Read-time cold war strategy.

Codename: Panzers Cold War is a real-time strategy war game set in the cold war.

Unlike Red Alert, this fictional version of the cold war is pretty realistic. If you loved the over the top cartoon action of Red Alert, Codename: Panzers Cold War will seem pretty dry.

Control is via keyboard and mouse, and while there are of course plenty of controls, picking units and giving the orders is pretty simple. When taking on small groups of the Russian enemy, you feel a little removed from the action, as your troops can take care of themselves! With more challenging numbers of enemies, there’s a bit more strategy involved in taking out the bad guys.

Graphically, there’s a good amount of detail in both the environment and the units themselves. The sound effects are pretty good, especially with the tanks. Much of the environment is destructible, and the sound of a tank crunching over trees is great.

For real-time strategy, Codename: Panzers Cold War, takes the middle road. It’s neither complex enough for hardcore strategists, nor as easy to use as something like Nintendo’s Pikmin games. Unlike some of its peers, there’s no instruction here (at least in the demo), so you’re left to guess the controls and basic strategies. However, it’s a solidly built game, and if you like the scenario, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

Although it lacks a training mission, Codename: Panzers Cold War is an enjoyable real-time strategy game.