"Hell Opened Its Gates"
Relive the tense Omaha Landing through the eyes of Able Company in what has to be one of the greatest World War II games released to date.
Relic really has outdone themselves with Company of Heroes. Very few games based off of D-Day and the subsequent Normandy breakout have been as powerful and intense as Company of Heroes. "But wait!" you say "Isn't this an RTS?" Yes, Relic tells the story of Able and Fox companies across an amazing campaign with you in command of the entire operation.
Company of Heroes plays like most real-time strategy games, so usuals to that genre should be able to pick it up and run with it fairly quickly. The general flow of any given scenario is to capture and hold territory points through strategic points that will give you one of three resources (Manpower, Munitions or Fuel). Company of Heroes places a lot of emphasis on tactical movements and cover. Units left standing out and the open are sitting ducks to just about anything else, but that same unit left in heavy cover can be a nightmare for your enemies to flush out. And with a plethora of units and weapons to make use of, players will definitely be able to formulate many different strategies and have a very different experience in each and every mission.
Every unit seems to have its own personality and you may find yourself growing attached to the soldiers under your command, whether it be the engineers ("If a mouse farts in this minefield, I want his ass blown sky-high!") or a sniper ("Here comes the boogeyman"). The tactical importance of each unit means the game doesn't feel nearly as rock-paper-scissors as some strategy games do nowadays. Pesky MG nest up ahead? Shell it with a mortar team, or move in some armor and be a little more direct, or for maybe use a sniper to pick off all the soldiers on the weapons. Heck, even a rifleman squad can do it with their grenades and various other explosives. And if it doesn't work the first time, just have at it with a different strategy.
Players have countless options when they jump into a game; virtually all units have some kind of upgrade option and with the Command system, you can customize your strategy to a specific style as you gain experience and commander points in the match. Enemy using a lot of armor? Counter by specializing in the Armor track and get access to some of the American's (or German's, if you're playing axis) heaviest tanks. If that isn't your style, try a more indirect game with mobile artillery and howitzers. On top of all of that, engineers and, in some cases, riflemen can build defensive structures to force your enemy into choke points or better hold positions, all the while units themselves gain experience and veterancy ranks, making them more effective in combat.
Visually, Company of Heroes is one of the sharpest looking strategy games on the market and with highest settings still pushing computers, it will be looking great many years to come. Explosions, weapons and soldiers look as they should and everything reacts like it should. The attention to detail is stunning; couple this with Havok physics and you have one of the most immersive and detailed games on the market. Sounds all sound true to their source; units all have their own personalities, whether it be the calm, composed lines that they deliver when moving around, or the frantic, paniced lines shouted while under fire. All of the units in Company of Heroes have some kind of charm and humor about them, and I think players may spend time simply trying to find out what each and everyone has to say.
To put it simply, if you want to experience one of the greatest World War II games on the market, do yourself a favor and buy Company of Heroes. It is a game that deserves to be in any gamer's library and I have personally never encountered any game breaking bugs or quirks to speak of. Top to bottom, this is an amazing package. Even the multiplayer and quick matches are well constructed and a blast, so once you've wrapped up the campaign, there are many more hours to be had with this game.
Relic really has outdone themselves with Company of Heroes. Very few games based off of D-Day and the subsequent Normandy breakout have been as powerful and intense as Company of Heroes. "But wait!" you say "Isn't this an RTS?" Yes, Relic tells the story of Able and Fox companies across an amazing campaign with you in command of the entire operation.
Company of Heroes plays like most real-time strategy games, so usuals to that genre should be able to pick it up and run with it fairly quickly. The general flow of any given scenario is to capture and hold territory points through strategic points that will give you one of three resources (Manpower, Munitions or Fuel). Company of Heroes places a lot of emphasis on tactical movements and cover. Units left standing out and the open are sitting ducks to just about anything else, but that same unit left in heavy cover can be a nightmare for your enemies to flush out. And with a plethora of units and weapons to make use of, players will definitely be able to formulate many different strategies and have a very different experience in each and every mission.
Every unit seems to have its own personality and you may find yourself growing attached to the soldiers under your command, whether it be the engineers ("If a mouse farts in this minefield, I want his ass blown sky-high!") or a sniper ("Here comes the boogeyman"). The tactical importance of each unit means the game doesn't feel nearly as rock-paper-scissors as some strategy games do nowadays. Pesky MG nest up ahead? Shell it with a mortar team, or move in some armor and be a little more direct, or for maybe use a sniper to pick off all the soldiers on the weapons. Heck, even a rifleman squad can do it with their grenades and various other explosives. And if it doesn't work the first time, just have at it with a different strategy.
Players have countless options when they jump into a game; virtually all units have some kind of upgrade option and with the Command system, you can customize your strategy to a specific style as you gain experience and commander points in the match. Enemy using a lot of armor? Counter by specializing in the Armor track and get access to some of the American's (or German's, if you're playing axis) heaviest tanks. If that isn't your style, try a more indirect game with mobile artillery and howitzers. On top of all of that, engineers and, in some cases, riflemen can build defensive structures to force your enemy into choke points or better hold positions, all the while units themselves gain experience and veterancy ranks, making them more effective in combat.
Visually, Company of Heroes is one of the sharpest looking strategy games on the market and with highest settings still pushing computers, it will be looking great many years to come. Explosions, weapons and soldiers look as they should and everything reacts like it should. The attention to detail is stunning; couple this with Havok physics and you have one of the most immersive and detailed games on the market. Sounds all sound true to their source; units all have their own personalities, whether it be the calm, composed lines that they deliver when moving around, or the frantic, paniced lines shouted while under fire. All of the units in Company of Heroes have some kind of charm and humor about them, and I think players may spend time simply trying to find out what each and everyone has to say.
To put it simply, if you want to experience one of the greatest World War II games on the market, do yourself a favor and buy Company of Heroes. It is a game that deserves to be in any gamer's library and I have personally never encountered any game breaking bugs or quirks to speak of. Top to bottom, this is an amazing package. Even the multiplayer and quick matches are well constructed and a blast, so once you've wrapped up the campaign, there are many more hours to be had with this game.
