Call to Arms: Panzer Elite: Pretty, but Very Shallow

 

Coming from an old-school tank-sim player, I went in hopeful. The name Panzer Elite still carries weight, a reminder of when tank games were slow, methodical, and full of consequence. I gave ctaPE a test: HUD off, single-tank focus, and an open mind.

The good: the front end is well done and the missions are presented nicely. The Panzer IV G handles cleanly. Brake and clutch turns feel crisp and controllable. Building destruction is excellent, walls crumble convincingly, debris feels heavy, and explosions are satisfyingly physical. For a moment it seems like someone remembered what mass and traction should be!

Rear of the tank hanging in mid air.
 

Then the illusion slips. Suspension is animated, not simulated. Ballistics seem to be hit-point based — good visuals, but impacts don’t feel dependent on angle or armour thickness. Optics are for show while HUD markers do all the real work. The turret spins far too fast — tuned for corridor play, not battlefield realism. Bocage pops in a puff of vegetation, maps are boxed in, and there’s no tactical space or commander’s awareness.

ctaPE Pzr4G optic. 
Correct one for reference.

 It’s undeniably pretty, the lighting, smoke, and sound are polished but beneath the gloss there’s nothing to hold a tank sim player. The tanks look the part yet never behave like living machines.

I can imagine if you’re a World of Tanks or War Thunder player, this game is manna from heaven, fast, flashy, and full of explosions. But coming from the other direction, Panzer Elite, Steel Fury, T-34 vs Tiger, sadly it’s all show and no go and I wish it wasn't, we have this type of game covered by WoT and WT, why create another clone, another tank sim to go with what Tank Squad is trying to achieve would of been wonderful.

I don’t mean that disrespectfully; it’s another tank game, and that’s always welcome. It’s just the other end of my spectrum.

I actually gave it 29 minutes. That was enough to see exactly what it was (refunded).

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