New Game: Company Of Heroes 2 Review


Company of Heroes 2 Review and System Requirements:

Since the release of the first Company of Heroes in 2006, World War II games have fallen out of vogue. Actually, since Spielberg lost interest post-Pacific, World War II media has taken an apparent backseat to modern warfare. Between 2006 and today, game development tools have become exponentially more sophisticated.
Company of Heroes 2 feels like a moment from 2004’s military history zeitgeist (three words I resolve to never place end to end again), and not only because it’s one of a sparing few games still tonally driven by tales of the courage of the common Allied non-com in WWII, but because it’s a WWII real time strategy game. That is, it’s a game about the value of the soldier in which the soldier is also little more than an expendable tool. Maybe that’s the point.

Company of Heroes 2 casts you in the role of a nameless Soviet or Nazi overlord with the ability to control any unit of the same nationality as they battle through the harsh winters of the early war on the Eastern Front all the way to the top of a crumbling Reichstag at the close of the European Theater. As with any RTS, my power is absolute, and terrifying. “Run directly into that artillery barrage, comrade!” You find yourself yelling at your computer screen. “For the motherland!” it yells back...

At the center of the Company of Heroes 2 gameplay model is the Rock, Paper, Scissors strengths and weaknesses dynamic. Heavy machine gun beats anti-tank artillery, anti-tank artillery beats (gasp!) tank, and tank beats heavy machine gun. Just add seven rocks, five tanks, and six scissors, and there’s the full unit lineup, all unlocked by investing resources in the battle phase or building upgrades. The three main resource types (money, ammo, fuel) are tied to tactical capture points on the map, making land a valuable commodity and a risky venture.

Company of Heroes 2 makes units more expensive than most RTS games, and emphasizes tactical micromanagement of each. For example, when raiding an enemy MG trench, I might post up a mortar crew nearby, then send in a conscript squad to gain a visual, now made more realistic with a line-of-sight system. While the mortar crew starts raining shells, I could switch back to the conscripts to find some cover and throw a Molotov cocktail to flush out the nest. Then I might even remember that I have an armored half-track that shoots flames twice its own length, and support that menace from a distance with a long-range Howitzer I captured earlier. The Rock, Paper, Scissors formula is preserved, and made interesting by its unique interplay and historical context.
Even with all this complexity and careful balancing, Company of Heroes 2 doesn’t stand out as an essential RTS game. It’s a little brother that looks and sounds a lot like his successful, handsome big brother. So for those who never knew old Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes 2 will be the refreshing surprise that its predecessor was seven years prior.

Company of Heroes 2 was developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sega. It is available for the PC.

Genre:  Real-Time Strategy
Publisher:  SEGA
Developer:  Relic
ESRB Rating: Mature(M)
Official Website: www.companyofheroes.com

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
OS : 32bit Vista
CPU: 2Ghz Intel Core2 Duo
RAM: 2GB
Video Card: 512MB Direct3D 10 capable video card (GeForce 8800 / RadeonHD 2900XT)
HDD: 30GB
DirectX: 9.0c

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