Game is clunky as hell, no tutorial that I could see so your thrown in with no idea what to do (at least it was easy enough to work out after 10-15 minutes). Turn based strategy phase is the worst I've seen. Only really buy it if it's on sale.

Though this type of games, mixing a tactical game with a strategy phase, is not my favourite genre indeed, I've really enjoyed Achtung Panzer 1943. You're placed in one of the most important WWII battles (the post-Stalingrad offensives and counter-offensives around Kharvok), and the game successes in getting you into the mood.

Perhaps the strategy phase doesn't seem a big deal, but it affects game outcomes decisively, as it's the way forces are deployed. The tactical phase is the core of the game, and in some ways is more a simulator than the usual 'arcade' mode. A enjoyful simulator, I would say.

You have loads of units represented, with an awesome fidelity to their historical tecnical charateristics. It doesn't feel like a generic tank with stats that make them slightly different to others... (it could be a Panzer, it could be a Warhammer 40k vehicle). A T-34 really feels like a T-34 should be represented in a wargame, not just visually but functionally! Add this to a marvellous representation of the locations, said to be very accurate... and not too much exigent in their graphical or CPU requirements.

If Total War series wanted to land into the Second World War, they'd better hire the guys after Achtung Panzer Kharkov 1943.

If you like Combat Mission or Close Combat series (or even perhaps Theatre of War), you will probably enjoy this tactical wargame. You'll probably need a couple of tries before you get it, but you'll like it.

It has some important differences from the rest of the genre. Forget about micromanaging unit orders, here you'll give more general directions. You'll order units to move to certain areas, with certain attitude and rules of engagement, and let them do it. You won't get to tell them to move inside that particular small cottage, or hide behind that particular bush. They'll do it (or no) on their own. The sooner you get this, the sooner you can start to relax and enjoy.

Great attention to detail. I preferred this so much better than Theater of War. Its hard to pick up at first but as soon as you do - its smooth! I recommend downloading the PDF manual and going through the basics.

Excellent game. It has a immersive atmosphere. You can hear blowing the wind or dogs barking. All this sounds in a close night.

The game has two parts:

Operational map. You can move squads like a board game.

Tactical scenario. You play the battle between differents units from operational turn.

The game is real time but it's pausable.

The interface can be improve. At the beginning it can be little dificult to new players.

Achtung Panzer is a real-time, 3D, tactical battle sim that has a turn-based strategy element (manoeuvring platoons, refitting them, squad selection, etc). The tactical action plays out on a huge, historically accurate landscape of towns/villages, plains, woods, rolling hills and strings of icy small lakes. Extremely atmospheric fun and addicting game to play.

I personnaly would not class this game as an RTS. First because RTS is somehow linked to much simpler games that have little to do with realism. Second because it's above all a tactical game. Of course, the grand picture is about strategy, but your interaction with the game is firs tactical. Tanks and vehicles are so realistic that you just lack the smell of smoke, grease and petrol. And it's not hard to feel like you're immerged to the neck in that snow and that mud. Now, yhis has of course negative side : this is not an esay game to master. If and when you invest in it, you get rewarded though and that deserves the 5 stars as far as I am concerned

With the steep learning curve and realism this game will definitely not be for everyone. I recommend it for those who like real war games and in depth strategy titles. History buffs will appreciate the vehicle and tank encyclopedia. For those who like this style of game, you’ll find lots of replay value and plenty of battle action coming your way. Be sure to check out the demo to make sure this game is up your alley first.

This game is a wonderful concept and takes realism to a whole new level for WWII RTS gamers. There are quite a few compatibility issues, however, and it took about an hour of tweaking settings just to be able to play. IMHO, it was worth it though.

An attempt to do something similar to the "combat mission" series, but that is not as good. There is a sequel coming out so it should pay off to wait and see. I bought it and regreted, as any 'combat mission' game of the same-name-series is superior.

Grab this one when it goes on sale. I believe it is no longer being supported with patches, but is a unique take on a Combat Mission type of genre. The interface will take some getting used to, so definitely not for a casual fan. At $10 or so, give it four-stars. Lots of play value.

Maybe it is me, but I don’t like this game. I thought it was like Panzer general, but it is not. This is an tactical war game. The graphics are just decent and the gameplay is interesting, although I lost interest very soon. I had many trouble setting it up and whn that was done, understanding it was a major pain. If you like Combat Mission you will probably like this game as well. Personally, I cannot recommend it.

This is an average tactical war game. The graphics are beautiful and the theatre of operations is interesting but I found the UI to be very complicated and had trouble understanding just what in the world I was supposed to be doing. Much more "hard core" games like Combat Mission or Panzer Command are actually easier to understand than this game! That's not to say it's a bad game-they just need a good tutorial and a more streamlined UI.

