Back in 2006, Company of Heroes smashed into the real-time strategy (RTS) scene with a slick presentation, wonderful physics and environmental effects, and great gameplay that made it an instant classic and one of the best RTS games ever made. After seven years of expansions, and a failed free-to-play attempt, the official sequel, Company of Heroes 2, has arrived, and it arrives with a bang.
Where the original explored the all-too-familiar Western European angle of World War II, pitting the Americans against the Germans, COH2 goes for the far more oppressive and unforgiving Eastern front, pitting the Soviets and the Germans. It was the most destructive and violent front of World War II, and COH2 does a good job of reflecting that with great audiovisual presentation. The soundtrack is bombastic during battles, yet haunting and cold during the game’s quieter moments. The animations are wonderful, with individual units rubbing their hands together for warmth during the winter maps. The units themselves have a lot to talk about, and hearing their conversations, frustrations and jokes on and off the battlefield gives life to the world.
The campaign follows the viewpoint of a Soviet soldier, who slowly becomes more and more distraught over the crimes he sees his fellow countrymen committing in the name of the motherland. The first thing you may notice, or at least I noticed, was how closely the campaign follows the Russian campaign of the first Call of Duty, from starting off being bombarded at the docks in Stalingrad to finally reaching and taking the Reichstag in Berlin. Not that I minded at all, I just thought it was interesting as someone who is a fan of the Call of Duty franchise. Getting down to brass tacks, the campaign does a good job of keeping you engaged from mission to mission, with varying tactics, environmental effects, and different objectives to achieve. Some of the missions offer surprisingly tense moments for an RTS, such as hunting down a creeping Tiger tank or assassinating well-guarded officers with a limited number of units, so props for that. The writing and acting does come off heavy-handed at times, but it does manage to deliver a fairly well-done character story in a game about massing units and throwing them at the enemy, so more props to that. The wonderful cover system is back and is as good as ever, and the destructible environments are lovely to behold—many missions allow you to plot your own path by blowing up gates, walls and trees—so even more props for creativity. New to the mix is the weather system, involving snow and the blizzards. Certain missions will have you trying to navigate a blizzard while keeping your forces from freezing to death. Overall, I found the campaign satisfying, if a bit hollow. I feel like there could have been a few more missions added to the campaign. In fact, I feel like the scope could have been larger to incorporate much more of the front, but considering the story the developers wanted to tell, I can understand.
Thankfully, some of that emptiness is satisfied with the game’s “Theater of War” mode. Here, playing either as the Soviets or the Germans, you can engage in a series of early war scenarios in either co-op, solo or A.I. battles. From desperately trying to defend a rail station to capturing and holding victory points, there is a wide variety of missions to play. The mode is a fun addition, and a nice add-on, especially if you are not ready or have no desire to engage in the online multiplayer section.
The multiplayer gives you three main options: auto-match vs. players to fight against real opponents, auto-match vs. A.I. to pit you and players against computer opponents, and custom games, where you can create your own match however you wish. All around, the multiplayer is fast, frantic and very demanding, and I found myself losing more often than not.
Fortunately, the game is very accessible with a tutorial section titled “Tactics” where you can learn the basics of Company of Heroes 2, from videos to a playable tutorial mission. To add to this accessibility is one of most vast leveling and customization systems I have ever dealt with in an RTS. A section titled “Army Customization” allows you to select the commanders you can use on the battlefield, intelligence bulletins that give bonuses, and an army painter where you can change the color and pattern of your army. As long as you finish the match, win or lose, you gain experience that unlocks new commanders and bulletins, and certain bulletins require specific conditions such as knocking out a certain number of tanks. This definitely eases the sting of losing significantly, and gives purpose and reason to stay in matches until the end.
I had a very good time with Company of Heroes 2. Though the campaign was somewhat heavy-handed and not as big a scope as I felt it could have been, it was quite satisfying for the most part, and the “Theater of War” makes up for some of that scope I wanted. Add in a hectic but fun multiplayer and a massive, and rewarding, leveling and customization system, and Company of Heroes 2 is must buy for any fan of RTS or World War II games.
