User Reviews (21 - 31 of 119)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Fun yes; realistic no

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: October 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The graphics are stunning, and the campaign scenarios are fun on the Normal difficulty setting - have only played the first 3 scenarios.

I do have some complaints on realism though - a lot of this is in comparison to the old "Close Combat" series I enjoyed a few years back. The AI for units in COH is not that good. If you order them to approach a building or fuel dump or whatever, they will go right up to it, even if there are enemies there! They should stop and find cover. Also, the fact that they can walk right up to Germans (even ones with machine guns) over open fields is strange. Try that in close combat (and I expect real life) and you will never make it. Also, even at very close ranges, it takes a Sherman several shots to knock out and armoured car, and a Sherman and Panzer IV can hit each other several times even in the side and rear before one blows up. All the fighting takes place at short range - even if you try to hit something from a ways off the unit will move closer (often way too close) before firing.

The whole "resources" orientation (ammo, fuel, manpower) is not that distracting, but there are some pretty unrealistic capabilities like being able to repair a badly damaged tank in a few minutes.

I am running this game a brand-new 3 GHz machine with an upgraded graphics card and it runs great even at the highest detail setting. However, every now and then the program "stalls" for almost a minute. It eventually comes back - haven't tried lower detail setting to see if that helps.

Now this is a game that took me by surprise...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When I first began seeing advertisements for Company of Heroes in PC Gamer, my first thoughts were along the lines of "Wow... ANOTHER World War 2 game... talk about milking the greatest generation.", although the fact that Relic (creators of one of my all-time favorites Homeworld) was behind the project gave me pause enough to keep an eye on it.

Once it was released, I opted to use my money to purchase another game instead... and when that game turned out to be a lot more boring than I anticipated - I decided to give Company of Heroes a whirl.

Thus began several straight weeks of online gaming with my friend, and recommending this game to everyone that I could.

This is a squad-level strategy game... and while you can have control of a pretty good amount of units - every building, every sandbag, every hill, and even every grave-marker must be taken into account as you progress across the field, or into a bombed out city... in a good way. Both as your cover, as the enemy cover, and how it affects your line of sight and line of fire.

The visuals are beautiful... the sounds are excellent. A ground level view of an area being pounded by artillery, rockets, etc. with soldiers holding their guts in and screaming while medics rush in and pull the wounded up over their shoulder to carry them to safety... this is not your standard RTS fare. This game is something unique in a list a mile long of World War 2 titles.

If you like strategy games at all... whether you grew up on Red Alert, Command and Conquer, Starcraft, etc. as I did - this game is your cup of tea.

Even if you don't normally like the WW2 gaming setting I can recommend this game as something special. (But seriously... who doesn't like killing Nazis?)

If you liked Dawn of War, this game feels a bit similar - but if you didn't like Dawn of War don't let this discourage you because the game is quite different and much better in my opinion.

This is one of the best games of 2006 - and I wholeheartedly recommend this gem to anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to play it.

Addicted to COH

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: August 27, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I don't play RTS games.
I don't like RTS games.

However, I now go to sleep devising new defensive strategies (as you know, the best offense IS a great defense) and attack plans. Great graphics (if your machine can keep up), great music and of course great game play. It's an excellent achievement.

The soldiers swear like...well...soldiers. To that end, if that's an issue, note that there's no way to turn that off outside of turning ALL in game comments off. F'bombs are as common as the artillery.

Not that it matters--you can quickly by-pass all the self serving videos from the vendors as the game starts. Compared to the Battlefield 2/2142 series, this is THE fastest loading game ever.

An interesting, intense (and somewhat frustrating) RTS war game.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: August 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The action begins on D-day (June 6, 1944) and then progresses onward as the allies gradually recapture the German occupied territory in Normandy, France. The game has some historical accuracy; with regards to the events occurring around the Normandy invasion and its immediate aftermath.

As with most games there were good and not so good features...let me explain

The Pros:

1.)The game was fun to play; the battles certainly are gut wrenching and tend to sweep you up emotionally into them.

2.)Good maps, with clear cut instructions as to what needs to be done to complete a mission.

3.)Easy to program your units to build troops, vehicles and armored units etc.

4.)Many advanced abilities are available to choose from, by spending your Experience Points, (earned in battles) for upgrades.

5.)Easy, anytime game saves.

6.)Interesting cut movie scenes before and after each mission.

The Cons:

1.)During the chaos of battle, I found it very difficult to accurately control some units; either getting them to go where I wanted them to go AND/OR do what I wanted them to do. Because there were often multiple units (represented by icons) close together it was sometimes hard to accurately click on the appropriate icon with the CORRECT mouse button. Probably the worst example of this was to try to get a manned artillery cannon pointed the right way and then get them to fire on a specific target. (while all hell was breaking loose and you needed that cannon in a hurry).

