The Wargamer

New Features And Tweaks Makes Kharkov Even Better

Panzer Command: Kharkov is the second game under the Panzer Command franchise. The first Panzer Command, Panzer Command: Operation Winter Storm, was well received by both critics and gamers alike. It weathered inevitable comparisons between itself and the Combat Mission series, but in speaking with Matrix and Koios insiders it was never intended to compete against that venerable wargaming icon. The comparisons came anyway but despite them it found its own place in the wargaming niche.

Panzer Command: Operation Winter Storm attempted, and largely succeeded, in finding an audience that could find a broader, less hardcore audience, but still provide some challenge, through a robust AI and historical material not well covered by PC wargames. The Combat Mission series offered greater detail in terms of unit variety and specificity of orders, and superior graphics. Panzer Command: Operation Winter Storm brought to the table the successful miniatures rules from Panzer War, a campaign mission where the player’s core units could fight from scenario to scenario as a whole, XML files to make easy work of editing game unit data, and a simple, intuitive game that was easy to get into (though to be fair, I never thought the Combat Mission series was anything but brilliant; however I recognize not all gamers are looking for as much detail as me and Panzer Command was made with them in mind).

Now a year and a half later Panzer Command: Kharkov’s release is just around the corner. Inevitably, the developers have been hard at work adding additional features and gameplay. The list of additions is significant and I will list them at the end of this preview. For now, however, I’d like to discuss some of the more significant ones based on some quick first impressions with a late beta build.

Aside from the new scenario and campaign material, Panzer Command: Kharkov offers a random battle generator and random campaign generator, new orders, and a host of new units. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does show that significant changes have been made to the game. Minefields and trenches have been added to the list of terrain features; on board mortars and artillery have been added. Armor junkies who have been waiting for a new Kursk fix will find three new battles just on that engagement.

Overall the new orders give heightened flexibility to the game without presenting an overwhelming amount of detail. Panzer Command: Kharkov continues with gameplay established by its predecessor, turns are broken into two forty second phases: orders and reaction. The phases are resolved simultaneously for both sides. Graphically the player can zoom in to an over-the-shoulder perspective of an individual squad or zoom out to a bird’s eye view. The player can easily zip around this three dimensional battlefield to view any angle desired, check lines of sight, and generally take in the action. With a rewind button for each phase the player can watch the action unfold over and over from any perspective desired.

Very useful out of the numerous improvements to spotting is the fact that spotting is now relative to a unit. Now clicking on a unit only reveals those units seen specifically by the selected unit. Another welcome change is the addition to a step process in the state of a unit’s morale. No longer simply “good” or “broken” units now can be suppressed and rallied. Reinforcements are now a part of the game, and it was a pleasure to see new units rolling in behind the initially deployed units just as the extra firepower was welcome. Also added is an auto-targeting feature so that if a unit destroys its target in the middle of its phase, it will automatically retarget to another – thus not losing any firepower.

In all, Panzer Command: Kharkov now boasts a host of new and welcome features. Players seeking a World War II wargame with simultaneous resolution, a campaign game, and mid-level complexity need to get ready to blitz the Eastern Front upon its release.