Panzer General

The Good
This was both a seminal game in two different ways, and a very fun, engaging game to play. At the time, the "strategy game" and "war game" genres were very distinct. Wargames strove for technical and historical accuracy in the recreation of real-world and hypothetical conflicts; games with fictional themes and looser simulations were "strategy" games, and generally games that couldn't fit the "wargame" criteria would go all-out and use fantasy or SF setups. This game broke through that dichotomy, using a historical conflict and including as much realistic simulation as would fit without compromising the accessibility of the fun. It also broke the mold for both genres by putting some effort into aesthetics, especially visuals.

The result was a breakthrough game, which not only appealed to the fans of both genres but to a broader market as well. It was a great deal of fun to play, with an engaging element of personal involvement (the player earned and spent "prestige" to simulate the sort of favor with higher command that gains extra reinforcements, prototype units, and chances to pursue daring operations) and enough realism to reward realistic tactics without deep bogs of detail for the casual player.

The Bad
At the time, I didn't have a lot to complain about in the game. There were a few bugs and a couple of available exploits (which don't matter much in a single-player game). Along with everybody else, I wanted the chance to play the Allies in a campaign, which had to wait for the followup game, Allied General. (A sad disappointment when it arrived, but only of tangential bearing here.)

The Bottom Line
This was a doubly, or maybe triply, seminal game. It bridged the ideological gap between the "wargame" and "strategy game" genres, but it also managed to be accessible and fun to the broader market of more casual players without disappointing those who already liked these styles of games.

The third innovation is more sociological than directly game-related. This game broke new ground by putting the player in the role of an Axis - in fact, a Nazi - general, This was a great idea for game play, because the Allied side had been played to death, in nearly every possible incarnation, already. The developers judged that we have gained some historical distance from WWII, and can examine the military side of the conflict separately from the moral and ideological sides. That said, if you would be uncomfortable in the role of a Nazi commander invading France, you would need to steer clear of this game for that reason - and that one alone, as it is a fine, fun game.