World War II: Panzer Claws II

The strategy genre has been changed and mixed over the years in a variety of ways, whether to increase the difficulty and allow the players a larger degree of freedom, or to make it easier for newcomers and simplify the rules a little bit. Whatever the case, the real-time strategy branch has managed to remain relevant even today, despite the fact that a top-down view might seem to be a bit too old-school for today's standards.

World War II: Panzer Claws did not need to concern itself with such problems because it was released over a decade ago, back when an isometric point of view was practically the rule. Moreover, it also centered around the obvious WWII conflict, which means that the scenarios, the units and the maps are inspired by the infamous war that shaped the 20th century and changed the faith of millions of people.

To start off with, the game features four lengthy campaigns, in order to capture the conflict from the perspective of the Allied forces, the Soviets and the Germans. As far as the time span itself, you can witness and participate in battles that took place between the Nazi attack on Russia, all the way to the Ardenne offensive and various other well-known battles, scattered all across Europe.

Everything is about as classic as it can get when it comes to the real-time strategy genre, since it revolves around your ability to build a base of operations and train the appropriate troops in order to kill the opposing force. In skirmish matches, you can employ basically any strategy you wish, as long as you do not get caught by surprise by an enemy attack and the units you decide to train are effective against whatever meets them on the battlefield.

Speaking of which, these units are obviously inspired by real-life troops and vehicles, ranging from various infantry types, to a wide array of tanks and jeeps. Each faction's got its own special units, although they are not that vital during the battle and they might not have the desired impact. Coupled with a rather basic AI and a somewhat poor graphics engine, the game does not manage to impress in any way, but it can be the source of a few hours of fun, if you are a die hard fan of war tactics and strategy.

In the end, World War II: Panzer Claws may not be able to pick a fight with the giants of the genre, since Blitzkrieg does offer a lot more depth, finesse and entertainment. However, that doesn't mean that you cannot enjoy the title at hand for a few hours, especially if you enjoy historical accuracy and a lot of interesting toys to employ out on the battlefield.