BLOWING A WEEKEND WAS NEVER SO MUCH FUN
A Review of The Perfect General 2
QQP, one of the premiere strategic software publishers, has released a new piece called The Perfect General 2, a follow up to it's popular forerunner, The Perfect General.
Installation of this software was extremely easy. The package came with a single CD-ROM, and all instructions were laid out well in the manual. Also, QQP has taken the liberty to add several pages of technical notes on tweaking your system's autoexec.bat and config.sys files or even making a boot-up disk for memory pressed systems.
Like most gamers, I basically scanned the instruction manual (48 pages), and jumped right into the game. I found it quite easy to get into the meat of this software. Unfortunately, I got my butt kicked about 75% of the time by the computer. Needless to say, this prompted me to reread the manual. Frankly, this isn't a bad way to approach most software packages. Once you're in the game, much of the topics covered in your instruction manual will become much more clear when you read it again.
Upon entering the game, a general will appear on screen and offer advice for a particular scenario. Much of what is offered here can be used in many other scenarios and is sound strategic advice.
Perfect General 2 offers quite a number of different scenarios to choose from. If you choose to play a full campaign, you can literally lose days of your life. Most players will probably choose to play a Single Scenario. These in themselves are time consuming, but at least you probably will finish them in one sitting.
The game itself allows the player to taylor it to their own tastes. You can be the attacker or defender. The AI of the computer is adjustable from "1" (easiest) to "5" (hardest). Believe me, the AI of this game is incredible. If you don't have access to a carbon unit to war with, the computer will put up a ferocious fight. Many other options are offered, such as seeing your opponent's forces, weather variables, etc.
Perfect General 2 is a hexed based game. However, the hexes are not shown unless the player turns this option on. Don't let that scare you away, however. Many wargamers don't like hex based games. You'll never know it, trust me. For those who DO like hexes, well, just turn the hex map option on, and voila!
The graphics are incredible. The opening cinematic clip is second to none, in my opinion. The sound effects have to be heard to be believed. From the noise of tank treads, to the sound of men marching, it's here, believe me. One of the highlights is watching and hearing your artillery bombardments reducing enemy units to so much scrap metal.
Gameplay is land based. Hardware choices are dependent on the scenario, but overall, tanks (4 different kinds), airplanes, different types of infantry units, armored personnel carriers, artillery & mines are the tools of war.
QQP includes several mapbooks with the software, that show the battlefield, scenario variables & force levels of the attacker and defender. These are good study materials for armchair generals, allowing one to plot the demise of your enemy in advance.
One thing to consider in playing this game, it's very important to keep a good balance of forces. Loading up on nothing but tanks can leave a player stranded, or much slower than the lighter forces of the opponent. The key to winning most scenarios is not only sound strategy, but the right choice of hardware in the beginning and a willingness to take risks at appropriate times.
Whether you're a die hard wargamer, who lives and dies by methodical strategy, or perhaps you enjoy good strategic sims with great graphics and sound effects, Perfect General 2 is a must have.
The measure of a game's enjoyment factor can be given in a number of ways. My favorite is the grass factor. Great software is addictive to the point it consumes your personal time. Unfortunately, chores (including cutting the grass around the house) tend to get neglected. Right now, my yard looks like a field...
Perfect General 2 won't collect dust around your computer. I recommend it wholeheartedly. It's a winner.
Copyright © 1995 David Smith for infoMedia. All rights reserved worldwide.
Screen Shots
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: |
The Perfect General 2 |
| Company: |
Published by Quantum Quality Productions, Inc. (QQP), 495 Highway 202,
|
| Cost: |
$64.95 |
System Requirements:
System Requirements: IBM PC & 100% Compatibles, MS-DOS 5.0 or higher,
386DX-33 or higher, 4 Meg RAM, CD-ROM drive, VGA Graphics, Mouse. Modems
and Sounds Cards are also supported.
Breakdown:
Fun Factor 5
Graphics 4
Sound 4
Interface 4
Replayability 5
Overall Score:
Copyright © 1997 InfoMedia, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.