Company of Heroes 3, developed by Relic Entertainment and published by SEGA, has made its way to the PlayStation 5, marking the first console release of this renowned World War II real-time strategy series. With adapted controls for consoles, the game aims to deliver a seamless experience of commanding armies and achieving victory in war or PvP battles.
Having reviewed the PC version of the game before, we were certainly intrigued by the prospect of seeing a game like Company of Heroes play out on a console – after all, this was always a “PC game”, so the announcement felt a little like a Total War game being announced for consoles. Company of Heroes 3 offers dual campaigns, allowing players to either liberate Italy or storm the deserts of North Africa. One of the standout features is the Command Wheel, which enables quick and intuitive command issuing to soldiers, facilitating strategic maneuvers. Additionally, the Full Tactical Pause feature allows players to freeze the action in single-player modes, providing an opportunity to reexamine the battle plan, issue new orders, and observe the action unfold.
The premise of Company of Heroes 3 revolves around the depiction of World War II conflict, which the series has always excelled at. The battles are immersive and intense, with a mix of destruction and naturalistic chatter from your squad. The experience of creeping through occupied territory, encountering enemies abruptly, and engaging in gunfire and cover scrambles is particularly exhilarating. The game incorporates residential buildings as enemy strongholds, snipers as swift threats, and the rumble of artillery in the distance, all contributing to a realistic and immersive battlefield atmosphere.
However, the campaign experience falls short in terms of narrative. The Italian campaign, although grand in scope and spanning 20-30 hours, lacks challenge and becomes linear quickly. The enemy AI on the tactical map is not aggressive enough, and progress across the country becomes straightforward. On the other hand, mission combat provides a grueling challenge, making it a more engaging aspect of the game.
The gameplay mechanics shine in Company of Heroes 3, offering a blend of base building, territory capture, and multi-objective dioramas of nerve-shredding warfare. The controls and UI, although fiddly at first, become intuitive over time. The smart squad behavior, use of cover, and traversal mechanics allow for strategic positioning and tactical decision-making. Environmental elements play a role as well, with multi-story houses providing defensive positions and an impressive destruction system offering shifting strategic options.
While the combat gameplay excels, some aspects of presentation lack polish in this console edition. Textures and shadows suffer when zoomed in, and frame drops occur during busy moments, even in performance mode. Despite these visual drawbacks, the sound design remains exemplary, with razor-sharp audio that enhances the overall experience. However, an always-online connection requirement and a frustrating connection check during rest mode are notable downsides that seem unnecessary.
Company of Heroes 3 offers online modes, including PvP and co-op, which contribute to the game’s longevity. The robust online suite allows different factions to fight for territory using all the tools and unit types from the main game.
In conclusion, Company of Heroes 3 – Console Edition is a solid but flawed entry in the series. The game successfully translates the real-time strategy experience to consoles, with some issues in controls and the skirmish mode. The combat gameplay, sound design, environmental destruction, and online options stand out as positive aspects. However, the Italian campaign lacks challenge, visuals lack polish, and an always-online connection requirement may pose a hindrance. Overall, the game is a commendable effort to bring the RTS genre to consoles, despite a few drawbacks that we hope will be addressed post-launch.
Score: 7.7/10
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