Introduction: CoH Opposing Fronts
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts has been an anticipated video game for some time now. Since THQ and Relic have just released the multiplayer public beta, it seemed only fitting that Benchmark Reviews offer a preview. While CoH:OF didn't make it into our Most Anticipated Video Games of Winter 2007 article because it is more of a supplemental add-on than it is a completely new game, it is still considered by many to be one of the best Real Time Strategy video games of the recent past.
Before you begin your tour of duty, the system performance test shows what kind of requirements are needed, as well as where your system stands in comparison. I'm pleased that the Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Beta Preview didn't get too picky, since I played the original CoH with the settings maxed out. Here are my system specs for this go-round:
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Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R (Intel P35 chipset) with F4G BIOS
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Processor: Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz operating at multiple speeds
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Hard Disk 1: Western Digital WD360GD 10,000 RPM SATA
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Optical Drive: Toshiba Samsung SH-S203 SATA 20x DVD R/W
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Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-2 (optimized to 16 processes at idle)
When I first opened the Beta Preview, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts MP prompted me to download a 10.43MB update before I could play the game. That was sure fast, since this version of the Beta Preview had been public for less than an hour.
At the splash screen, you can see that THQ was busy creating new single player missions for the Opposing Fronts campaign. There may be a small hint at them in the image above, but Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Beta Preview has got them locked down. Maybe someone out there can find out if they exist in the Beta or not?
The multiplayer setup screen looks virtually identical in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts as it did in the original. There are three new maps in this Beta version, and this is the total map rotation available:
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Angoville 1v1
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Bernieres-Sur-Mer 1v1
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Etavaux 2v2
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Rails and Metal 2v2
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The Scheldt 3v3
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The Huchwald Gap 4v4
CoH:OF New Gameplay
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts offers a handful of new gameplay options, which help to extend the playability of the CoH series for a little while longer. Once again, the Germans battle the rest of the world for their right to the motherland. Only this time a player can choose from one of four armies:
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German Panzer Elite division, which features its own new and unique command tree.
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Wehrmacht Army, which retains the old command options
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American Army, as it was in the original CoH
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British 2nd Army, which features new command selections
While playing as the new German Panzer Elite division, I was given the opportunity to select one of three new command options: Scorched Earth Tactics, Luftwaffe Tactics, and Tank Destroyer Tactics. Each offered a specific strength, something that is best utilized in a team play environment. If you play in a small match, such as a 1v1 or 2v2, take my advice and hold out on selecting your command tree until you know what your opponent is using. Because of the limited scope of range, these new strengths certainly come with their own set of weaknesses.
In my first lesson, I learned the hard way that my Scorched Earth Tactics would prove effective at the beginning of a match, but would not hold up well long-term. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts continues to demand that players utilize teamwork to achieve their goals.
One very nice feature of the German Panzer Elite division is the starting equipment. Forget the old days of starting with a pair of Pioneers, that's for those weak Wermacht soldiers. The Panzer Elite rolls out with track-laden cycles capable of capturing points. The single man unit is very mobile and covers excellent ground, but it won't take much for the enemy to ruin his day.
The image below shows how the newly inspired army can roll in and capture a point with relative ease; and they did. Balancing is still receiving tweaks as we speak, but veteran players will find that the game offers a very diverse toolkit once you learn how to use them all.
On the other side of the globe, the CoH: Opposing Fronts MP Beta Preview brought the British 2nd Army to the battlefront. I have reserved my opinion for now, since I have yet to play through and master their command tree, but there are certainly times when I wonder what they are up to.
While the German Panzer Elite Division may seem like the stars of Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, those madcap Brits make their own push on Fortress Europe with some new armor and weapon forces. While not available in the Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts MP Beta, there are two new single player campaigns that depend heavily on the British 2nd Army. These new campaigns are: Liberation of Caen, and Operation Market Garden. Expect your foreign brothers in arms to seem odd at first, but everyone does their days work in the end.
