Company of Heroes continues. Part 3 promises more tactical options and a campaign in the Mediterranean. Discussions with fans influence the direction in which Relic moves with the game early on.
Following campaigns in France and Russia, Company of Heroes will depict the last major European theater of war. The fighting takes place in the sandy deserts of Africa, coastal areas and the Italian heartland between large cities and mountains. Diversity should not only be visual, but also playful. In the future, differences in height will affect the visibility of units and the effectiveness of the cover. In addition, in vehicles, armoring on the side, not just on the rear, will lose its protective effect. Flanking will become more effective.
Relic is also planning a new storm mechanic with a view to multiplayer battles, with which occupied buildings can be cleared without tech upgrades. This has slowed down multiplayer games so far, in the early phases the move was practically compulsory, the developers explain in a background article by Eurogamer. The storm, however, lasts and makes the troop in question vulnerable, so that a balance is maintained.
Dynamic campaign
The feature list also includes new factions, such as from the British Commonwealth and new units. In battles, the focus should be a little more on infantry. A campaign map brings “sandbox gameplay” and strategic decisions. Here players can command armed forces in the air, water and on land, plan supply lines and launch attacks. How this happens, as well as the course of the game, is up to the player.
Test it now
Company of Heroes 3 can be tried out now, but only as a pre-alpha. Features and gameplay can therefore change significantly. In order to test the current status, a registration for the “CoH-Development” on the homepage of the game and a Relic customer account are necessary. Steam and Relic accounts must then be linked in order to automatically gain access to the pre-alpha.
The fact that this option exists is, like many of the innovations, an expression of closer cooperation with players that grows with the experience of Dawn of War 3. The title was certainly not a bad game, but it was developed past the needs of the target group. Company of Heroes 3, with its in-depth tactical options, shows that Relic has drawn lessons: more instead of shallower strategy, the announcement promises. However, the final result cannot be expected too quickly, as the pre-alpha status already tells us.