2.)A limited total number of units (total units encompass personnel + buildings + vehicles) at any one time, on any given mission. I seemed to be forever at my unit limits with no way of producing a set of tanks to help my buildings or troops that were being ravaged by German Panther and Tiger tanks. (In other words. I had to let many troops die in order to free up 'space' to make some heavy armor units).

3.)However, the most frustrating thing to me was the spontaneous regeneration of German armor or troops in an area you just spent a half hour clearing. (and of course you won these battles by the skin of your teeth with barely any troops or armor left).

4.)The tutorial, while it gives the bare basics of game play; has very little in-depth instruction.

5.)The computer AI running the enemy could do anything, anywhere and all at once; where as you, the gamer, can only act in one place, on one unit at a time. Hardly seems fair.

6.)Picking an upgrade (by spending your hard earned Exp. Points) seemed a trial and error affair; what worked well in one mission, may be of limited use or even useless in another (often, with the end result being restarting level to try to find something more useful).

A decent RTS war game, that had great potential, but, I felt, just fell short. I found myself continually frustrated by my inadequate, one-click-of-the-mouse-button-at-a-time response, compared to the all encompassing AI that ran the enemy. 3 ½ Stars.

R. Nicholson

P.S. As an alternative RTS World War II game, I would suggest "War Front". Although not as historically accurate as CoH, (it also had some 'what if' scenarios thrown in as well), but it at least had a set-up that allowed the 'gamer' more control over the production and deployment of his troops, buildings and armor.

Addictive and amazing RTS immersion!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: September 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm darn picky when it comes to paying premium price for a new game these days, and there are soo many of these things on the market too! However, this RTS game really stands out with all the elements of a great RTS game. Its got great graphics, sound and gameplay that will keep you coming back for more. Multiplayer is easy to use and its free on the LAN - very nice for house parties!!!

If you are a WWII fan and even a casual RTS player, this is the game for you.

simply......WOW!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: September 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First of all, the game will take you about 2-4 hours just to learn how to play, I mean even after the training you will still have to learn how to play yourself. The graphics are stunning, never seen graphics like that in a RTS game of any kind. The gameplay, like I said is hard, but after a while it will be worth it. I just played the demo and know that I am buying the game. The videos are also nice. Averall, fantastic game.

Great WWII themed RTS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm a casual gamer, currently playing World of Warcraft and the occasional Half Life 2 game (Garry's Mod). For a long time I've been looking for a RTS (real time strategy) game that has a nice World War II theme. After playing a few RTS games like Command and Conquer Tiberian Sun (science fiction themed), Empire Earth (historic themed) and most recently Age of Empires (historic/military themed) I grew tired of the science fiction and wanted something closer to recent history. While I enjoy these RTS games I was really looking for a RTS game that focused on the World War II theme, much like the Metal of Honor and Call of Duty are for the FPS (first person shooter). After reading a few reviews of Company of Heroes that highly recommended the title I found it for sale and started playing.

From the beginning of the game play I noticed a few things different from other RTS games. First is the idea of squads instead of individual people. Instead of selecting a group of soldiers by dragging a box around them, you just select one person of the squad and this will select the entire squad. I really liked this feature since I tend to loose track of a single soldier in a large game map. The downside to this is if you need to "lure" the opposing force with one solider, you'll have to sacrifice the entire squad. Hopefully you won't need to loose any squad; there is a nice "retreat" button to allow the squad to make a run for home base ASAP. The squads also can be assigned to use cover in the game map. Hiding behind a brick wall will give better cover than hiding behind a stack of hay.

Another change is the method to gain resources, instead of having your group mine or gather supplies; they just need to capture a supply point. There are three different types of resources, fuel, munitions and manpower. Each is important to capture depending upon what you want to build. As before you can build up your base with engineers who will build other important buildings, also they can build mines and other defensive traps. Each rifleman squad can also build mines and sandbags but you are limited to your resources.

Once you are ready for the level you are introduced to a nice intro to the current conflict, a little back story to the soldiers and a map briefing. The game feels has a very polished feel and almost gives a movie like quality to the game. Some of my favorite details are the soldiers swearing once command them to do something while they are under fire. Also the soldiers will take the use of the cover around them once under fire. In some other RTS games I played, the soldiers will stand around until told to do something, here the soldiers are a bit smarter and will return fire if needed.

