Company of Heroes Review

World War II has been a constant setting for hundreds of games in the past. Where Company of Heroes differs from other WWII games is in its real-time strategy structure. The WWII genre is typically dominated by first-person shooter games like Call of Duty.

Rather than put you in command of one particular solider, Company of Heroes gives you command of entire squads as you battle against the enemy.

Gameplay

One of the major problems with the RTS genre as a whole is the tedious nature of resource gathering and base building. Most players are far more interested in taking part in strategic battles than spending time building up their supplies. Company of Heroes has sought to readdress the basic RTS structure and tackle this issue with a more simplified system.

To that end, resources are tied to control points that can be found on the map. These special locations provide you with fuel, manpower, and munitions — the elements that are essential to supplying your squad with everything it needs. Not only does this get rid of a lot of the less desirable gameplay that is present in other RTS games, but it feels more appropriate for a war game. Having to take and defend these resource control points is much like how a real-life force would carve out a supply line and protect it as they continued with their offensive.

Controls

In addition to those changes, Company of Heroes has an efficient and easy-to-use control system. Sending your troops around the battlefield and choosing what they should do is an awfully simple process.

Combined with well-designed user interface options, playing the game is something anyone can do. This is a good approach, because an RTS like Company of Heroes should be testing the tactical and strategic skill of players, not their ability to actually use the game.