While This game being great it still lacks some historical important items such as tiger tanks first panthers and such tho after some research i found out an expansion was on its way after already being published in Russia they were preparing it for rest of the world tho no news had come from the company tho its 8months ago the expansion was released in Russia the expansion is not expected to be published by paradox but by another company tho by who ? 5/5

Ok, so it's not perfect, however, it's not bad either. It is in fact clean in the middle.

The first thing I noticed was the graphics which seemed about five years late to the party, but I can look past such trivial matters if I enjoy the gameplay. Unfortunately, I found that to be lacking too. The ingame tutorial wasn't overly helpful, and neither was the downloadable tutorial that came with it so there are still some aspects I don't fully understand.

However, it is very realistic in terms of reinforcement of troops and battles. The ability to zoom in from a kilometre up in the air, down to being right on top of a small squadron of troops. It is also not an expensive game. I was fortunate enough to buy this for $6, but give it some time and GG will surely drop the price down to something a bit more reasonable.

This game is only for diehard armchair generals or for serial micromanagers. However, I will say this; if an expansion was to come out that allowed LAN and online multiplayer, I would probably retract most of my negative comments about this game. So Graviteam, just keep that in mind when you come back to this title...

Relive a fierce battle of WWII, plan a commanders decision, and experience a soldiers struggle. this game has got a lot more to offer. it is one of the best, but it still needs some work. more realistic soldier models would do. thank you for a beautiful game. hope that the team could update it with more detail! overall, a really good historical wargame.

This is a game that would appeal to any WW2 fan and especially those who wanted to be able to "play" the Heart of Iron series battles.

The AI has some good tricks, the realization is very correct for this type of game, troops gain experience etc.

A very good tactical game for wargamers!

As a fan of the Combat Mission series, I found Achtung Panzer enjoyable. The level of detail in the simulation is quite impressive, with tanks and other equipment modeled with fidelity. The scope of the game allows the player to affect the outcome of important operational engagements on the Eastern Front of WWII and has an accurate order of battle.

As would be expected of a game of this type, the learning curve is somewhat steep. This is further complicated by a relatively unintuitive AI and undocumented features. This may turn off some of the more casual players but ultimately offers no real deterrence to the hardcore simulation fan.

The game is worth the purchase if you're looking for something realistic and something that will keep you engaged for many hours.

Really enjoyed the game.

The strategic map allows units in nearby squares to join on the battle map. It can be useful therefore to put support units in the right spot.

It was hillarious watching disabled tanks shooting at each other. Meanwhile I struggled to drive a Self propelled gun around so it could get a kill shot.

Fans of Close Combat will like this game.

Auchtung Panzer is a tactical WW2 combat simulator. It focuses on the Eastern front. It is both one of the most realistic and satisfying games within its genre.

It has several scenarios and allows you to have an outcome in major engagements in WW2.

If you like tanks, strategy and realism and have a bit of patience to learn the ins and outs then this is for you.

AP is certainly a deviation from Paradox's main line of releases. It is not a grand-strategy but it is quite interesting by itself. Its level of detail is amazing and its tactical battles become highly immersive at some instances. At its price, AP is an absolute can't miss. Support the developers people !

The mix of turn based, real time tactical, as well a bit a roleplay element when it comes to squads, gameplay is handled well, giving a proper level of both strategic and tactical control without bogging the player, and the action, down.

The latest patch really spruces up the gameplay, fixing the previously iffy (at best) infantry controls, helping to put some real polish on a game that was already pretty darn good.

For about $20 you get a game that will offer you many hours of entertainment. You would definitely benefit if you check out the forum for the game. After reading the manual there was still many unanswered questions which the forum helped with. The game is worth the purchase.

Yes, I shall reiterate what has been said; it is a really fantastic game. If you were a fan of the Close Combat series of games, or even Combat Mission, then this is up your street. It has an incredable AI that reacts to how you play - it flanks, withdraws corresponding to threats etc, and is not scripted; dyanamic is a word I would use.

I think its a breath of fresh air in the wargaming world, dealing with a series of engagments during the Kharkov offensve of 1943, the battles before the Kursk offensive. Graphically you get to experience some isolated Russian villages during the end of the Russian winter, with snow, mist and fog being the dominant weather form. Night battles, or early morning battles really set the stage, with flares going off, etc, adding a really good sense of immersion and feel for the terrain. Saying that the graphics are not top notch, but neither are they rubbish either, but I think this is not so important due to its setting and what the game tries to do.

You need to learn the game, playing and reading the manual is a must as it has a relative steep learning curve, but once you get the hang of the interface and the various commands to issue, then it becomes much easier. Do not let its complexity put you off -

play and read as you should with any game. Your rewards will be fulfilling when you see that assualt against the village you are defending break apart and the enemies withdraw. Great stuff. Cannot say much more than this - apart from for the price, which is cheap and worth every penny. A++

At first glance the game gives you an impression of a budget game with a steep learning curve. The graphics are Ok for an armchair general and experienced warmonger which you have to be to appreciate this game. The grand technical details of tank armour penetration will make you drool.

