Panzer General was a revelation in computer gaming bringing wargaming to the forefront of PC gaming. The only real issue was making realistic battles work on hardware of the times. There is an expectation that wartime equipment work a certain way and failing to get that correct can limit a game. That's not the case with Fantasy General. The rules in a fantasy realm have to make sense, but they can operate however they want without upsetting history buffs. This game broke from reality in the best way possible and delivered a masterpiece in gameplay and strategy. FG may also be one of the first to incorpate small RPG and unit affinity elements in to a tactical wargame model. They arne't the focus, but they are there to flesh out his game. I'm convinced Gog and other retro game markets resurrected this hidden gem and paved the way for a 2019 sequel that used parts of the original soundtrack.
PG2 bridged the gap between a large scale macro wargame with intricate tactics without being squad based. PG3 tried to scale the game down again and lost the spirit of what makes the general series great. But I like this game. Where this game really shined and failed for me is in the commanders. Instead of simply recruiting units, you recruits commanders and give them units to control. You are limited on the number of slots available and higher level commanders can take up mutliple slots. There are times when you will upgrade a commander through a battlefield objective and he costs an extra slot permanently. The margin for error is razor thin when it comes to having enough units on the map vs upgraded commanders. Weak commanders feel like they are not contributing enough and you are too limited on their actions, while upgraded commanders give you plenty they can do, but cannot cover enough area. I want my powerful commanders that I need to protect, but I also want more unit slots that feel like they contribute. The game generally rehashes the campaigns from PG2 while attributing them to name generals. It's a nice rework to the classic WW2 storyline. I'm giving this a 3/5 because PG2 was only a 4/5 and this isn't on the same level. It's a good game and well worth your time, but it fails to live up to its predecessor in almost every way. It's a fun experiment in 3d wargaming, but the formula didn't lend itslef to long term success. There's a reason why future games went back to the PG2 formula.
SSI had a massive hit with PG1. It remans the pinnacle in macro wargaming in the series and is the spiritual successor to old chit based tabletop wargames. Being one of the first to translate tabletop on to the PC gave it mass appeal. PG2 refined the gameplay, improved the visuals, and added some much needed quality of life upgrades to become one of the most iconic wargames of all time. After all these years, PG2 is still one of the best entry point games to the genre. It scaled down the battles from PG1 making it easier for players to get in an complete battles. The game scaled down the maps and unit counts and focused a bit more on tactics than the macro. You are still racing for objectives and asaulting the defending forces can be painful, but with the right strategy you can beat every scenario. Where PG2 really excels is the visual design. The Isometric maps and better unit renderings are a welcome upgrade and the information about units is easier to find and laid out much better. More modern takes on the style are packed with so much content, it can be overwhelming to new players. The map sizes and unit counts have also been increased in newer iterations making each battle take so much longer. This keeps PG2 relevant over 20 years after its initial release. If you are left crazing more, you can dive in to the deeper games, but if you just want casual or to see where a lot of this began, this is the game for you. Pro Tip, up the value to start a campaign if you find the game too challenging. You'll be able to afford more units. I like 150 for a solid balance. 200 is casual and 300 starts plyaing like beginner mode.
