Strategy titles are an age-old part of the game library of any platform. Despite the fact that modern gaming is constantly changing and the preferences of players change with it, turn-based strategies feel the ravages of time the least compared to other titles. One of the most famous pioneers of this genre is definitely Company of Heroes from Relic Entertainment. The second part of the award-winning strategy recently appeared in App Store along with all available expansions in the Master Collection. Personally, I am more than excited by this fact, as I have been wanting to try this game for a long time. For me, the first part was one of the most popular strategy games on PC at the time, so I didn't hesitate and after the announcement of the complete collection, I started testing Company of Heroes 2 on the macOS platform.
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Despite the fact that it is not a hot news, I think that the Feral Interactive publisher, which took care of countless ports for Apple devices, went in the right direction. In the following lines, we will look at the gameplay of the iconic strategy set in the intense battles of the world's largest armed conflict, as well as the overall development of the title on the iMac screen.
The original Company of Heroes + something extra
It's no secret that this is a game that has been on the market for a little over five years. When testing less up-to-date titles, it often happens that a skeptical approach to an older arrival of the game, which lags behind the modern competition, spoils the initial impression of the game. In the case of Company of Heroes 2, I was not afraid of a similar fact for a single second. The first part from 2006 was etched in my memory as one of the best thematic titles of the strategy genre, so the only question was whether the creators decided to change their proven formula to a noticeable extent.
As soon as you start the game for the first time, you can see that this is the good old Company of Heroes with the addition of a few welcome changes. The game menu welcomes you with a nice selection of game content, among which it is best to start with the single player campaign. There is also a tutorial, but I personally think that the initial missions combined with the virtual guide can walk you through the game options enough to not hesitate for a second on the battlefield. This time the story takes us to the Eastern Front, where the Red Army has to face numerous Nazi troops. At first glance, it is possible to notice a slight change in the main idea of the game. The creators tried to stick to authentic ideas and events, which is the main difference between the first and second parts of the game. While in Company of Heroes 1 we put ourselves in the role of American allied troops who preferred a strategic and cautious approach, in the "two" you bet everything on the numbers of soldiers and brute force.
The Red Army bases the core part of its tactics mainly on numerical superiority. However, this does not mean that you do not engage your brain threads on maximum.
The campaign guides you through a story based on the narration of the entire storyline in the form of "flashbacks" that represent individual missions. As befits the proper Soviets, your troops fear nothing and do not hesitate to go into battle against a significant technological superiority, while their only currency is ordinary numbers of soldiers. This approach is reflected in almost every mission of the game, and it discourages me a little compared to the previous title. The magic of strategic titles lies in a clear and planned procedure and not in a headlong rush to the enemy line. However, it is necessary to realize that most of the Russian operations were actually built on this fact, so there is nothing to blame the authors. The initial missions in the game will guide you through the basic procedures, controls and all the goodies that the red army has.
If you lose a unit, or even an entire army, you don't have to immediately refer to repeating the mission. The control panel will offer you an unlimited number of soldiers, of course until the population limit is reached. Therefore, it is very necessary to tactically choose which units to send into battle. Although the Soviets represent the main part of the game, since it is a "Master Collection", players will get all the available DLC that the game has to offer. As a result, we will also get to know other groups such as the Americans in the Ardennes Assault story. The overall design of the campaign is based on key historical events such as the Battle of Stalingrad or the suppression of the Germans in the suburbs of Moscow. I often forgot while playing that this is the second entry in the Company of Heroes series, as the main elements are basically unchanged. The exception is, of course, higher quality graphics, new locations and units, or a slight change to the control panel. In this case, the secret essence of a quality strategy has been preserved, and I dare say that it has gained even more momentum.
Proven control and gameplay
We come to the matter that has made Company of Heroes the beloved strategy game most fans know. The trick lies in the exact amount of game options that we can control almost exclusively with the mouse. The keyboard helps with certain game interactions, but is not necessary at all in the core of the game. The classic control based on marking, moving and placing troops remained exactly as well developed as in the case of the previous title. The new combat units have received some interesting options, which are located on the lower right side of the game screen. In Company of Heroes 2, you will love the fact that the controls are primitively intuitive. After the first minutes of the game, you will remember how to get to a certain point with the army, how to direct the defensive position to a given direction or how to click between individual soldiers.
