by Lloyd “Gus” Sabin, 19 October 2025
I must have played the original Panzer General (on the original PlayStation, no less) for hundreds if not thousands of hours. Twenty five years ago the Panzer Corps series captured my attention with its beer-and-pretzels style gameplay, addictive scenarios and campaigns, decent-ish AI, and, for the time, good graphics and sound effects. Almost every theater and confrontation of World War II was covered between Panzer Corps, Allied General, and Pacific General, not to mention the Fantasy General game, all using the same turn-based system.
Fast forward more than two decades and wargamers now have Panzer Corps 2. For some, the game is not hardcore enough. Not me. Panzer Corps 2 immediately captured my attention and reignited my love for its turn-based system from the very beginning when it launched. The graphics and animations are very good, and new gameplay mechanics like hero units flesh out the game even more.
click images to enlarge
Ultimately, Panzer Corps 2 looks to surpass its predecessor in the breadth of campaigns and scenarios offered. There are the Axis Operations campaigns, of course, through every year of the war and what-if campaigns (1946). Even better are some unexpected campaigns like the Spanish Civil War. Beyond those, are newer more focused campaigns in the Frontlines, War Stories and Elite series, covering different theaters like North Africa, the fall of Poland, and the ‘Ghost Division’ (Rommel’s 7th Panzer), respectively. I love the direction Panzer Corps 2 is going with these focused scenarios, and there are 100s if not 1000s of hours of gameplay covering all of World War II. While the new series is not as all-encompassing as the original yet, it is well on its way.
The first entry into the Frontlines series is Bulge, released in March 2024 and covering…yes, the Battle of the Bulge, through the Ardennes and the siege of Bastogne in late 1944. The newest entry in Frontlines is Westwall, released in August 2025, covering the Allied campaign that led up to the Battle of the Bulge from September through December 1944. In Westwall the player takes command of American forces through Aachen, Huertgen Forest, Lorraine and the Saar. Basically, all the legendary confrontations that those of us gamers of a certain age heard their dads and granddads talk about.
I played through the first mission in Westwall, Schnee Eifel, and the false sense of quick victory described by allied troops in the fall of 1944 is clearly presented. Gains come very quickly with little effort or cost – but the player is warned repeatedly not to get overconfident. As the allied player advances in Westwall, increasingly heavier opposing troops and defenses are met, all leading up to the last desperate breakout attempt in December 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge.
I enjoyed what I have played in Westwall very much so far. There is plenty of valuable background information injected every few turns, the historical flavor is great, the animations and graphics are smooth, the AI competent-ish, and they all come together to really immerse the player in the last 6 months on the western front in World War II.
One small criticism: the music was a bit over the top and a tad distracting. Not a constant cacophony but enough to notice every couple of turns.
Overall though, I really enjoyed Westwall and I am coming from a place where World War II history almost feels like current events to me, being of a certain age and having been blessed to have grown up with my grandparents around. With that said, the content here interests me a lot, it is engaging, even having been immersed in World War II campaigns of all kinds, for decades.
Additionally, there are some new units and unit variants introduced in Westwall, including Sherman tank variants, upgraded aircraft, and defenses like dragon’s teeth, bunkers and pillboxes. These are introduced across 14 different scenarios spanning Aachen, the Huertgen Forest to Metz and the Saar and beyond.
My screens here capture just some of the very early action. Rest assured that Westwall is well designed and engaging, and for the 10.00 asking price, certainly worth it. If you are getting a little older and groggier as the years go by and think you would not be interested in a World War II game again, try it. Dare to be surprised. There is a lot to offer here and it will more likely than not engage and interest you. Here’s to hoping that Flashback Games and Slitherine continue down this path, releasing high quality engaging content for years more. Their pedigree (Battle Academy 2, the newest iteration of Fantasy General) certainly suggests they will and I, now salty, crusty and old, could not be happier.
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