COH 2 - The Western Front Armies: US Forces

The package includes two new armies for gamers to play around with, the United States and the Oberkommando West, and each of them can be purchased separately by gamers who are looking for some variety but are unwilling to pay for the entire package.

The core mechanics of the series are not changed in any significant ways, but Relic makes solid use of the new factions and has built a unique and interesting set of units and tactics for each of them.

Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies: US Forces Steam Key GLOBAL. Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies is the first Standalone Multiplayer release for Company of Heroes 2. The focus shifts back to the Western Front, depicting some of the most brutal fighting of World War II in the darkest days of the conflict.

Story

The two new factions added are the United States Army, modelled mostly on the Eisenhower-led divisions that stormed the beaches of Normandy (other allied forces that are ignored), and the German Oberkommando West, the section of the Nazi army that faced them all through France and led the strategic retreat to the Rhine.

Developer Relic has done a great job of giving each a unique personality via the design of their commanders and the various special powers they can use in battle.

The new maps, eight of them, are chosen to represent the areas that served as battlefield during the major Battle of the Bulge and they offer both forests that favor infantry and wider areas designed for armored hardware, as well as some snowy conditions that show off the winter-focused mechanics of Company of Heroes 2.

Gameplay

The US starts off with all base buildings already available and they only need to be activated using resources as the game progresses and the base also holds weapons for infantry squads that need to be picked up from specialized racks.

Each new building also offers its own specialized squad of infantry, all of them capable of performing special tasks on the battlefield, and the faction relies a lot on buildings, like tank traps and specialized infantry fighting positions in order to succeed.

Sunless skies xbox one. Playing as the United States means acknowledging that your armor and your infantry are both somewhat less powerful than their German counterparts and not as plentiful as those fielded by the Russians.

I tend to play the US mostly in a defensive way at first, holding down resources point and fortifying the areas that are heavily contested, and only launch attacks when I have solid commander powers unlocked or when I manage to get a number of Shermans ready to roll.

The German Oberkommando West is structured very differently, with special support units used to deploy buildings at certain intervals anywhere within controlled battle space.

The faction can access a King Tiger very quickly, as long as it has the required resources, and it can also call upon a solid line-up of both infantry and support tanks, including some very powerful rocket and mobile rocket launchers.

But its forces tend to be outnumbered and very specialized when it comes to battlefield use, which means that gamers need to carefully deploy them and make sure that they use the right tool for the right job. Stationflow download free.

When I choose the OKW, I try to go on the offensive early on, using my solid initial infantry choices, while patiently minimizing losses in order to finally call on its powerful tank line-up. Sky force game for pc.

The fact that Company of Heroes 2 with The Western Front Armies now has four armies creates a much wider variety of experiences on the battlefield and the new maps come with their own unique set of cool tactical setups and challenges.

The one potential long-term issue with the standalone expansion is the new war loot drop system, which many players are saying is currently bugged and inconsistent in the way it delivers new intelligence bulletins, skins and commanders.

Graphics and audio

The tech is still capable of delivering beautiful environments and smooth action on powerful PC and it scales well for those who are unable to push all options to the max.

If the pace of The Western Front Armies was not so fast, players could actually spend minutes at a time looking at the explosions that bloom from vehicles and the way soldiers crawl around before dying when they get shot.

The sound department of the new Company of Heroes 2 does not disappoint and adds new sounds for the updated line-up of units and vehicles, and the soundtrack makes the battlefields feel like places for heroics rather than simple death traps for unfortunate virtual human beings.

Coh 2 - The Western Front Armies: Us Forces Ones

Multiplayer

At launch, the two new factions and the older Russians and standard Germans seem pretty well balanced, although those who want to play as the United States or the OKW should have some experience with the core game before they do so.

The company has a long history of balancing the real-time strategy game, sometimes in major ways, which means that any overpowered units or abilities should be brought back into line in the long term.

The launch of The Western Front Armies is a great moment to get into the multiplayer community for Company of Heroes 2 because even the best players need to re-learn some mechanics in order to perform well with the OKW and the US, which creates a more level playing field.

