Company of Heroes: Game Of The Year Edition Review
I love games, and I enjoy playing just about every genre out there. If pressed however, I'd have to say that the various sorts of strategy games are the sort I like best. You see, my brain is my favourite play thing, and if I can match my brian with something else I love (in this case, games)then I've got something which is going to give me a lot of fun!
I enjoy both real time strategy (RTS) games as well as turn-based strategy games, but for different reasons. A good turn-based game (chess is an excellent example)is a power-lifting event were, if one is matched with a good opponent, every last ounce of brain-power is used in an attempt to defeat the opposing player. RTS, on the other hand, is a fast-paced dash in which fast-twitch quick, accurate thinking wins the day. If you take the time to think deeply, the game will be over well before you you finish developing a plan. That does NOT mean that an RTS is all action. Far from it. You must be able to quickly develop an overall strategy for the game, then be nimble enough to be able to make successful changes on the fly as your opponent moves to counter you. It also means knowing all of your units, what each of them can do, knowing all of your opponent's units, what they are capable of doing, and how you can use your units in concert with the terrain against him/her in order ultimately to attain a victory.
Company of Heroes follows these elements of RTS games, and adds a few twists in order to make things a bit more interesting. You start the game playing either as the "US Army" or as the "German Wehrmacht". The players obviously know that about each other, but in a way they don't know exactly what opponent they'll be facing. That's because each side has three "doctrines" to choose from, and precisely what weapons, tools, and abilities the other side has as a result of choosing one doctrine or another won't be immediately obvious. Further, even once you've seen something which lets you know what doctrine your opponent has chosen, you still won't know which of the various options available to choose from within each doctrine your opponent has chosen. You will need to do your best to be prepared for most contingencies, and then as the battle unfolds, you'll need to adapt quickly to whatever your opponent presents if you are to be successful in your quest for victory.
Unlike many RTS games, you can't clear the fog of war simply by going through an area. You can see the map (presumably because you have recon photos and maps of it), but you can't see any of your opponent's forces or any terrain damage which your own forces can't see from the ground taking into account visibility limiting factors such as terrain, weather, and time of day. The fact that you don't always know where your enemy is, how many of what are there, or if a hedgerow which previously conceiled the movements of your troops still exists just adds to the uncertainty which makes it necessary to be prepared and to be able to make quick adjustments when your opponent makes a hash of your well-layed plans.
The game installed easily and quickly on my not-so-new computer. I always check for patches and install them all before playing a game, and that may have saved me some of the problems others have reported. I even have CD burning software (Nero) on my computer (It came with it installed, and in the interest of full disclosure just in case it makes a difference, it has never been used), and I did not encounter the problems other people report regarding installing on a computer with CD burning software on it.
The graphics are great, and the hardware requirements aren't too steep. I run the game on a five year old computer with a Pentium(r) processor running at 1GHz and a single nVidia 6600 graphics card, and I'm able to run the game with all the video options maxed without any noticable drop in frame rates. Let me say that there may well be a significant drop off in frame rate, but if I can't tell without actually seeing the numbers, then for my purposes it's not noticable. Though a drop from 200fps to 100fps is a whopping 50% drop, no human eye can detect it since most people can't see a change above 30fps, and even the quickest eyes ever tested can't detect a change above 38fps.
I am also running Windows XP, and have not tried the game on any earlier version, or on Vista, so I cannot authoritively address how well it installs or runs on any OS other than XP. If your computer isn't older than the XP operating system, then it should be able to run this game without difficulty. I cannot over-emphasize how important it is to install all the patches before you play, and in fact, that really goes for any software you install on your computer. It's a process that doesn't take long, is easy to do, often adds content, and may save you a big headache in the long run.
I give this game five stars. I haven't had a problem with it from the moment I started installing it to the present, and it has held my interest and remains a favourite after more than two years and countless matches. It has the potential to end up being on the list of rare games which I never quit playing (such as Heroes of Might and Magic II and III) and continue to enjoy no matter how much time has passed or how out-dated the graphics have become. And last, but not least, anything that gets used that much and remains that reliable and enjoyable over a long period of time is the pure definition of excellent value for money, even if it hasn't hit the bargan bin yet. If you have even the least curiosity about RTS, give this one a go and see if you don't agree.
Company of Heroes: Game Of The Year Edition Feature
- Includes 2 new Skirmish Maps - Seine River Docks and Beaux Lowlands
- Squad AI where units act and react believably and intelligently with unprecedented realism
- Unparalleled animations and graphics that raise the bar for real-time strategy
- Interactive & fully destructible battlefields utilizing the Havoc engine and rag-doll physics
- Combining fast-paced and intense RTS gameplay with stunning visuals and an immersive storyline
Company of Heroes: Game Of The Year Edition Overview
From the studio that brought you the blockbuster Game of the Year titles Homeworld and Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War comes the next revolution in action strategy. Company of Heroes is a WWII real-time strategy game that brings to life the journey of the brave men of Able Company as they fight across Europe in the greatest war mankind has ever known.From the opening shots of the D-Day invasion of Normandy players will find themselves immersed in a rich single player campaign. Experience the cinematic intensity and the courage and bravery of the heroes that defined a generation set against the backdrop of the most dynamic battlefield ever seen in a game. Essence Engine: Relic's next generation cutting-edge engine provides graphics quality and a physics driven world that is unprecedented in an RTS game. Environmental Strategy: Real-time physics and a completely destructible environment guarantee no two battles ever play out in the same way. Destroy anything and re-shape the battlefield in your image! Use buildings and terrain to your advantage or deny them to the enemy. Living Soldiers: Advanced squad AI brings your soldiers to life as they interact with their changing environment take cover and execute advanced squad tactics to eliminate all enemy opposition. 2-8 Player Competition Via LAN or Internet: Go online with friends and join in the ultimate battle of Axis versus Allies. Format: WIN XP Genre: ENTERTAINMENT UPC: 752919493304 Manufacturer No: 49330
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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 01, 2010 11:15:14
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