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Company of Heroes
www.companyofheroesgame.com
Reviewed by:
Nathan Herman
(12/31/07) |
Accessibility Rating
7.6 |
Game Overview --
Company of Heroes is yet another World War II strategy game. The first time I saw it, I immediately thought: "Again? Really?” Looks can definitely be deceiving however. Company of Heroes is probably the finest (or at least most enjoyable) strategy experience I've ever had. It really has everything... graphics that will woo you even on a midrange computer, awesome sound and voice acting, physics that let you destroy just about everything in the game realistically, and tight gameplay.
Although there are no "major characters" in this game such as Raynor from Starcraft, you do get to know your men from game engine cut scenes, and through the terrific voice acting during gameplay. Each unit has some great "acknowledgment" lines, and they also yell to you whenever they're in danger. For example, "We're getting f*@!ed up by Panzershrecks here!" Not only tells you your units are in danger, but exactly what they're getting attacked by.
The campaign itself feels like an interactive Saving Private Ryan (I wonder how many times that has been said in video game reviews about World War II games?), and really feels epic.
The gameplay itself is very similar to Relic's other franchise Warhammer 40,000. Find strategic points, capture strategic points, and fulfill objectives. It sounds pretty simple, but the objectives are varied enough to keep things interesting throughout the whole 15 mission campaign. Also, as you play you gain experience in whatever discipline the mission gives you (infantry, airborne, or armor), which lets you unlock new units, artillery strikes, or other abilities.
Multiplayer uses Relic's proprietary online service to match players. Although my multiplayer experience is fairly limited, what I played, I enjoyed. Players are ranked for their win loss ratio, so it's fairly easy to tell if you're going to get owned. You can choose between the allies or the Germans in multiplayer, which adds a little learning curve due to the fact that the expansion-less Company of Heroes doesn't feature a campaign for the Germans, leaving you to figure out what's what on your own.
Also notable, is the great unit AI. Instead of selecting individual units, you select squads to control. These squads will intelligently seek cover nearby whenever they're being shot at. This really cuts down on some of the unnecessary micromanagement found in most RTS titles.
Overall, Company of Heroes is an extremely satisfying experience ... a really complete package that has kept me playing for over a year.
Accessibility & UI/Controls --
Company of Heroes features the basic RTS lay out, with unit controls and a mini map at the bottom corners of the screen, with objectives popping up on the left-hand side. The only real difference from the standard formula is a small shield on your right, that when moused over, lets you select any unit on the map. Also, there are several tabs above your unit orders panel that let you select your different buildings to construct new units without actually deselecting your current group… great for fast-paced emergency situations. The majority of the game is controlled with the mouse, although hotkeys are optional.
Some players swear you cannot play competitively without them. I say they're full of it. If you can click fast enough, I don't really see the difference. The mouse (or equivalent), however is definitely required to play. Things are pretty fast paced, and the way the game is designed, you must be aggressive to capture resources. No turtles here! People who like their games a little slower, or don't have the fastest clicking finger (or whenever it is you use to click) might want to avoid this one. Subtitles are included, but only for cut scenes and important messages during play. Unfortunately the very useful unit speech and sound cues are not included in the subtitles. While I don't think this'll break the game, it will definitely make things more challenging for the hearing-impaired.
The game works fairly well with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, although if you use it to operate the hotkeys make sure that it's accurate, or you'll be building things you didn't mean to. COH also runs in a window with a simple “-window” added to the program’s shortcut command line, letting you use an on screen keyboard. It should be noted that putting the program in the window mode makes edge scrolling more difficult due to the small scroll "trigger zone".
Summary --
While Company of Heroes may not be for everyone, it is a fairly accessible game, and an extremely enjoyable experience. Gamers who get frustrated by fast-paced RTS games may want to stick to something like Supreme Commander.
Pros |
Cons |
• Good balance of performance & graphics
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• Fast-paced gameplay may be a turn-off for some |
• Nice physics system/fully destructible environment
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• No subtitles for some gameplay sound cues |
• Works well with Dragon NaturallySpeaking and/or on-screen keyboards
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• Edge scrolling difficult in windowed mode
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| • Great voice acting & use of sound throughout gameplay |
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