Earlier this week, Sega dropped a bombshell by unveiling the long-awaited third installment in the Company of Heroes series. Revealed via an announcement trailer, Company of Heroes 3 is scheduled to launch on PC in late 2022.
Though it may be a beloved historical video game series, Company of Heroes only has a measly two games, launched respectively in 2006 and 2013. Fans of the series have been asking for a new installment for years now, with the new title launching almost an entire decade after the previous game. But from the look of both its cinematic and gameplay trailers, the long wait has been worth it.
New Game, New Setting
While the first game was set in Western Europe and the second on the Eastern front, the third Company of Heroes is set in the Mediterranean, covering both battles over North Africa as well as the Allied invasion of Italy. This means that players will have the chance to play as the U.S., British, and Italian resistance against the Germans and main Italian forces.
One of the stand out elements in the game’s trailer has got to be its visuals. Company of Heroes 3 looks absolutely phenomenal. Even with just a quick glimpse at the game’s screenshots, players can see that the visuals are a substantial upgrade over the previous installment, which already looked very good. The game looks next-gen in every sense of the word and will likely look even better when it releases in 2022.
Classic RTS Gameplay
Company of Heroes 3 seems to play roughly the same as the previous games in the series, which feature classic real-time strategy gameplay. The game features a top-down view perspective, where the player commands small squads of soldiers at a time, attacking enemy troops whilst taking advantage of environmental elements. More so than most other RTS games, Company of Heroes has always focused heavily on battle strategy in order to secure victory, and it has been pegged as one of the more difficult games due to its reliance on tactics.
Try the Pre-Alpha Build Today
As part of the game’s reveal, both Sega and Relic Entertainment shared that the game’s pre-alpha build is available to download and play for free today. For the next three weeks, gamers can try out the pre-alpha build of Company and Heroes 3, which offers a glimpse into the single-player campaign. It’s unclear how much content is in this pre-alpha build, but the developers shared that this is becoming available so that fans can give their feedback to the developers in order to make the game as great as possible.
Those wishing to try the pre-alpha build can do so by joining the Company of Heroes Development program. Participants will also gain access to various forums which discuss ongoing development with new concept art, design documents, and more being shared regularly.
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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.)