Company of Heroes 2

Destructoid (10 out of 10)

I could ramble off dozens of words of praise, but the simplest way to summarize my experience is to say that I stayed up playing until 4:00am without realizing how late it was, either because I was yelling at the Germans for killing my troops or high-fiving the air when I took out a tank. It's one of those games that can suck you in for hours and keep you constantly engaged. Company of Heroes 2 is shining example of what an RTS game should be: a mix of classic mechanics with new features and technology.

Girl Gamers UK ( )

Company of Heroes 2 is not the leap forward that fans of the series may have been hoping for. But the game still manages to maintain its position at the top of the RTS pile with flawless gameplay, compelling multiplayer and a stunning look that makes watching your squad freeze almost enjoyable.

GameStar (Germany) (90 out of 100)

Die an sich vielfältige Kampagne zieht zwar gegen das besser inszenierte Heart of the Swarm den Kürzeren, trägt aber gemeinsam mit dem grandiosen Theater of War zum herausragenden Gesamteindruck bei: Relic schnürt hier ein dickes Echtzeit-Paket, das Genre-Gourmets nicht verpassen dürfen. Mir haben's besonders die Koop-Schlachten gegen, äh, mit Martin angetan. Kurzum: So muss eine richtig gute Fortsetzung aussehen.

SEGA-Portal.de (9 out of 10)

Insgesamt macht das Spiel einen soliden Eindruck, es knüpft an der Erfahrung des Vorgängers an und bringt einige Neuerungen mit sich. Insbesondere das neue „Cold-Tech“-System kann im eisigen Russland neue taktische Elemente mit sich bringen. SEGA hat sich damit in der Taktik-Branche im Weltkriegs-Szenario eine würdige Franchise einverleibt.

PC Games (Germany) (88 out of 100)

Obwohl mich die Handlung der Kampagne komplett kalt gelassen hat, bin ich trotzdem rundum zufrieden mit dem Einzelspielermodus von Company of Heroes 2. Woran das liegt? Zum einen erwarte ich keine großartige Story in einem Echtzeitstrategie-Spiel und zum anderen haben die Entwickler in Sachen Missionsdesign hochkarätige Arbeit geleistet. Kaum ein Level gleicht dem anderen, die Lernkurve ist sowohl für Anfänger als auch Genre-Veteranen fast perfekt und immer wieder eröffnen sich neue Taktikoptionen dank der großen Einheitenvielfalt und des Mikromanagements. Auch die Spielzeit ist ungewöhnlich lang für heutige Spiele: Mit der Kampagne ist man gut und gerne 15 Stunden beschäftigt und der gelungene Theatre-of-War-Modus nimmt nochmals die gleiche Zeit in Anspruch. Nur an der schlechten Wegfindung sollten die Entwickler noch arbeiten.

Gameplay (Benelux) (86 out of 100)

COH2 brengt geen vernieuwing, maar wel massa's tactisch amusement zoals we het al lang niet meer gezien hebben. Samen met Heart of the Swarm is dit de RTS-renaissance.

Jeuxvideo.com (17 out of 20)

Comme son prédécesseur, Company of Heroes 2 est un excellent jeu de stratégie qui peut compter sur une campagne de premier choix, sur des éléments de gameplay originaux et bien pensés, sur une action intense, sur un contenu assez conséquent et sur des graphismes agréables à l'oeil. Il n'est évidemment pas exempt de défauts, mais n'en reste pas moins une excellente pioche pour le fan du genre ou de la période.

games xtreme (8.5 out of 10)

Company of Heroes 2 is a great game in the RTS genre, but so was the first game! I guess that's the downside of making such a great game in the first place. While plenty remains the same, Relic still adds in enough to keep you interested. Multiplayer fans will likely get more out of this game as the other modes don't offer many reasons to return once completed. For those who haven't played the original and like a good tense RTS game for the PC you should definitely pick up Company of Heroes 2, and for long-time fans you'll find plenty to enjoy.

IGN (8.4 out of 10)

Viewed side by side, it might be tough to distinguish Company of Heroes 2 from its predecessor. When examined up close, the changes introduced to distinguish warfare on the Eastern Front of World War II from the Western are as problematic as they are interesting. However, that comparison is to one of the finest real-time strategy games ever made, and being mostly as good as that makes this an excellent game on its own. Play the original first (it’s cheap) but Company of Heroes 2 satisfied my appetite for more.

4Players.de (83 out of 100)

Für mich ist Company of Heroes 2 eine ordentliche Fortführung des wegweisenden ersten Teils, ohne jedoch dessen einzigartige Qualität zu erreichen. Nach sieben Jahren plagt sich der Titel nach wie vor mit fehlerhafter Wegfindung, merkwürdiger Einheiten-KI und einer zu dicht über dem Schlachtfeld schwebenden Kamera. Im Gegensatz dazu können die neuen Elemente wie Wintereinsätze oder die TrueSight-Sichtlinien überzeugen und bereichern die Gefechte mit neuen taktischen Elementen. Die Kampagne ist zwar passabel inszeniert und bietet viele interessante Einsätze, die Erzählung kann aber aufgrund des pathetischen Hollywood-Flairs und der amerikanischen Sichtweise auf den Konflikt im Osten nicht immer überzeugen.

videogamer.com (8 out of 10)

A fantastic package that outdoes its peers not in tactical nuance, but in raw spectacle.

