When I first got a look at Company of Heroes 3, one of the first things Relic brought up was the decision to make the new game more like the original Company of Heroes than its sequel. Company of Heroes 2 took a lot of chances, and for my part, I really enjoyed it – especially the excellent Ardennes Assault expansion. But it definitely wasn’t as universally beloved as the first, and I can understand why.
First off, Company of Heroes 3 is mostly focused on infantry warfare. Appropriate to the Italian theater in which much of it is set, you won’t see matches quickly ramp up to giant tank battles that trivialize other elements of your roster. This isn’t to say vehicles aren’t getting any love. Tanks, for instance, now have a separate side armor value apart from that of their front and rear, which opens up new tactical possibilities. But the addition of new tools like dedicated bazooka squads and more limited availability of fuel create new niches for light vehicles and keep the riflemen, engineers, and machine gunners at the core of the action.
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BOOTS ON THE GROUND
In service to this philosophy, Company of Heroes 3 will have a greater diversity of infantry units than the series ever has, representing many different tactical roles and the wide array of nationalities that participated in the Italian campaign. I was particularly excited to see the Nepalese Gurkhas, one of the most fabled units of the war, finally making their appearance. And while I didn’t get to play with them directly, it’s also been confirmed that we can gain access to Italian partisan units, representing the local paramilitary fighters who resisted the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini.
Infantry have new tools to take on a wider array of battlefield roles, too. Breaching will allow your squads to kick the door down on a garrisoned building and chuck a grenade in to dislodge or destroy the defenders turtled up inside. In the slice I got to play, I really enjoyed the dynamism this adds and the way it rewards aggressive infantry doctrines, when previously my only option might have been to set up in my own unoccupied building and exchange ineffective fire with the enemy until one of us brought in enough heavy hardware to blow the whole front line to smithereens.
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BASE OF OPERATIONS
Base building is also back, and it works roughly the same way it did in the first Company of Heroes. You won’t be fiddling around with mines or supply depots like StarCraft – your resources still come from capturing and holding points across the map. But you will need to build specific structures to tech up and unlock better units. At least, in skirmish and multiplayer battles that’s the case. There are plenty of scripted missions in the campaign that have you trying to complete objectives with a pre-made force as well.
Infantry and vehicles will also be a bit more resilient than they were in Company of Heroes 2. You’re less likely to see a tank go up in flames from one lucky hit. Infantry squads in good cover can hold their position better until reinforcements arrive even if they’re under heavy machine gun fire and being strafed from the air – as long as those reinforcements get there quickly. The Eastern Front was known for its horrifying body count and human wave tactics, but Company of Heroes 3 is trying to bring back a more triumphant and heroic mood that echoes Band of Brothers, Fury, or even Tarantino’s ahistorical Inglourious Basterds. And that’s reflected in everything from the diverse voice acting, to the powerful score, to the bold use of color.
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ITALIAN ADVENTURE
The one area where Company of Heroes 3 takes more after Company of Heroes 2, and specifically the Ardennes Assault expansion, is its dynamic campaign map. The level of detail in the slice we’ve played makes it look almost like Total War: World War II. Similar to Ardennes Assault, you can capture regions to cut off an enemy’s escape route or deny them access to supplies.
But there are dozens of new challenges and opportunities too, like capturable ports and airfields, destructible bridges, and characters such as the Italian partisan leader who will have their own goals and react to the decisions you make. Bombing the ancient abbey of Monte Cassino, as the Allies did historically, might get you to Rome faster and with fewer casualties. But the locals certainly won’t be too thrilled about it, and may be less willing to grant you their bonuses going forward.
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From what I’ve seen and played so far, I think Relic is on the right track returning to the core of what made the first Company of Heroes one of the best RTS games of all time. I might miss a couple things about the sequel. Even if it wasn’t the most popular feature, I enjoyed having to battle the elements at the same time I was battling the enemy. But I love my aggressive, mobile infantry armies so I’m excited to have more tools to facilitate that playstyle, and a tech pace that will keep it relevant for more of each match.
For more on Company of Heroes 3, you can check out our first preview and a breakdown of the announcement trailer.
