Overview of Company of Heroes 3

Released in 2006, the original Company of Heroes was an incredible discovery. Most of the strategy games of that time showed clashes of huge armies, tens or even hundreds of units, there was some kind of anonymity of the conflict. Company of Heroes was something else. Of course, it contained elements of base building and other mechanics familiar to RTS fans. But instead of armies, players controlled small units. The death of each unit was a serious blow, and it was difficult to guarantee victory. The year is 2023, the release of Company of Heroes 3 took place. And Relic surprised again!

Grand Strategy

Given the 17-year gap between the first and current Company of Heroes games, it's a little surprising that the franchise only has three titles. In fact, I think it's even better, since every new game was worth the wait. In Company of Heroes 3, Relic turned its sights on Italy, which it used for one of its two main campaigns, as well as North Africa (where you control the Axis forces). There are four factions in total, two for the Allies and two for the Axis.

Of the innovations - the multi-layered campaign like Total War. However, it is more like a lighter version of the Total War system, as you control relatively few variables. You are still in command of air, sea and land units as you advance through Italy towards Rome, fighting back square after square. In addition to moving equipment and personnel around, you must find an approach to a group of selfish commanders.

As the campaign progresses, as battles progress and territories are captured on the map, commanders earn experience points, which, in turn, can be used for improvements, abilities, unlocking bonuses and units. These new abilities or units are then used in real-time battles, either as vehicles you control or as events. In addition, there is a loyalty system where you balance the three goals of junior commanders by providing favors and forging friendships. Success in this mechanic is rewarded with very useful bonuses.

The campaign includes several scripted moves and enemy battles that are out of the player's control and cause important real-time encounters. It is possible to automatically end battles, but doing this in such a game is a shame. Company of Heroes 3 - this is the battle!

theater of war

Whether it's a scenario part of a campaign or the result of actions on the world map, the real-time combat in Company of Heroes 3 is worth paying to play. As in the previous parts of the series, they are tense, dynamic and allow you to show creativity, even if the conditions for victory are not negotiable. This is where success on the campaign map carries over into the real world. The destruction of targets by artillery or air strikes is reflected in the deformed terrain and ruined villages.

As always, the relatively small size of the squad makes every encounter and every soldier important. On maps, you need to use height, cover, structures, and of course, any tools that are available to your commanders. The range of upgradable weapons and personal upgrades is huge thanks to the presence of four different factions. For tens of hours, I never managed to find two identical battles (or even battles that were at least somewhat similar to each other). The only thing that unites them is the structures that you need to build and upgrade to create certain units.

Company of Heroes is known for its excellent, challenging campaigns and compelling storytelling. The personalities of each commander are revealed through well-written dialogue and acting. In the heat of battle, some of the prepared responses of individual soldiers will be repeated over time. Animations of individual units are varied and add individuality to small units. Mechanically, units are easy to control, and tactical pause in the game saves the situation when chaos begins to happen on the battlefield.

Infinity War

Given the superiority of the previous two games, I wasn't surprised that Company of Heroes 3 captured my imagination again. The new layers for the Total War-style campaign added a bit of variety but didn't overwhelm my brain. However, even without that, the battles are still endlessly fun, chaotic, and challenging. Company of Heroes 3 reminds everyone that a good RTS can still bring a lot of fun and joy.