Several interesting features have been added to the game, of which the legendary Russian winter can be omitted. Weather and weather conditions will not only mess with the enemy army but also with your units. One of the initial game missions will prepare you for such situations, thanks to which you will learn to fight against the cold. As an example, it is possible to mention the search for outbreaks on the game map, or hiding in vehicles. Each unit has a living conditions indicator, thanks to which you have an overview of the temperature of your soldiers. If you don't get to the campfire or shelter in time in arctic conditions, subzero temperatures will take their toll. In this case, this is another interesting element that will make you think about the further development of the game. Nevertheless, even this fact is treated with the simple possibility of summoning additional soldiers, so that your regiment can be replenished indefinitely, regardless of the loss of lives.
Thanks to top-notch control and maneuvering with military units, you will have a perfect overview of everything that is happening on the game map.
Gallery
A significant number of new combat units have been added to the game, and the system of military buildings has basically been slightly changed. Thanks to the construction of battle tents, you can summon different types of units to the battlefield, which you can then use in the fight against enemies. A small change compared to the previous part may be the number of available tents, which you will notice best in an online shootout or in classic multiplayer against other players or the computer. The vehicle fleet also appears to be somewhat more limited, but there are, on the contrary, much more global elements in the game.
The gameplay cannot be described in any other way than with the phrase "one poem". However, the peaceful and undisturbed deployment of units can turn into a ready-made shooting hell from one second to the next, but you can still keep an overview of the game situation. The AI is in my opinion slightly higher than in the original Company of Heroes regardless of what level you choose for the mission. As for upgrading and improving weapons, but also in general for all units, it can be concluded that the authors have clearly added to the content. Soldiers are in some cases directly tied to your ability to think tactically and make individual moves, which results in the fact that even a mere handful of military conscripts can serve as an effective and powerful tool against the enemy in the right hands.
A decent amount of game options
If the single-player campaign is not enough for you to initially master the tactics and game options, do not hesitate to try the training tutorial. This works in the form of a step-by-step explanation of all functions and also as a list with descriptions of weapons, units and additional special options that can be found in the control panel menu. However, as they say, one learns from one's mistakes, so after playing the single-player campaign, I recommend trying a few games against the computer, where you will discover even more elements than the story offers. In addition to the storyline, a multiplayer game mode is available, where you fight for supremacy on the battlefield with opponents in real time. This mod works in the form of occupying checkpoints, ammunition and fuel points, which provide you with the raw materials and resources necessary for the construction of fortifications, military tents and, above all, for the calling of new combat units. If you have experience with the previous title, this fact should be crystal clear to you, because its creators Mronechali in its original form.
Creating your own game unlocks the possibility of personal selection of all settings according to which the match will unfold. In addition, the Czech language is supported in the game in the form of subtitles, so the setting and overall picture of the game is much more accessible to a wider audience. With the help of multiplayer, you upgrade your personal game profile in the form of earned points for matches played, which allows you to treat yourself to nice awards. Since this is a complete collection, once you purchase the game you will get all available add-ons to use in the wide variety of available modes.
Gallery
In addition, the "Battlefield" mode will offer you a first-hand view of the most famous military operations such as Barbarossa, Blau or Victory at Stalingrad. The overall offer of the game will literally shower you with game content, which although has an unchanged idea of the game, but the adventures and military tactics change significantly depending on the battle map. So it doesn't matter if you've ever encountered the Company of Heroes universe first-hand, as the well-thought-out system will make you a strategic veteran. However, experience comes with practice, so you can't expect to handle each challenge at the highest level immediately after turning on the game.
Verdict
Company of Heroes 2 is everything you could want from a quality strategy title. The fun and engaging gameplay will draw you into the action either in the single-player campaign or in the field of other available modes. A wide spectrum of tactical action makes each mission a unique experience, thanks to which you will improve in all aspects of the game. There are few games that have such simple yet effective and fun controls. For a complete operation and interactions with units, you only need the mouse, which will become the main weapon in the fight against enemy units. The proven idea of the game, together with solid graphic processing, even for this time, results in excellent visuals that will immediately tie you to the game screen. The creators really played with all the available modes, which prevented excessive repetitiveness and sterotyping of the title. Each battle, operation or mission is a completely new experience and it's up to you how you deal with the given situation.
You can enjoy Company of Heroes 2 on the following Macs
- All 13-inch Retina MacBooky For products released since 2016
- All 15-inch Retina MacBooky For products released before 2012
- All 15-inch MacBook Pro released since 2012 with a 1GB graphics card or better
- All 21.5-inch iMacs released since 2013 with a 1.8GHz i3 processor or better
- All 27-inch iMacs released since 2013 (2012 models with Nvidia 675MX or Nvidia 680MX graphics are also supported)
- All 27-inch iMac Pros released since 2017
- All Mac Pros released since 2013
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