The Eurogamer Expo has ended and I got to try one of the games that I have been looking forward to, Company of Heroes 2
I was a pretty big fan of the first Company of Heroes game, so getting an opportunity to try out the sequel was worth the wait.
Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures or record any part of the game, so this will be my first impressions of Company of Heroes 2 and what you can expect from it.
First off, if you have not played any of the Company of Heroes games before, it is more than just your typical RTS game. The game is set during WW2 and the units you build can be garrisoned inside buildings or can take cover behind obstacles. That dynamic adds a new level of play compared to other RTS games like Starcraft. This means you could be outnumbered in units, but if you have the advantage of being in cover then you will have a higher chance of winning the fight.
When you first sit down to play the game, you got to play a short demo where you start off with a small amount of unit. Your goal for the demo is to get to the enemy base and along the way, you fight groups of enemies each changing the way they defend themselves. One set of units would be hiding in buildings, requiring your riflemen to throw grenades into the buildings to deal damage. Othertimes, there are machine guns that you have to avoid and attack by flanking them.
The graphics really DO look this good.
The game controls like most other RTS games, where you select and move the units using the mouse. However, you can also order your units to retreat, making them instantly stop what they are doing and run back to safety. The only problem with this command is that you can’t control those units until they have found somewhere safe to regroup, so it’s really something you use in desperate situations only. You can also order your units to attack and move at the same time making it a lot easier to attack units that are behind sandbags because you can flank them and attack them through the same command. The problem here is that this maneuver is more risky, increasing the risk of losing a few units.
I felt the demo of Company of Heroes 2 was really enjoyable and I can’t wait for the beta to come out. What was really exciting about trying out the demo was that you got a beta key when you were done playing. The beta key doesn’t become usable until the beta starts up, which has not been announced yet. Fingers crossed that we’ll be able to get our hands on a working beta sooner rather than later!
Overall Company of Heroes 2 is a game to look out for. It builds on elements from the original and it looks like it’s going to have a lot of ground to cover. This game could be huge, so be sure to watch for it when it hits store shelves.