Personally I was expecting a Close combat remake in 3D but was sadly disappointed. The game mainly focuses on tanks and a higher command level than Close combat. Despite this the game sports vast terrain to fight over and which is detailed and nice to look at. The night fights are great! When you get the hang of the camera controls and order giving you will have several hours of tense combat, although it still seems to lack some soul.

If you don’t mind somewhat outdated graphics and liked to stack paper counters playing Squad Leader the boardgame you will not regret buying this game.

This is a great game for WWII wargaming fanatics. My personal favourite feature is seeing your forces arrayed below like tiny dots, and then being able to zoom right in and see all the details of men, equipment and combat: the tracks coiling off a tank as it is hit by shells, watching the tank catch alight and burning men run screaming into the snow. Meanwhile, a lone dog howls mournfully in the frozen, Kharkov, pre-dawn village air.

When the game tells you your tank is struck in the track or the turret it's not just a report: you can zoom in and see that exact battle damage. You can even get full armour penetration statistics and diagrams at the end!

The atmosphere is great and there is a lot of attention to detail, particularly in the terrain. While it seems daunting at first you very quickly get the hang of reinforcing and resupplying your troops.

I agree that Hearts of Iron players would love this. Achtung Panzer is tactical where HOI is strategic, and you finally get the thrill of seeing the little troops running around. I would compare it to the Sturmovik and Silent Hunter games too, just because for me it is an all round great WWII combat sim. I'd rank it as one of the great all-time WWII games and I'm looking forward to replaying it all on the hardest difficulty setting.

I love this game!

This is the greatest tank i have ever play, is a grand strategic game in the field. If you are a Hearts of Iron fan, you will enjoy this game a lot because is like command yourself your troops in the east field. This game deserve a 9/10

Many WWII Eastern Front games are on the market, but none of them achieve the magic balance of realism, immersion, gaming fun, and extremely challenging AI as successfully AP:K. Add to that the fact that AP:K is available for a fraction of the cost of those other games AND runs rock-steady out of the box, and you've got a must-buy for anyone interested in squad- and company-level 3D wargames. If you have been a fan of the Close Combat, Combat Mission, or Theatre of War series, you owe it to yourself to try AP:K. Free demo will give you a good feel for the game.

I'm not going to waste time on details of this game. This is the best tactical battle simulator on the market!

It's $10.00!

'Nuff said!

If you like Combat Mission or Close Combat series (or even perhaps Theatre of War), you will probably enjoy this tactical wargame. You'll probably need a couple of tries before you get it, but you'll like it.

It has some important differences from the rest of the genre. Forget about micromanaging unit orders, here you'll give more general directions. You'll order units to move to certain areas, with certain attitude and rules of engagement, and let them do it. You won't get to tell them to move inside that particular small cottage, or hide behind that particular bush. They'll do it (or no) on their own. The sooner you get this, the sooner you can start to relax and enjoy.

The interface doesn't help to quickly get grip of the game. It's dark and textured and somewhat ugly for my liking. I prefer solid colors and easily identifiable buttons or info panels. Some things will be familiar to those used to the genre, but the way some buttons and orders work is not very straightforward. Read the manual, pay attention to tooltips and ask in the forums if you are confused. Also, having soviet unit symbols instead of the widespread and familiar NATO ones adds another new feature you'll need some time to familiarize with for most gamers.

Once you'll get over these first little obstacles that this game offers, you'll find a solid operational system, realistic units, OOB and weaponry, flexible AI, exhaustively researched and recreated terrain and thrilling tactical battles. A must for tactical wargamers.

For those of you who have enjoyed Battlefront's Combat Mission series and were disappointed when they axed the operational version of their Barbarossa game, give Achtung Panzer a look. I like that Achtung has moved beyond the phased time to real time but without turning the game into a mindless clickfest. The graphics are also an upgrade--no stick figure men or tanks of stone. It's fun to watch your troops work their way through a village that looks like a real village, while halftracks knock down fences, trees, even bushes (all the terrain is destructable). The night battles are fascinating to watch, especially as missed shots knock down some tree half a kilometer away and machine gun bullets throw up puffs of snow around targets while arty observers fire flares arcing high over the battlefield. When the battle is over, you can even see how all your shots are labled on the carcass of a blown-out tank. Units upgrade with experience and win metals as in the old Close Combat series. The game designers got this one right in that they kept total number of units to command within a reasonable number while giving maximum manuvering room. The AI is no slouch, either. You can adjust the tactical battles from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Only only wish that a player could record battles in order to watch them on the ground level. The documentation is pretty straightforward and written in English although the illustrations are in Russian. I am eagerly awaiting any sequels to this--and please more operations like this one that have been overlooked by other wargame designers!