I reviewed Panzer General over a year ago (Al Giovetti, Panzer General,
Electronic Entertainment, volume 2, number 2, February, 1995, pg. 88.)
and this newly updated fantasy worlds genre is being added to that game
engine. Unlike Allied General, Fantasy General looks more like the
original favorite game.
You can play: one of four characters: Archmage Krell, Sorceress Mordra, Knight Marshal Kalis, and Lord Marcas. Each character has their own advantages and disadvantages, including recruitment and summoning of powerful beasts and monsters, and ability to recruit certain army types, such as cavalry or infantry. Unfortunately, you cannot play scenarios from the viewpoint of the Shadowlord or his minions as you can with Command and Conquer or Warlords.
Plot: You need to defeat the Shadowlord with dozens of special unit types.
Interface: Both the exploration and the combat maps are top-down, third-person, map perspective. Various pop-up interface windows chronicle the types of units, their equipment, and other features. Like most Strategic Simulations games, statistics rival those of professional businesses and accounting records. The buttons along the side of the two map displays mediate the commands in the game.
Combat: Carry out combat over several continents where you explore until you run into the enemy and are forced to fight.
Modes: Campaign, single-mission, random-scenario generator, and play-by-email (PBEM)
Music: good background music that really carries this simulation
along. A 36 voice choir was used for the sound track, producing a
professional and entertaining series of musical work.
Sound effects: As with most strategy games, the sound effects suffer from being too few and too often. Why the designers do not randomize different sound bytes for similar events to keep the effects less boring is beyond me.
Multiplayer: No multiplayer modes
Conclusions: Good solid solitaire game based upon the original, best-selling classic, Panzer General.
Review references:
Martin Cirulis, www.cnet.com/Gamecenter/Reviews/Fantasy/
Jeff James, Computer Player, volume 3, number 1, June, 1996, pg. 64-65,
8/10 (80%)..