Panzer General blitzes XBLA

In the 1990s, SSI's Panzer General series was a standout entry in the then-crowded PC turn-based strategy genre. However, 2000's appropriately titled Panzer General III: Scorched Earth fell critically short of its predecessors, and the franchise has sat fallow ever since.

The Panzer General series is finally ready for a return, as Ubisoft today announced Panzer General: Allied Assault for Xbox Live. Set for release this fall, Allied Assault will reimagine the franchise as a board game with collectible card game elements. Players will be able to customize "decks" of 60 cards, selecting from a number of units (infantry, artillery, and of course tanks) and actions (air strikes, reinforcements). Allied Assault will reward players with new cards for every multiplayer or single-player victory, with the campaign mode re-creating a number of key battles from the final days World War II.

The turn-based Allied Assault is being handled by Petroglyph, a developer more familiar with the real-time side of the strategy genre. The studio made a name for itself with 2006's Star Wars: Empire at War and followed it up in 2007 with the original Universe at War: Earth Assault (which arrived on the Xbox 360 the following year).

For gamers who don't have an Xbox 360, Ubisoft has also arranged to produce a physical Panzer General: Allied Assault board game based on the XBLA title. Described by the publisher as a "World War II 'lite' wargame," the box will include 240 cards and scenarios for both single-player and multiplayer action. The board game will also arrive this fall, with a $59.99 price tag attached.