As always when it comes to competitive experience, a lot of time and games are required to keep up with the leaders in the long term, but the matches are usually fun even when I am losing and the Company of Heroes 2 community is mostly polite and even helpful.

The Good

• Interesting new factions
• Solid map design
• Community created content

The Bad

Conclusion

Both the US and the OKW have unique gameplay concepts associated with them and it will be interesting to see how the player community develops new strategies around them and their commanders.

Newcomers to the genre or the series should pick up the core Company of Heroes 2 at first, to get themselves familiarized with the series and its ideas, and then make the jump to The Western Front Armies in order to experience more varied matches.

The percussive blast from a howitzer left me deafened and disoriented. I scrambled to regain my senses and what was left of my men, and pushed forward to re-fortify the hotly contested capture point that had been fought over for the better part of 30 minutes. With only a handful of riflemen and a single anti-tank gun, the odds were clearly not in my favor. I still had a minute or so before my Sherman took to the battlefield, but the game clock was winding down, making the next five minutes the most important of the entire match. As I positioned my troops, manning machine guns that were picked up from fallen comrades, laying razor wire to halt the advance of enemy troops, and hiding my anti-tank gun in the hedge grove just behind my forces, I'd hoped that I would draw my opponent's colossal tank into the opening where it could be shelled by my bazooka-toting infantry and that hidden AT-battery. But in war, the battlefield is ever changing, and any counter-attack that is planned for always has the possibility of not going exactly as intended. That certainly was the case here.

As I saw my foe's ground troops rush over the hill like a uncompromising riptide, I braced for what I knew would be my final stand. Forces exhausted, beaten, and bloody, we fought on; using every ability given to me, I played my cards the best I could. I had even managed to buy enough time for my Sherman to deploy and make it to the capture area. I saw the enemy's tank on the horizon; I knew what I was going to do to take it out. But as I readied my army, I noticed my own tank explode in a bombastic display of the heart-dropping fireworks. And then I noticed a similar explosion coming from the building where I had garrisoned some of my paratroopers. Scrolling frantically to where I thought the shots were coming from, I noticed that somehow I had been flanked by two separate armor units, turning the enemy tank count from one, into three. As the German's armor rolled in on me, I knew it was a lost cause. But all I had to do was hold the point just a little longer — another 2 minutes, and I'd win. But then an artillery strike was called down on my sad, broken forces and it obliterated them all. I had lost.

Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies has piles of these moments just waiting to be experienced in its standalone multiplayer endeavor that focuses on the game's two newest factions, the US and Germany's Oberkommando West forces. Essentially, Relic has gone back to COH2's multiplayer and taken a long, hard look at what worked and what didn't. And while Company of Heroes 2 gave way to some wildly unbalanced and thereby almost completely broken MP, the Western Front Armies damn near wipes the slate clean and gives us a retooled, focused effort that emphasizes balance and new units as much as it does harrowing victories and crushing defeats.

It's evident from our review of Company of Heroes 2 that we believed it to be a fantastic sequel to an already wonderful game. In fact, we felt it was the better of the two mainline games, what with its bevy of enhancements and new features. That being said, despite how compelling COH2‘s story was, the multiplayer left something to be desired if for nothing else than because of the omission of a playable US military faction. Enter The Western Front Armies, a standalone DLC that focuses on refining the multiplayer experience by completely forgoing a single player campaign. In this pseudo-expansion, we get two new factions and a host of improvements. Let's take a look at what all is included in this package.

Breaking down the two new armies, we first have the US forces. Right when a match starts, players will notice what makes the Americans differ from the Oberkommandos; their base structures are pre-built. Meaning to say, the US faction is given everything they need to hit the ground running right from the get-go. While this might initially seem unfair, or even over-powered, how units are ultimately brought into play is where we see the scale tip back in the favor of balance. (More on that later.) Officers are one of the defining aspects of the American army. They are essentially what allow players to advance their tech trees — so without them, folks won't be able to summon certain infantry units, artillery or armored vehicles to the battlefield. In this, playing the US is a delicate blend of offense and defense, as they can quickly grab points in the early goings, but can't all-out blitzkrieg opponents with heavy-hitting units and vehicles all that quickly. This equates to a unique experience in the opening segments of any match between the US and Oberkommandos, since their styles of play are quite polarizing.

