An outstanding RTS
This game is a very excellent RTS. Everything about it is pretty much top notch and just superb. Single player is very challenging and the campaign is engrossing. Multiplayer is pretty decent although slight balance issues can get annoying.
Unlike most RTS's though there is very little focus on strategy. Rather you are using tactics on the battlefield to fight the war. Making good use of flanks and using cover of both you and your enemy, cover can have its disadvantages, as well as good placement of support units and exceptional use of artillery, tanks, etc. will lead you to victory.
Company of Heroes' cover system in this game is very well implemented. You can hold your own by placing your units in a crater made by a artillery shell not even but a few seconds ago or have them garrison a house long abandoned. Cover also greatly reduces your troops chance of being suppresed or pinned down. Of course all cover is destructable and also has a few downsides of its own. While in cover units are somewhat more susceptible to grenades and napalm.
The single-player campaign is a decent length and will provide quite a challenge especially on higher difficulties. You will play as the Americans, namely Able Company, as you liberate Normandy and fight the Wehrmacht. This other faction becomes playable in the skirmish and multi-player features of the game.
Skirmish mode can be just as engaging as the single-player campaign and just as difficult. However the AI does tend to repeat it's tactics and strategies allowing for you to counter it fairly well and then make a push for victory. This however was addressed in a recent patch, though intended for the expansion Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, and improves upon the AI.
Multi-player provides even more as you can play with others of equal skill or better. Despite the fact for the most part that the community is decent and the games are somewhat fair there are some flaws. Skilled players will make new profiles, which is allowable, and will start fresh with a level one rank. This is misleading and they use this to just bash lower skilled players. Relic online is also somewhat unsure with connections. It is very easy to lag and get dropped even with a decent connection.
Another issue with the online feature is that even if you don't have the expansion others who do can play as the new factions that were introduced, Britian and the Panzer Elite, against those who only have the Vanilla Company of Heroes. These two factions are somewhat unbalanced when matched up with the vanilla factions and often overpowering. This however does not mean they are unbeatable.
Company of Heroes also boasts having the most detailed and exceptional graphics of any RTS. Textures are superb and lighting is done well. The men fighting for you have detailed faces as does every other units. The physics engine is also outstanding. Buildings are destructable and fights will literally shape and mold the battlefield. Explosions kick up dirt and make craters while units are blown away. The sound nicely compliments the game with a inspiring soundtrack.
Despite the games flaws it is easily one of best RTS's to come around of late and I would highly reccomend it.
Unlike most RTS's though there is very little focus on strategy. Rather you are using tactics on the battlefield to fight the war. Making good use of flanks and using cover of both you and your enemy, cover can have its disadvantages, as well as good placement of support units and exceptional use of artillery, tanks, etc. will lead you to victory.
Company of Heroes' cover system in this game is very well implemented. You can hold your own by placing your units in a crater made by a artillery shell not even but a few seconds ago or have them garrison a house long abandoned. Cover also greatly reduces your troops chance of being suppresed or pinned down. Of course all cover is destructable and also has a few downsides of its own. While in cover units are somewhat more susceptible to grenades and napalm.
The single-player campaign is a decent length and will provide quite a challenge especially on higher difficulties. You will play as the Americans, namely Able Company, as you liberate Normandy and fight the Wehrmacht. This other faction becomes playable in the skirmish and multi-player features of the game.
Skirmish mode can be just as engaging as the single-player campaign and just as difficult. However the AI does tend to repeat it's tactics and strategies allowing for you to counter it fairly well and then make a push for victory. This however was addressed in a recent patch, though intended for the expansion Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, and improves upon the AI.
Multi-player provides even more as you can play with others of equal skill or better. Despite the fact for the most part that the community is decent and the games are somewhat fair there are some flaws. Skilled players will make new profiles, which is allowable, and will start fresh with a level one rank. This is misleading and they use this to just bash lower skilled players. Relic online is also somewhat unsure with connections. It is very easy to lag and get dropped even with a decent connection.
Another issue with the online feature is that even if you don't have the expansion others who do can play as the new factions that were introduced, Britian and the Panzer Elite, against those who only have the Vanilla Company of Heroes. These two factions are somewhat unbalanced when matched up with the vanilla factions and often overpowering. This however does not mean they are unbeatable.
Company of Heroes also boasts having the most detailed and exceptional graphics of any RTS. Textures are superb and lighting is done well. The men fighting for you have detailed faces as does every other units. The physics engine is also outstanding. Buildings are destructable and fights will literally shape and mold the battlefield. Explosions kick up dirt and make craters while units are blown away. The sound nicely compliments the game with a inspiring soundtrack.
Despite the games flaws it is easily one of best RTS's to come around of late and I would highly reccomend it.
