by Jose Gamaliel Felongco
Winter is harsh and the enemies are harsher. Company of Heroes 2 takes players into the battered Eastern Front to play as both the Russians and the Germans in Relic’s newest game. So get your boots on and get ready to defend the motherland as you go through this review.
The multiplayer aspect of CoH 2 may be enough for most players to buy game, but the campaign can still preoccupy those who look for good storytelling and a little bit of history. The campaign is told in the eyes of a former Soviet officer who has gone through the very horrors of the war.
Implicated for the controversial writings inside a notebook, the ill-fated soldier is soon to be executed. But before he is tried for his “crimes”, a commissar visits him to know more about the real things that have happened during the war.
A definite feature of CoH 2 is its portrayal of the dreaded General Winter. Snow and ice impede both infantry and vehicle alike. If left idle, whole squads may freeze to death. Thin ice can be hit to slow down mass infantry assaults or to sink tanks into the murky deep.
After the campaign, the multiplayer aspect of CoH 2 may gobble up dozens of the game’s play time. Searching players is easy and simple. Players can customize their army colors and special abilities. Skins and officers are available as soon as the player has the required experience to upgrade them.
The game boasts of its cinematic representation of battles. If idle, the player can hear soldiers gossip or talk about the status of the war. In the middle of a conflict, shrills of machinegun fire and explosives rain across the speakers of our unit.
Orchestra music blares as the player mobilizes to combat the enemy. The graphics however, is not as breathtaking as the game’s audio. Cutscenes still use the in-game engine, producing unrealistic models.
Playing Company of Heroes 2 is a satisfying experience. The gameplay is still complex and the pace of battles are astounding. The snow and ice mechanic plays a major role in battles as it can instantly turn the tides if used correctly.
However, the game fails to innovate more. Gameplay is still the same, just with added snow, the experience is still like the first CoH. It’s good, but not enough to warrant a surprise hit like its predecessor. If you loved the previous game, then you’ll love this.