentic looking. For history buffs it will be a treat to see.
I started off with the first mission where the Russians were attacking an airfield. My objective was to repel them and save the airfield. After that, my other mission objectives were to go out in the city and engage the enemy and neutralize them. You direct your squads by highlighting them and clicking on an area you want them to go. You can also select specific units to do your bidding. The squads are constantly chatting and they give you tips as to what you need to do to accomplish your mission successfully. While there are no base units to get supplies and vehicles from, you get these by calling in helicopters for supplies. You pay for various things by accumulating prestige points. These are gathered by completing missions and capturing locations.
Each mission starts off with a cutscene that explains objective goals. These are done quite well and give you an immediate feeling of the time period of the Cold War. I asked Jens Schafer if we would see historical figures such as Nikita Khrushchev, the premier of the U.S.S.R., in the game. Jens laughed and said that although the details of this couldn’t be revealed as of yet, that the probability was high in seeing such notable figures.
Gameplay was instantly addicting. I moved my troops throughout the city in an effort to try to eliminate my adversaries; I was even able to commandeer an APC and tank to help me in my quest. My squads were comprised of commanding officers, soldiers, rocket launcher personnel, medics, and others. While most RTS games give you an overhead view of all the action, Panzers Cold War takes you right into the midst of battle by allowing you to zoom in close to see the actual fighting occur. The music score is first rate and really adds to the ambience of the game. The battles are pretty entertaining to see as the opposing forces duke it out with firearms, attack vehicles and other forms of weapons. Calling in air strikes is also great fun, and looks amazing.
Various buildings and objects in the game are fully destructible. I had to watch where I was leading my squad as some of the structures would start to blow up or crumble. Unlike most games with destructible environments, falling buildings and flying debris causes damage to your troops.
I’d have to say that Codename Panzers: Cold War is an unusual RTS title in that it can appeal to casual gamers or the hardcore RTS fan. If the demo I played is any indication of how good this game is going to be, RTS fans and casual gamers are in for some good entertainment and explosive action.
Look for the game to hit shelves sometime in March.
