Panzar

PANZAR is basically what you get when you cross an MMORPG with a MOBA. It has the in-depth character customization of the first and the second’s team on team battle mayhem that takes place in an arena that comes to an end way before you start to yawn. It’s focused on delivering short bursts of combat and at the end, you have the satisfaction that you’ve helped your character grow in power instead of dropping him back into the hero pool to reset.

PANZAR makes use of CRYENGINE3 so you will have reasons to expect good looking graphics and effects, and the game delivers, there’s no questioning that. That fact alone really helps with personal hype as you start the tutorial but it lasts right up until your fourth PvP or PvE matchup.

It’s not that the teams are totally imbalanced (although that does happen), it’s the darn sluggish animations and glitchy gameplay that come with them. For a game that promises intense combat, a lot of the time it feels like you’re playing a grandpa-park-brawl, especially if you have a melee hero.

It’s a bit strange that an orc on steroids barely swings a fairly big chunk of wood around, not to mention that he takes his sweet time between swings. But that’s ok, it’s not like there are dodge or strafe mechanics to use. Basic evasion instincts are something mythical here.

Generally speaking, MOBAS and other arena style games that are free to play need to have some method for generating income. You can’t argue whether that’s fair or not because people have worked and continue to work on those games, servers need maintenance and so on.

That’s why most of them offer an in-game shop from where you can purchase game currency using actual cash. However, some games, like PANZAR stretch it a bit too far. It casts a pay-to-win shadow on almost all the enjoyment that it can offer.

It’s commendable that it offers detailed character customization for both skills and items. Items which actually enhance arena combat performance. To make things even more interesting, you can even craft and upgrade your gear using resources that are randomly dropped after the arena ends. The catch? Resources for good gear are reserved for VIPs, those who pay real cash for the privilege of that title.

PANZAR is on the fence when it comes to whether it’s a good game or a bad one. It totally depends on what you’re looking for. As far as content, diversity, fighting go, the game has plenty of it and if you manage to get passed the pay to win aspect, you’re bound to have a good time playing it.