Another favorite of this game is the gaming map and buildings. As with modern games, the buildings, land and other objects can be damaged with great physical effects. In one level you are required to stop an Axis transport from coming through on a road. As the more trucks you blow up, the Axis transport will start to get backed up with the debris on the ground. You can also use a tank to bust through a wall to flush out any people on the other side. All of the gaming explosions are done great, from a grenade to an artillery strike.

As with any game there are some problems, even if they are minor. I personally feel that the tanks are somewhat unbalanced. It might take 4~5 shots of a anti-tank gun before you take one down. Again, it's something minor but worth mentioning. Also there are some other squads that seem very powerful, like the sniper. Another slight let down is the limited skirmish mode, with such a rich game map I was expecting a level editor and custom starting points but you are limited to only selecting from pre-made maps. I would have liked the option to watch a computer vs. computer battle but even this option is not allowed. Not a big problem but it's something that I've seen in other RTS games that would have been a nice addition.

Overall I feel that this is an excellent RTS World War II themed game. If you have a little bit of RTS gaming experience or would like to try a change from MMORPG's or FPS games, this is a refreshing choice. While it's not a historical correct game it's still a lot of fun and should offer some great battles on your pc.

Company of Heroes

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Well...before I begin, the reader has to be aware that I am a 50-year old PC game buff. Therefore, the type of games I play have to be dazzling otherwise it is not worth my time.

Having said that, I must admit Company of Heroes is unique in its concept and is truly a superb game to play. Very clever & requires a lot of strategizing and thinking. The graphical aspect of the game is awesome thus it will require a "super powerful" video card as well as a fast processor. If you don't have the required specs, don't waste your time & money on the game.

If you have purchased "Medal of Honor" and expect a similarity ...well, let tell you..these 2 games have nothing in common... The idea behind this game is very different but equally exciting. My recommendation is: a BUY.

A Very Different Strategy Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I really didn't like this game when I first started playing it. Even on easy I felt that it was far too difficult. I've managed to overcome that though. At some point I finally realized that as frustrated as I was, I was still beating the computer.

The first thing to realize is that this is a strategy game that plays like an FPS. There's no turtleing (building walls around you while you tech up) and it is *not* relaxing in any way. It uses frustration and desparation to draw you in. You have to balance fortifying points with keeping your forces in motion.

The AI doesn't have to be that smart because it's going to force you to make split second decisions. If you're a perfectionist who has to have just the right units in all of the right places you're going to develop a passionate hatred for this game. One thing to avoid is playing against the computer in victory point mode. At some point you'll realize that the computer doesn't really care that much about victory points, opting instead to try to distract you by attacking almost everything else.

One downside to this game is the point system. It seems far too weighted on the side of killing things. I'm not sure what the exact point weighting is, but I know that if you can achieve a 1:1 kill ratio you will get points. I suspect that even with *less* than a 1:1 kill ratio you can still come out ahead. Also, points are awarded unevenly for capturing territory. If your teammate captures a sector, and you defend it for the entire game your teammate gets all the points for holding it. This makes for a game openning composed of teammates running wildly around trying to take as many points as possible.

They make a lot of how the men will act intelligently when you aren't giving them orders. Sure, they'll try to take cover if they run into any enemy unit. (If you play this game for awhile and then go back and play something like Warhammer you'll quickly notice how stupid it is to try to have groups of men always hold the same formation. It looks so much like a computer game!) Even though, you'd better divert your attention quick or they'll get wiped out. Many times you'll kill a bunch of guys in order to take a strategic point and then have your guys just sit there while you are working on something else instead of taking the point that they're all standing around.

One of the things that they avoided is having too many unbalanced units. I didn't get a lot of play out of the game Ground Control II even though I liked it. The reason is that it got to the point where it was just luck. If your unit type A happened to run into an enemy unit type B you were either guaranteed that A would kill B or vice versa. The units were far too specialized. I haven't played this game much as the Germans, but the American units are well balanced. The vast majority of combinations of units stand a fighting chance if you give them the right orders.

With the right attitude this game is fun to play.

Sometimes Looks Are Everything...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game. Great fun. Certainly the best RTS (of this kind) I ever played as far as the overall experience goes.

Realistically speaking, the game is carried a lot by its graphics and physics. Calling in an airstrike for instance blows stuff up so spectacularily that it is hard not to feel a great sense of accomplishment.

On the downside, one could point out that it is a somewhat shallow game. There really aren't that many units and upgrades and all that. The gameplay mechanics remain mostly unchanged. There certainly are relatively few innovations here. But considering how well it is all put together, this isn't a bad thing.

This game is fun and easy to play, and that counts for a lot in my book. After all, there are other choices if I want more complexity...

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions