You begin with digitized video clips of real World War II footage as well as a spoken mission delivered in a corny German accent. The play uses a turn-based system that, depending on your tastes, can be either a drawback or a benefit. There are 35 scenarios in this game, any of which can be played on either the Axis or Allied side. The campaign starts in 1939 with the invasion of Poland, and quickly moves on to Warsaw, Belgium, Paris, and Norway. The outcome of one scenario affects your options in the next.
Scenarios vary in scale, but the units remain the same.
Some maps stretch for miles, whereas others are much smaller. A full scenario map can be viewed at any time. There are more than 350 different unit types in Panzer General, including infantry, artillery, air defense, tanks, anti-aircraft, recon, fighter, tac bomber, level bomber, submarines, and naval vessels. Each unit has associated statistics such as prestige, cost, and movement per turn. These remain constant, but unit strength, experience, fuel, and ammunition levels vary as combat progresses.