Multiplayer strategy you won’t want to let go: NPR

Guide infantry, tanks and other military units in Company of heroes 3.

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Guide infantry, tanks and other military units in Company of heroes 3.

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Something happened between the late 90s and the 2000s. Maybe it was the success of blockbuster movies like Saving Private Ryan And The thin red line, or maybe it was just the right distance from one of the worst conflicts in history, but you couldn’t throw a stone in a video game store without coming across a new WWII-based title. world. The craze has spawned some of the most profitable franchises in the industry (remember when Call of Duty took place exclusively during the Second World War?), And ultimately led to a certified strategic success, A company of heroes.

company of heroes 3 is the final episode of the 17-year-old series, this time at the Mediterranean Theater. Developed by Relic Entertainment, the real-time strategy game retains many of the mechanics that fans of previous games will be familiar with: controllable and upgradable units, destructible environments, and capture points that provide valuable victory points and rewards. resources. These resources – fuel, ammo, and manpower – dictate the number and type of units you can build.

The sandbox-style turn-based gameplay of the dynamic Italian countryside will be familiar to fans of grand strategy games.

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The sandbox-style turn-based gameplay of the dynamic Italian countryside will be familiar to fans of grand strategy games.

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A promising Italian campaign

But at the same time company of heroes 3 may return to familiar mechanics, it expands its reach to Italy and North Africa – theaters too often overlooked by other WWII games. I was excited to test out what Relic calls the “dynamic” Italian single-player campaign, which lets you set your own path to retake Italy through an expanded strategic map. fans of Star Wars: Empire at War Or total war will be familiar with this turn-based approach, where friendly territory is determined by control of multiple major towns and cities and battles zoom into the familiar tactical view.

This Italian campaign promises ultimate freedom, but offers a constraining start to the game. You are locked into a small unit strength at the start, which means sometimes you invade a country with a single infantry unit. It wasn’t until I was around 30, when I had captured almost half of Italy, that the game opened up for me and I felt empowered to do whatever I wanted.

On the ground, the dynamic new environment shines in skirmishes like Potenza, where you’re tasked with capturing several enemy strongholds located atop heavily guarded hilltops. The puzzle is how to conquer each fortress without getting ripped apart: usually the correct answer is to flank them. Once I figured that out, as well as properly used the resources provided, each subsequent skirmish became a bit more repetitive.

Each campaign mission begins with an overview. Most maps have roads that lead directly to capture points, but players can increase their chances of success by flanking the enemy.

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Each campaign mission begins with an overview. Most maps have roads that lead directly to capture points, but players can increase their chances of success by flanking the enemy.

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Balance of power

But while single-player gameplay might irritate me, company of heroes 3 really skyrockets in its multiplayer. At first, I asked my brother to help me try out the co-op mode. None of us are hungry when it comes to real-time strategy games, and we felt comfortable enough with the mechanics to take on two computer-controlled Wehrmacht commanders on normal difficulty. Three and a half minutes later, we were staring at a defeat screen wondering how we had been crushed so quickly.

The multiplayer gameplay is nothing like the methodical skirmishes of the campaign – it’s fast, intense and relentless. My first thought was that the single player mode hadn’t prepared me adequately at all. You can’t take a break, and you’d better know how to use your faction’s tech tree, or you’ll find yourself back against your command center watching the enemy’s victory points pile up.

One of the expressions Relic uses to describe the balance of victory points in company of heroes 3 is “tug of war”. Part of our downfall, we realized, was that we lost momentum by focusing too much on central strongholds and not enough on retaking smaller capture points. Our plan from there was to keep shuffling and re-strategizing after we failed, which was frustrating, but also fun. Eventually, we found the right balance between capturing points and upgrading our tech trees, which generally led to the fastest and cheapest way to get tanks.

Capture points are quickly won and lost in skirmishes, creating a style of play that developer Relic Entertainment likens to “tug of war.”

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Capture points are quickly won and lost in skirmishes, creating a style of play that developer Relic Entertainment likens to “tug of war.”

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Resurgence of real-time strategy

company of heroes 3 is no ordinary real-time strategy game. The core mechanics are a lot more complicated than I expected, which is a real feat. Another is the art direction, both in the dynamic single-player campaign and in the skirmishes. The colors are vibrant, and everything from the overview of Italy to the toy soldiers you send into battle has a nice cartoonish quality to it.

Overall, company of heroes 3 deserves a place in any WWII or real-time strategy enthusiast’s gaming library. Multiplayer games are sharper, more intense and addictive than ever, while new sandbox mechanics in the dynamic single-player campaign give players a fresh (if sometimes frustrating) experience.

James Perkins Mastromarino contributed to this tale.