This is seen even more so in how the two armies focus their combat efforts. The American forces are extremely infantry-heavy; it seems to be what they're built around. Throw together a few rifle squads, upgrade them with grenades, BARs and bazookas and they can give the enemy hell with quick, maneuverable tactics that feel almost guerrilla-like in nature. The sheer adaptability of the US feels especially dynamic, as their versatility can truly change the tide of combat with the deployment of a few key squads. Not to mention, they are a fast faction, and one that simply doesn't excel all that well by hunkering down in a single spot. They, instead, seem to derive true strength by being on the move and constantly harassing enemy points whenever possible with hit-and-run sensibilities.

The German's Oberkommandos, however, feel particularly armor-based. Because of this, they move slower and, as a result, the ideal strategy is one that is more cerebral and dare we say even plodding. It's such a stark contrast when juxtaposed with the American forces, that playing as the West German Army here, after having just enjoyed a match with the US, feels almost befuddling. That being said, once players realize how to play to the ‘kommandos' strengths, they will find a truly destructive force at their fingertips. In truth, those wanting to build a more infantry-centric army will not find it with the Oberkommandos; there are only three infantry unit types from which to choose, ultimately showcasing just how vehicle-specific the Germans are. On the whole, the West German Forces here don't feel as varied as the US units do, which may be some kind of deterrent for those players who get into having a slew of options at their disposal. If we had to draw a comparison, we'd say the Americans are more of a jack-of-all-trades group, whereas the Oberkommandos are a master of something. Yes, the US forces can get into the proverbial vehicle game a bit, but not nearly to the extent as the Germans in Western Front.

Surprisingly, these two new factions fit right in with the armies already available to those who own the base Company of Heroes 2 game. The balance, then, is especially impressive with Western Front Armies, and even more so when we look at Relic's misguided steps in this department with COH2. To be able to meld these two new armies into the mix without wildly or even subtly wrecking the systems already in place is a feat unto itself; thus, Relic should be commended on that accomplishment, and just their ability to really turn things around in the proverbial balance arena by and large since 2's release just last year.

If the pace of The Western Front Armies was not so fast, players could actually spend minutes at a time looking at the explosions that bloom from vehicles and the way soldiers crawl around before dying when they get shot.

The sound department of the new Company of Heroes 2 does not disappoint and adds new sounds for the updated line-up of units and vehicles, and the soundtrack makes the battlefields feel like places for heroics rather than simple death traps for unfortunate virtual human beings.

Coh 2 - The Western Front Armies: Us Forces Ones

Multiplayer

At launch, the two new factions and the older Russians and standard Germans seem pretty well balanced, although those who want to play as the United States or the OKW should have some experience with the core game before they do so.

The company has a long history of balancing the real-time strategy game, sometimes in major ways, which means that any overpowered units or abilities should be brought back into line in the long term.

The launch of The Western Front Armies is a great moment to get into the multiplayer community for Company of Heroes 2 because even the best players need to re-learn some mechanics in order to perform well with the OKW and the US, which creates a more level playing field.

As always when it comes to competitive experience, a lot of time and games are required to keep up with the leaders in the long term, but the matches are usually fun even when I am losing and the Company of Heroes 2 community is mostly polite and even helpful.

The Good

• Interesting new factions
• Solid map design
• Community created content

The Bad

Conclusion

Both the US and the OKW have unique gameplay concepts associated with them and it will be interesting to see how the player community develops new strategies around them and their commanders.

Newcomers to the genre or the series should pick up the core Company of Heroes 2 at first, to get themselves familiarized with the series and its ideas, and then make the jump to The Western Front Armies in order to experience more varied matches.

The percussive blast from a howitzer left me deafened and disoriented. I scrambled to regain my senses and what was left of my men, and pushed forward to re-fortify the hotly contested capture point that had been fought over for the better part of 30 minutes. With only a handful of riflemen and a single anti-tank gun, the odds were clearly not in my favor. I still had a minute or so before my Sherman took to the battlefield, but the game clock was winding down, making the next five minutes the most important of the entire match. As I positioned my troops, manning machine guns that were picked up from fallen comrades, laying razor wire to halt the advance of enemy troops, and hiding my anti-tank gun in the hedge grove just behind my forces, I'd hoped that I would draw my opponent's colossal tank into the opening where it could be shelled by my bazooka-toting infantry and that hidden AT-battery. But in war, the battlefield is ever changing, and any counter-attack that is planned for always has the possibility of not going exactly as intended. That certainly was the case here.

As I saw my foe's ground troops rush over the hill like a uncompromising riptide, I braced for what I knew would be my final stand. Forces exhausted, beaten, and bloody, we fought on; using every ability given to me, I played my cards the best I could. I had even managed to buy enough time for my Sherman to deploy and make it to the capture area. I saw the enemy's tank on the horizon; I knew what I was going to do to take it out. But as I readied my army, I noticed my own tank explode in a bombastic display of the heart-dropping fireworks. And then I noticed a similar explosion coming from the building where I had garrisoned some of my paratroopers. Scrolling frantically to where I thought the shots were coming from, I noticed that somehow I had been flanked by two separate armor units, turning the enemy tank count from one, into three. As the German's armor rolled in on me, I knew it was a lost cause. But all I had to do was hold the point just a little longer — another 2 minutes, and I'd win. But then an artillery strike was called down on my sad, broken forces and it obliterated them all. I had lost.

Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies has piles of these moments just waiting to be experienced in its standalone multiplayer endeavor that focuses on the game's two newest factions, the US and Germany's Oberkommando West forces. Essentially, Relic has gone back to COH2's multiplayer and taken a long, hard look at what worked and what didn't. And while Company of Heroes 2 gave way to some wildly unbalanced and thereby almost completely broken MP, the Western Front Armies damn near wipes the slate clean and gives us a retooled, focused effort that emphasizes balance and new units as much as it does harrowing victories and crushing defeats.

It's evident from our review of Company of Heroes 2 that we believed it to be a fantastic sequel to an already wonderful game. In fact, we felt it was the better of the two mainline games, what with its bevy of enhancements and new features. That being said, despite how compelling COH2‘s story was, the multiplayer left something to be desired if for nothing else than because of the omission of a playable US military faction. Enter The Western Front Armies, a standalone DLC that focuses on refining the multiplayer experience by completely forgoing a single player campaign. In this pseudo-expansion, we get two new factions and a host of improvements. Let's take a look at what all is included in this package.

Breaking down the two new armies, we first have the US forces. Right when a match starts, players will notice what makes the Americans differ from the Oberkommandos; their base structures are pre-built. Meaning to say, the US faction is given everything they need to hit the ground running right from the get-go. While this might initially seem unfair, or even over-powered, how units are ultimately brought into play is where we see the scale tip back in the favor of balance. (More on that later.) Officers are one of the defining aspects of the American army. They are essentially what allow players to advance their tech trees — so without them, folks won't be able to summon certain infantry units, artillery or armored vehicles to the battlefield. In this, playing the US is a delicate blend of offense and defense, as they can quickly grab points in the early goings, but can't all-out blitzkrieg opponents with heavy-hitting units and vehicles all that quickly. This equates to a unique experience in the opening segments of any match between the US and Oberkommandos, since their styles of play are quite polarizing.