PCGamesN (8 out of 10)

Company of Heroes 2 is not quite the reinvention one might have expected after so many years, but by building on the solid foundations of its predecessor, Relic has produced a title that is every bit as compelling as the original, and one of the strongest RTS games I’ve played in a while. New players will find the ease of the campaign an excellent introduction to the franchise, while returning veterans should find plenty to like about the addition of hostile weather and the expanded multiplayer component. There are times when Company of Heroes 2 feels more like a huge expansion than a completely new experience, but damn is it enjoyable.

Chip Power Play ( )

Doch obwohl sich die Schlachten bis zum Ende der recht kurzen Kampagne deutlich unterscheiden, nutzt sich die Russlandkampagne schnell ab. Das liegt nicht zuletzt an der langweiligen Geschichte. Außerdem werden Einsteiger ihre liebe Mühe haben, im Klein-Klein der Gefechte samt Einsatz der Sonderfähigkeiten zu bestehen. Oft rücken die Feinde von mehreren Fronten gleichzeitig an, Ruhephasen sind extrem selten. Profis werden zudem echte Neuerungen im Vergleich zu den Vorgängern vermissen. Letztlich bekommt man ein Company of Heroes 1,5 anstatt einen echten zweiten Teil geboten. Das Spiel ist fordernd und lässt meist mehrere Taktiken zu, die zum Sieg führen. Im direkten Vergleich bevorzuge ich aber StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. Es bietet das originellere Szenario, abwechslungsreichere Missionen und eine Story, die wirklich spannend ist.

411mania.com (8 out of 10)

Company of Heroes 2 is a well-made historically-based World War 2 RTS. Just like the prior Heroes games. It’s not my particular bag, but I recognize that the game is solid affair. I had some issues with it, game speed, and overall structure, but if Starcraft isn’t your bag, Company of Heroes is likely right up your alley.

Games Finder (8 out of 10)

In many ways the sequel lives up to the first game and it is a pity that this gameplay has been scarred by the poor implementation and representation of Russia. If you can look past this issue you’ll love the gameplay but if you can’t then it’s simply best avoided.

Game Revolution (4 out of 5)

Because the big-ticket features feel more like steps sideways than forward, it'd be easy to think that CoH2 is merely different from, yet no better than the original. But once you dig into all the less obvious alterations that have been made, a more flexible, complex game reveals itself. I don't know that we'll ever see a game take so many risks or bring as much design innovation to the RTS table as the original Company of Heroes did when it first landed, and as it turns out, even the people who created it seem to be at a bit of a loss about how to move forward from it. But despite some minor misfires, the core gameplay is stronger than ever, and while it may not break the kind of new ground the original did, Company of Heroes 2 is still a terrific RTS with a ton of content that no fan of the genre should miss.

PC Gamer (80 out of 100)

Company of Heroes 2 is the USSR of real-time strategy games: huge, powerful and just a little bit broken.

Games TM (8 out of 10)

At the end of it all, Company Of Heroes 2 is the whole package. If your PC can handle it, expect a beautifully bloody trip through one of the most horrific times in history. From its thundering sound design to the intricately polished RTS mechanics, this is another unmissable release from Relic Entertainment.

Hooked Gamers (7.7 out of 10)

Although the visuals aren't as high quality as some AAA titles, they do the job adequately and assist in setting the gloomy tone of war introduced by the musical score. And with a decent storyline, moving through to the next mission has a sense of accomplishment.

GameSpot (7.5 out of 10)

Of course, such multiplayer mayhem recalls the original Company of Heroes' best moments, and you couldn't accuse this sequel of reaching the heights of the classic that spawned it. This familiarity is unlikely to breed much contempt, however, given Company of Heroes 2's consistent level of enjoyment. Its barrage of online and offline skirmishes doesn't always hit its mark. But when it finds its target, Company of Heroes 2 delivers a loud and mighty payload.

Polygon (7 out of 10)

Company of Heroes 2 would be a singular kind of RTS, if the previous game didn't exist. While Company of Heroes had its own host of practical issues that Company of Heroes 2 looks to fix, matchmaking and server stability among them, it's difficult to see how the sequel makes enough forward progress. Company of Heroes 2 is a good game, and a great, unique multiplayer experience. But the most frustrating thing about Company of Heroes 2 is how disinterested it appears to be in showing players exactly what it does best.

Quarter to Three ( )

What makes this particularly galling is that Company of Heroes 1 holds up so well. I’m still having a grand time playing Company of Heroes. Do Sega and Relic really expect us to pay for a boondoggle this riddled with DLC shaped holes?

Diehard GameFan N/A

Unfortunately I can’t really recommend picking up Company Of Heroes 2 for the simple fact that outside of some of the unique gameplay elements, it’s basically the same game I played 8 years ago. Company of Heroes 2 feels more like an expansion than a true sequel with the only new elements being the Weather and Theatre of War game mode. The multiplayer mode feels incredibly slow and just doesn’t come off as enjoyable to me and there’s the huge amount of game crashing bugs I kept running into. The campaign mode is suppose to be the game’s bread and butter as it recounts the war from the Soviet perspective but instead we are given a small amount of the actual impact the war had on the U.S.S.R. Overall I did see some bright spots in Company Of Heroes 2 but they weren’t strong enough to make me forget about the other issues that plagued my gaming experience.