Company of Heroes, a popular World War II real-time strategy game, has recently gotten a free full conversion mod courtesy of a fan-filled mod team. The Back to Basics mod reworks core features of the original gameplay of Company of Heroes, putting further focus on strategy, tactics, and player skill. While PvP is available, the mod also features AI opponents and scenarios that can challenge battle-hardened players. Among a slew of new gameplay features, the mod also brings new content, including new units, expansions upon player progression, and new gameplay mechanics.
A Fresh, New Experience for Company of Heroes
With a hefty list of improvements and content, the mod expands upon what players loved about Company of Heroes. Thirty brand new units fill a roster spread across four factions, with existing ones revisited to fit the core gameplay and what the mod offers. Command trees and the progression system of Back to Basics also hold new paths that synergize with various faction strategies and units. The nodes for each branch were shuffled around to offer more interesting choices throughout while also mitigating the evident power differences between the different branches. Practically every feature of the original command trees from Company of Heroes has received fully revised functionality through the mod.
Alongside the bevy of new options for players to customize and command their faction with, the mod features all new weapon damage models and enhanced combat system. The damage model is generally more lethal with a lower time-to-kill than the base game. At the same time, it is fair, balanced, and as consistent as possible, with almost all instances of squad wipes removed from the game. New mechanics such as “Enfilading Fire,” which increase chance of damange for squads receiving fire from multiple directions; “Anti-blob,” which penalize clumped infantry squads; and “Regeneration,” which provides hitpoint generation to infantry squads outside of combat are all featured on Back to Basic’s battles. Aside from the combat, AI has also been touched up while many quality of life fixes aim to improve the overall player experience
Releasing Soon to a PC Near You
Back to Basics’s release is coming incredibly soon, with a planned release of July 2nd. Players can look forward to a lot of changes, including a dedicated mod team sharing continued progress to the community. The large list of content brings a lot to the table, creating an environment that respects and honors the original Company of Heroes experience. Back to Basics and similar mods that have been released for Company of Heroes have proved that this 15-year-old historical strategy game can continue to provide limitless content for those looking to enjoy tactical conflicts in gaming. As the release approaches, players can be sure to visit this upcoming expansion of Company of Heroes.
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(This article is credited to Josh Rife. Josh has been a longtime gamer, playing games from vast amounts of genres. From Sci-Fi to historical or fantastical medieval games, he enjoys playing and discussing them with others. Some of his particular favorites include the Mass Effect series and the Total War franchise. He’s working towards writing and researching history as a full-time career, taking inspiration from his parents, who own Epoch’s parent company, SJR Research.).