Tanks, again! Widely used during the Second World War, they were still fairly new to the battlefield, which is perhaps why so many different variations of these steel beasts where created. Light tanks, tank destroyers, flame tanks, artillery, anti-air… you name it, it was probably built and used in battle. Something that Phase One did very well was to provide you with as many of these tanks as you could possibly use and Codename: Panzers - Phase Two does the same in giving you that luxury, even though it doesn't boast any substantial changes from its predecessor.

As with the original, Phase Two offers three single player campaigns as well as multiplayer and skirmish options. In single player you get the chance the play as the Axis, Allies and Partisan forces, each with their own tanks and weapons, their own goals and a story that isn't really interesting enough to follow to the end. While Phase One stuck you in a cosy European setting, this sequel dumps you in the harsher, more barren terrain of Africa and while Phase Two may lack built up towns and lush countryside, its open environments make for some awesome tank battles.

The campaign structure is, as with much of the game, unchanged. Each mission has at least one main objective, a few optional secondary objectives and a couple of hidden goals that you have to discover and complete on your own. This makes for a nicely varied game and as before there's no resource management, so the units you are given control over are the only ones you're getting for that mission. While you may lack the ability to create new vehicles, you aren't completely without the ability to increase your stockpile.

Tanks can't just be destroyed and left as rubble on the battlefield; they can be damaged, captured and repaired. While it may be easier to simply overwhelm enemy tanks and destroy them, the more resourceful will utilise the more underused of their arsenal, such as flame throwing tanks, to burn out enemy tank crews, leaving an empty vehicle ready for capture. This especially comes in useful when the enemy outnumbers your forces and where the procuring of new units isn't so much as option as it is a necessity to survive.

Yet the game also has an RPG style levelling system, a fairly simplistic one; the more kills your units get, the higher the rank they gain, improving viewing distance, accuracy and power. As the game progresses, you come to form a bond with your tanks as they gain higher ranks, becoming even more powerful. Suddenly you start to look at ways you can get your units though each level with the minimum of casualties, avoiding needless sacrifices, thus avoiding the prospect of having to call in replacements and lose those precious perks you worked so hard to gain in through previous missions.

Another one of Phase One's features that thankfully makes a return in Phase Two is the prestige system. While it has no resource management, prestige points do work kind of like resources. They are gained through successful completion of objectives, which is why you tend to find yourself working to complete every objective in each level. The more of these points you get, the more vehicles and infantry you can buy between missions. This is a simple but brilliant system that rewards your hard work with a shopping list of some of the most varied units of any World War II game.

The system has limits though, as you would expect. While it may seem a good idea to buy the biggest, most powerful tanks, these tend to cost the most, as well as suffering the usual disadvantages, such as slow movement and prolonged reload times. Spending prestige points is all about balance; small tanks are faster and carry more ammo but can't take on heavy armour alone, artillery can fire long distances and devastate huge areas but is vulnerable at close range, while you also have to make sure you have enough support units in tow. Trucks carry infantry and cannons, while repair and ammo vehicles ensure tanks can continue fighting through to the end of the mission. Even infantry, while not as effective on the battlefield as tanks and generally underused, also have to be considered every time it comes to spending more prestige points. After all, you can't very well commandeer abandoned vehicles when you have no one to take control of them.

As for new features, Phase Two now comes with a day and night cycle for each level. While seemingly a small addition, it does add some slight tactical advantages on the field. Each vehicle now has headlights, hardly exciting but they are important in nighttime missions, as visibility is reduced and enemies become more difficult to spot. Turning these headlights on improves this but also runs the risk of having your units spotted by enemy forces. Thankfully, this also works in your favour, as when the enemy switches their headlights on, they show up on the map, giving you a rough idea of their location and enough time to plan an ambush. Skirmish and Multiplayer modes are also present and make use of this new feature, which should keep the game's lifespan high; aside from this new feature, however, there's not an awful lot that's new in this sequel.

The graphics are practically the same with just a few tweaks here and there. It still looks pleasing but perhaps not as much as it did a year ago; zooming up for closer inspection reveals how blocky some of the in-game models are. That said, it still boasts some incredible detail, like the shaking of tanks after being hit by shells, wires from telegraph poles blowing in the wind and the new nighttime settings even showcase some impressive new lighting effects. Sadly, the sound is a different matter and while the game gets the loud bangs and crashes right, the voice acting is often unbearable to listen to, with the usual stereotyping and unconvincing accents. This is a small gripe however, as voice acting only comes into play during the cut scenes, which are hardly attention grabbing.

Perhaps one of Phase Two's biggest downfalls is it's lack of any real new features. Only a year on from its predecessor, there's little that been altered, including the tutorial, which aside from the setting and an introduction to nighttime combat is an exact copy of the first game. While this may disappoint some who were expecting to see something new from the series, Phase Two retains the original's strengths, providing a fun, lightweight, no-nonsense strategy game.

While lacking innovation and too close to the original to feel like more than a big expansion pack, Codename: Panzers - Phase Two is still an enjoyable strategy game and still boasts one of the most impressive tank rosters around. It's still challenging for fans of the original, while easy enough for newcomers to get in and get playing. With the added Skirmish, Multiplayer and massive single player campaigns, it's one that'll keep you occupied for a while to come, or a least until Phase Three is unleashed, which will hopefully be more of an evolution than an update.

Reviewed by Kieron Giacopazzi for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).