When bringing up the subject of World War II video games, many gamers may think of first-person shooters like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Medal of Honor. However, there also happens to be a few World War II real-time strategy games that really stand out, but often forgotten. And out of these games, by far the most impressive one of all has to be Company of Heroes 2 and its predecessor.
Company of Heroes 2 is a real-time strategy battle sim set during World War II. Unlike its predecessor, which followed two separate U.S. military units in the Western Front during the Battle of Normandy and the Allied liberation of France, Company of Heroes 2 is set during the Eastern Front. Players take on the role of the Soviet Army, controlling Russian troops as they face off against the Germans in battles such as the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Moscow. It should also be noted, however, that the Ardennes Assault DLC featured playable American forces.
Gameplay
As standard for real-time strategy games, Company of Heroes 2 features a top-down perspective of the battlefield, with the player controlling units of foot soldiers and vehicles. But unlike many RTS games, where the player has entire armies at their disposal, CoH2 has smaller-scale battles fought by only a handful of troops. Due to this gameplay style, players have to be constantly conscious of their units and strategically plan every move to ensure victory over the enemy. The player will need to pay close attention to things like environmental hazards, differences in terrain, and weather conditions, recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of each circumstance to adjust their strategy appropriately. Each mission feels different from the last, forcing the player to challenge themselves and implement new ideas and strategies as the campaign progresses. Mechanically, the game is an improvement over its predecessor and feels like an evolution of the RTS genre.
Graphics
Company of Heroes 2 was a technical marvel when it was released back in 2013, and honestly, the visuals continue to hold up miraculously well nearly a decade later. While it obviously has been outclassed graphically by newer games (the reveal trailer for Company of Heroes 3 shows just how far graphics have come in such a short amount of time), this game still looks fantastic. The game’s realistic graphics, clean user interface, and simple yet straightforward menus all hold up very well in 2021 and still feel very modern.
In-game animations also look great, with running and shooting animations looking top-notch. Even the environments feel alive as smoke rises from destroyed buildings. While in battle, I couldn’t help but notice how realistic the water looked and other terrain, such as flowing grass, looking particularly well detailed. Oftentimes, real-time strategy games that feature zoomed-out perspectives of battlefields lack in the graphical departments, but Company of Heroes 2 is not one of those instances.
Sound Design
But perhaps even more impressive is the game’s audio, both in-game voice acting and sound effects. Company of Heroes 2 features full voice-acting, and it seems that Relic Entertainment went above and beyond in this department. Character voices sound authentic, with commanders and enemy troopers heard on the battlefield yelling commands to their fellow soldiers. Not only does this add to the game’s level of immersion, but it also helps the player decipher the situation and aids them in their battle strategy.
The game’s sound effects here are also peak. Sounds of machine-gun fire, tank engines accelerating across the battlefield, and bullets piercing enemy units all sound incredibly accurate and realistic. This excellent sound design further adds to the game’s feeling of authenticity and helps to immerse the player within the game world.
How Does It Hold Up?
So with the game approaching its tenth anniversary, we now must ask, how does it hold up today? Surprisingly well, as it turns out! As previously stated, this game still looks and sounds great even when compared to newer titles. But one of the aspects of this game that has actually improved through the years is its available content, thanks to the game’s overwhelming amount of user-created material. One quick look through this game’s Steam Workshop shows that this game still has a very active modding community, with over 12,000 mods available directly through Steam. Available mods include character and item skins, custom maps, and game-changing additions such as a Zombie mode. Even if you’ve already played the heck out of Company of Heroes 2, it might be worth revisiting just for the community mods alone.
Verdict
All-in-all, Company of Heroes 2 is still just as great as it first was when it was first released. Gamers who loved it then will still enjoy it today, but those who have never been fans of the RTS gaming genre likely won’t be swayed by this game. But if you are a big fan of World War II games or classic real-time strategy titles and have never tried the series before, then I strongly recommend checking out this game. With Company of Heroes 3 just getting announced earlier this month, now is the perfect time to try the first two games in the series.
At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
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(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)