Panzer Hearts - War Visual Novel Reviews

Good story, interesting alternate history, and less dating than one might expect from the description. About three hours playtime for the Astrid route.

Right from the beginning, it is made clear to the player that the visual novel is going to be wildly funny while still leaving them wondering what will happen next. The game is not safe for work (or grandkids) in parts, but these moments are not without reason, and the occasional grammar/spelling mistakes only make the game more quirky and entertaining. Even if romance novels and visual novels aren't exactly the player's cup of tea (or would it be "reader's" or "viewer's"?), the utter cluelessness of the protagonist is always good for a laugh, and the story alone was more than enough to keep me coming back for more (just don't expect a double entendre). One only has to spend a short time "reading" the visual novel to see that the developers aimed to make something they themselves would enjoy than something that would simply sell well, and it is obvious from the start that each choice matters. I'd recommend this to just about anyone.

I guess it is best to start this review by stating two things: 1) I have never played visual novels before. Never even thought of them really. Until now they have just been something for someone else and my time has been better spent with something bett... else. Now you probably ask why on earth am I playing this, if playing is right word for these, and writing a review for it. Well... 2)I don't know personally the developers of the game, but they hang out at the same small gaming community as I do and they posted pretty openly about the creation of Panzer Hearts. I was one of the more active persons to comment the project (got even mentioned at credits; Lorersho Ozzie from Pelit) but didn't have any real role in the creation. Closest I probably got was when I commented, after seeing some early artwork and teaser, :"Toivottavasti tulee hyvä, mutta todennäköisesti ihan paska." (Hopefully will be good, but most likely going to be just crap). Well was I right about that? (Yes yes, I know you already see the thumbs up there, but play along would you). Like I said I haven't got experience with the genre so I can't really compare this to anything. Only thing I can say for somewhat certainty is that this is the best story ever about homefront of Nazi Egypt-Germany of WWII. Also likely to be the worst I guess. Not much competition really on that. While altered history of WWII is not uncommon at all, having the story of game placed at homefront of war is, while not unique, refreshing. There is little point to tell much details about the plot,since that is pretty much all VNs tend to have. You follow the story of Bastian, young and naive soldier who gets wounded and is unfit to return to service. Therefore he starts serving his country as a mechanic and hopes to live up to his father. The gameplay itself is quite simple. Most of the time you will be just spectator. Story tells you where to go and what to do. Check for hotspots at screen, see what happens from them. Follow dialogue and choose what to say. Your choices decide the way that the story will develop and who you will end up getting the romance with. Pretty basic for VN I believe. Technically game is decent enough. No big bugs and graphics are what you could expect. Honorary mention to the musics, which are great all through the game and create nice atmosphere. However it is good to mention, that since Panzer Hearts is a small budged game, there is no voice acting, so hopefully you aren't afraid of reading the plentiful dialogue. As a summary? Panzer Hearts is indeed a nice story driven game about war and love from rare viewpoint. I didn't expect to get as nearly deep into the story as I did. This is mostly because of good writing. I don't know yet how much there is difference between the storylines but I'd imagine that there is certainly some replay value here. For those who are unfamiliar with VNs Panzer Hearts is good choice for getting familiar with the genre or just to step out of your comfort zone. And if you are feeling uncertain about it; there is a demo available so give it a try.

A well-written, alternate-history visual novel about a young man learning some hard truths about himself and the Empire he serves. World-building is on-point!

The story line is good with certainly a twist or two. My biggest criticism of the game is that the choices you get don't really feel like choices at all, with only 1 seemingly having any appreciable impact on the game, beyond "kiss the girl?" type stuff. Overall though, I'd definitely recommend the game for the ~6hrs to experience both arcs.

Nefer best girl 100/10 Anyways, the game as a visual novel is really good. The characters, the story, and so on. I see the game more as a personality test since you decide things based on what you would do (if you play it seriously) and that is what makes the game fun. The tank building part could be improved. Other than that nothing else really. I really hope that a sequel or a continuation is in the works. Play the game yourself and you'll understand why ;)

Interactiva story about man who can chance outcome of the war from just building tanks. Couple of different endings and funny easter eggs. One of the best history lessons about bronze age. I cant wait what comes next from developers. If you are intrested you can start from demo and buy the game if you like it.

I first became aware of this novel by watching it streamed on Twitch. I was hooked from the begining . It hooks you instantly as the soldier gets shot . There is some intrigue and humor sprinkled throughout . Please dont dismiss this review because I only have a little playtime on it . Im playing it again after watching Zaxtor99 doing it on Twitch. I would recomend this whole heartedly . I love the characters each in thier own way and really there are no good guys or bad guys in this it is all how you decide to go kind of like a choose your own adventure book from when I was a kid . I would recomend 10 out of 10

Interesting take on something to adapt to a visual novel. This is a game set in an alternate world's World War II. You serve the "Germans" who in this world worship the Egyptian pantheon. There are two love interests and they are a bit divergent, at least in their belief in the Empire... One is a rebel, the other the daughter of a high-ranking official. Worth the price.

Astrid is best girl 10/10 In all seriousness tho, this is a good game. Lots of interactivity, although some of them don't really affect the game. Only 2 endings :( (The game fleshes out Astrid's ending well, so I assume that it does the same for Nerfer's. Quality over quantity.) Have yet to play Nefer's route and Lore, although I definetly intend to sometime. My only obstacle is I hate being the bad guy, and once I've been the "good guy", I can't seem to go back and say "Let's see what happenes if I'm the bad guy now", but that's just me. Wish there were other ways to get the same ending, kind of like how you can choose a different path to get to the same destination. The devs are also nice and open to a sequel, ideas, and updates. Anyways, great game about a man living in alternate Nazi Germany, and the struggles that come with living in such a country. Definetly recommend if you want a VN about war, there aren't enough of these. FOR FREEDOM! ;)