This is seen even more so in how the two armies focus their combat efforts. The American forces are extremely infantry-heavy; it seems to be what they're built around. Throw together a few rifle squads, upgrade them with grenades, BARs and bazookas and they can give the enemy hell with quick, maneuverable tactics that feel almost guerrilla-like in nature. The sheer adaptability of the US feels especially dynamic, as their versatility can truly change the tide of combat with the deployment of a few key squads. Not to mention, they are a fast faction, and one that simply doesn't excel all that well by hunkering down in a single spot. They, instead, seem to derive true strength by being on the move and constantly harassing enemy points whenever possible with hit-and-run sensibilities.

The German's Oberkommandos, however, feel particularly armor-based. Because of this, they move slower and, as a result, the ideal strategy is one that is more cerebral and dare we say even plodding. It's such a stark contrast when juxtaposed with the American forces, that playing as the West German Army here, after having just enjoyed a match with the US, feels almost befuddling. That being said, once players realize how to play to the ‘kommandos' strengths, they will find a truly destructive force at their fingertips. In truth, those wanting to build a more infantry-centric army will not find it with the Oberkommandos; there are only three infantry unit types from which to choose, ultimately showcasing just how vehicle-specific the Germans are. On the whole, the West German Forces here don't feel as varied as the US units do, which may be some kind of deterrent for those players who get into having a slew of options at their disposal. If we had to draw a comparison, we'd say the Americans are more of a jack-of-all-trades group, whereas the Oberkommandos are a master of something. Yes, the US forces can get into the proverbial vehicle game a bit, but not nearly to the extent as the Germans in Western Front.

Surprisingly, these two new factions fit right in with the armies already available to those who own the base Company of Heroes 2 game. The balance, then, is especially impressive with Western Front Armies, and even more so when we look at Relic's misguided steps in this department with COH2. To be able to meld these two new armies into the mix without wildly or even subtly wrecking the systems already in place is a feat unto itself; thus, Relic should be commended on that accomplishment, and just their ability to really turn things around in the proverbial balance arena by and large since 2's release just last year.

Company Of Heroes 2 The Western Front Armies Us Forces

The two new armies are not the only new additions to Western Front; there are also a handful of new maps designed for two-, four-, six- and eight-players. In our time with each map, we noticed how satisfyingly crafted each one was, with involved tactical options thanks to well designed layouts. Moreover, these maps feel quite distinct from each other, seemingly to ensure a certain degree of diversity among tactics and scenery. This, factored in with the ability to use the new factions on any of the previous COH2 maps, makes for quite a bit of content.

Clearly, the only thing missing from Western Front Armies is a single player campaign. Whereas COH2‘s story was dark and gritty (though woefully historically inaccurate at times), Relic has opted for a straight multiplayer approach, recognizing that its the competitive and cooperative aspects of Company of Heroes that players enjoy so much. That being said, because the campaign of last year's title was so strong, it's unfortunate that some kind of single player offering isn't available here at all. This decision, while catering mostly to the masses and an intended audience, is nevertheless alienating those who have really enjoyed playing these games as a solo affair. Sure, that type of thing is still an option here, barring any kind of narrative, as it's entirely possible to play against strictly AI opponents in some 1v1 goodness, it still may make the $20 price tag feel a bit high.

Coh 2 - The Western Front Armies: Us Forces Base

That brings us to the final point; Western Front is being doled out in a few ways. There's the standalone purchase that costs $20 and comes with both armies, and then there's the option to buy the two factions separately for $13. Either purchase will allow folks to jump directly into the multiplayer and provide them access to all 31 maps from the base game. It will be up to each individual person on whether these prices seem fair, but a buy-in price of $20 to access what most folks play Company of Heroes for anyway seems like a steal to us. The only hangup would be for those players who already own COH2, as what's in this package is fundamentally sound, but nothing spectacularly groundbreaking in terms of quality and quantity of content.

Coh 2 - The Western Front Armies: Us Forces War

Closing Comments:

Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies is a balanced multiplayer-exclusive outing based off an already excellent RTS game. The core gameplay remains as tight as ever, giving rise to a DLC that is worth its weight in salt. Nowhere can folks get such a visceral, tactically-nuanced, yet surprisingly accessible RTS. If you've been looking to get in on Company of Heroes, then this is the place to do it.
Platform: PC