Yes, blizzards and frozen lakes and occlusion are present in Company of Heroes 2's multiplayer maps, but their ultimate impact on general play felt limited. But very little of that carries over to the competitive multiplayer that defines the game. There's a sense of novelty and iteration that helps to keep the single-player interesting enough to play through despite missions that often overstay their welcome. There are moments in Company of Heroes 2's campaign that make deliberate use of these mechanics, and the tease presented there is tantalizing, but as quickly as Company of Heroes 2 introduces major gameplay systems, they feel forgotten.

These additions are impressive in how organic they feel - but they're disappointing in how little they matter. Ice can be destroyed by weapons fire, explosions and even the weight of heavier vehicles, which can be the only means of eliminating the more intimidating German tanks when other anti-vehicle options are in short supply. Frozen bodies of water also offer new tactical considerations. Infantry units are vulnerable to a slow death by exposure during blizzard conditions, which forces you to find areas of warmth, such as buildings or certain vehicles, or use engineers to build fires that your troops can huddle around for a temporary reprieve. The middle third of Company of Heroes 2's campaign is practically defined by that winter, which teases major gameplay implications. Environments are even more of a weapon and an enemy But this emphasis on environment is even more apparent in the icy potential death of the Russian winter. Units' lines of sight are now blocked realistically by objects that would occlude their view, allowing for games of cat and mouse between enemy armor and infantry, for example. It's made the environment even more of a weapon and an enemy. Relic has made the most additions to Company of Heroes 2 in this regard. You'll need to know what kind of pieces of each war-torn environment will serve to shield your forces, and destroying cover with armored infantry and ordinance is a viable, valuable tactic.

More than most other strategy titles, Company of Heroes 2 depends on a geographic situational awareness. Anti-tank emplacements and machine gun squads have specific, limited fields of fire tanks and vehicles are often most vulnerable from the sides or rear.Д¬ompany of Heroes 2 also continues, and even expands on, the importance of infantry and the cover system that can mean the difference between a successful attack or a failed one. Instead, positioning and micromanagement of unit abilities takes precedence. In the campaign, there isn't much focus on bases and unit production - in fact, many missions start you with most of the units you'll need to complete your often multi-tiered objectives. It's a real-time strategy title that follows a 'less is more' ideology. Eventually, Company of Heroes 2 devolves into a forced march through mission after mission where it's difficult to find a greater motivation and investment in things beyond 'win.' And it doesn't help that Relic teases real innovation in the tactics and gameplay possibilities early on, only to draw them back with little fanfare.ДЄt a basic mechanical level, Company of Heroes 2 is very similar to the last game.

This battlefield nihilism would be more effective, save that it never really stops. Relic places an often heavy hand on the wheel, depicting an army terrified of the enemy and its leaders. Thematically, the morality of Company of Heroes 2's engagements is murkier than that of most other strategy titles. Set on the Eastern Front of World War II, Company of Heroes 2 loosely relates the story of a commander turned reporter as he recounts his experiences fighting the German army - and surviving the Soviet commanders.

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