Since the release of Company of heroes in 2006 by Relic the creators of the Dawn of War franchise has grown and grown in popularity, with the first campaign focusing primarily on the allied invasion of France all the way through Operation Market Garden.
It’s a game that has been very popular and has sprouted two expansion packs one of which introduced the British Armed Forces, and eventually changing some of the core gameplay mechanics in ‘Tales of Valour’. Company of heroes 2 does not disappoint on the fronts of it being a much more heavily improved version of the first installment. But it does bring forward the inclusion of the much anticipated Eastern Front.
The Relic team have listened to what the fans want and changed core gameplay mechanics and unit types during the BETA phase. This came from the input from fans of the game franchise itself. With COH2 focusing on the fight between Russia and Germany on one of the most brutal fronts of WW2, you would expect the maps to show the harsh reality of what bitter winters would do to an invading army ill prepared to fight a relentless opposition.
The grueling weather and the effects it has on our soldiers has to be one of the better and more innovative improvements to the franchise, the maps themselves change the strategy that you employ through the course of the skirmish. Each map has two variants of summer and winter, and it’s the winter maps that truly change the gameplay of this outstanding game with the inclusion of harsh blizzards that slow you’re armies down and even slowly pick off the men with the natural causes that you would expect from these temperatures, with frostbite and hypothermia often setting in. Which only adds an increased element of risk to your decisions during these harsh weather maps.
With simple choices like “do you cross the open terrain to capture a victory point under the cover of the blizzard?”, becoming a potentially risky move into an ambush or unnecessarily loosing men to the elements. The risk reward system of each map plays out differently, even crossing a frozen river with an armoured unit could prove disastrous as one mortar round could crack the ice and you’re most beloved tank would sink to the bottom of the river forever lost.
With the inclusion of vaulting bringing more options like “do I cross this narrow road or vault over the nearby fence?“, potentially removing walking time which allows for your troops to reinforce your front lines quicker, which reduces the chances of losing a vital control point to the enemy, crossing over nearby fences can also remove the problems of having to cross deep snow which could leave your men vulnerable to heavy machine gun fire from a nearby building or an ambushing sniper lying in wait to remove your highly decorated veteran rifle squad from the battle. Each choice you make will alter the whole course of the battle for you and could potentially cause you to struggle or even falter at key moments of the battle if cover and choices are made hastily.
With the veterancy system improved and revamped from ‘Tales of Valor’ the loss of a highly decorated units can’t be the a massive turn in the battle for the opposition, with each unit having three veteran traits that they gain from capturing sectors removing the opposition and even just suppressing the enemy units, while saving your veteran units may be the best choice, but also keep in mind that many other squads can be saved ready for the next battle by simply clicking the retreat option on the infantry tabs. By saving as many units from losing skirmishes it reduces the cost of purchasing more units and allows you to build a stronger veteran army with heavy armour, which turns the tides of any battle.
Relic have really outdone themselves with this instalment of COH and they have even added different game modes and a co-op mode which allows players to team up and take on the enemy armies in historic battles of WW2. With each map only granting you a small amount of troops which makes you conserve your troops and not rush the enemy without first creating a strategy to pick the enemy off one by one, which reduces the chances of you losing your whole attacking force.
The first co-op game I played saw me with three squads of rifle infantry and two light vehicles take on the brunt of the Russian armed forces, picking each battle carefully I took my forces and captured strategic points on the map to grant small sight and resource bonuses which allowed for me to grant my troops with antitank and anti-infantry weapons that would prove invaluable throughout the whole skirmish. With my co-op partner taking the less defended top positions I decide to take on the brunt of the Russian armoured columns which saw me take out 2 heavy Russian tanks, which the crew disbanded and allowed me to capture both tanks effectively changing the course of the battle for me. This gameplay mechanic has to be one of the best improvements to the game as each light or heavy tank taken out has the chance for the crew to leave the vehicle and allow for either side to remain the vehicle.
With each army playing slightly different, each skirmish can play out drastically differently depending on how experienced the player is that you’re against, with the Russian army being able to rush you with vast amounts of ill-trained and poorly equipped conscripts very early in the battle, it’s easy to see why the Germans faced such steep opposition on the eastern front.
Even though the Russians are able to bring vast amounts of troops to the battle, the Germans by no means are ill prepared to face them, as even though their numbers are smaller, they are better equipped and trained which allows for the conscripts to be dispatched and the Germans to dig in and build defences. Which allow for the Germans to capture and hold key points and repel every counter attack quickly and with minimal losses to your troops.
Now onto the campaign which has always been the most interesting part of COH, with its rich cutscenes and storylines showing past battles of the war and by no means does it lack these in COH2. With the first mission seeing your general running into Stalingrad with his troops most of which have no weapons, only to witness his men being mowed down by German gunfire or even the gunfire of the Russian commissars which forbid retreat from battle. Each mission shows how the Russians waged a war of attrition on the German troops and each cutscene makes you feel as if you are really in the midst of the battle and each decision you make could alter the outcome of the whole war itself.
Relic have included a vast array of DLC for COH2, most of which are just alternate camouflages for the heavy, medium and light vehicles in the game which do not play a key feature, but just allows you to tailor your army to your own style. Relic has also introduced a vast array of different general doctrines which introduce varied tactics and allow for the player to fully customise their army to their own play styles. Although the core game comes with some different generals, the vast majority of the new generals are DLC only and have to be purchased to allow you to choose those specific doctrines for your army. Such as the Fortified Armour Doctrine, which grants such bonuses as allowing you to bring an Elephant tank destroyer to the battle which could change the tide of any battle for the better.
As you play skirmishes or co-op maps you gain XP for how well you play which increases your rank and as you increase each level you begin to unlock new camouflage patterns, new commander doctrines and even cards which alters how well your army plays. Such as a card that increases the accuracy of your heavy MG squad or a card that increases the armour on your light vehicles. Each of these cards are unlocked when you level up, but in order to be able to choose the card you have to fulfill a small challenge such as destroying 100 tanks with antitank guns to be able to use this card. With these challenges and unlocks it brings replay-ability to a game that’s so much fun.
Relic has created a truly amazing sequel and a must have for any fan of the franchise and Real Time Strategy gamer’s out there.