The new look of CoH:OF in DirectX 10
When the game is underway, it seems as if all can be forgiven. I compare this to the wait in line at Disney Land; an hour in line doesn't seem worth it until after that five minute ride. Company of Heroes offered DirectX 10 in one of the last patches, but Opposing Fronts has certainly lifted the cinematic curtain and let the shadows rest where they may. The multiplayer Beta Preview offered a great view of some of the upcoming improvements, but the real show stopper was the new environmental effects.
Windows Vista users will finally get a game worth investing into DirectX 10 for, and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts really does the new graphics interface real justice. Hopefully the good people at Relic will stay on top of this, and offer some tasty treats for legacy DirectX 9 users as well.
While hosting a game, you can configure your Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts server to include "Dusk Rain", "Hazy", "Sunny", or "Overcast" in certain maps. Take advantage of these new tools, and you could add a distinct advantage to your team. The added effects certainly add to the fog of war realism, as well.
One of the most anticipated features to appear in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is the introduction of new vehicles. While I was not shocked with a complete new round of armor, there were enough subtle changes to existing vehicles and armor to make it worthwhile.
If you were like me, you wondered why AA positions from the single player CoH never made it to the multiplayer side of battle. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts MP Beta must have heard my grumbles, because starting as the German Panzer Elite division gives you a pair of them to protect your HQ. Think of them as bunkers or machine gun emplacements; but these guys can move 360° and fire in any direction.
Final Thoughts: Opposing Fronts
The Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts MP Beta has been eagerly anticipated, especially from the many fans of the original Company of Heroes release. I was a HUGE fan of the original Company of Heroes RTS, and I am certain that CoH: Opposing Fronts will only add to the fun I had for nearly a year. While I cannot claim to have tested the MP Beta Preview to the extent I played the original CoH, I can certainly confess that the stability has improved; something that drove me away from the original. But connectivity has reared its ugly head once again in this public beta.
Plagued with a multitude of online play problems, THQ and Relic have promised to correct the online play in this supplemental version, but the experience thus far is to the contrary. On day two of the beta release it seemed that the infamous "Could not connect to all players in the game" message has made a return appearance for almost everyone online. But this is the beta release, and it may be frustrating to remove your router and connect directly through your cable/DSL modem, but for now that's the way it's going to be. Forwarding ports is futile, and even with a direct connection this beta is worse than CoH ever was. Lets hope the develops can make the necessary improvements before the November 2007 launch.
Some people will feel burnt that Relic never fixed the original CoH before moving on, especially since the major connection issues still exist. I personally feel that all of this is a real shame, considering that these problems were already the primary problem which ruined an otherwise perfect game in poorly executed mess. But this is still a beta release, after all, and it's unfair to pass final judgment this soon into development. Alternatively, most other bugs have been corrected (so far as I have tested), and the graphics appear vastly improved.
All in all, the new Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts MP Beta was exactly what I expected it to be. Well, almost everything. There are a few new directions to take your gameplay, which will help the replay value, but it's still CoH at the heart of things. I would have really appreciated the Skirmish mode to have been enabled in the beta; especially since it appears connection issues are still a major issue.
Presently the beta process is public, and THQ has not given a date for when it will end. Since the price is right (it's free), I highly suggest you set aside some time and download this 2.05GB preview from FilePlanet so you can help development and judge the game for yourself. For the time being, there is an ongoing discussion of the beta and its progress over at ForumPlanet. For now, the forum password is: cohof_beta1a.
Pros:
+ DirectX 10 Graphics
+ Two new armies
+ Two new command trees
+ New Armor and weapons
+ New environmental effects
+ New maps for each size
+ Familiar controls and commands
Cons:
- Supplemental, not a new game
- Limited long-term replay value
- Same 1v1 rank system
- Balancing is still immature
- Game connection issues still exist
- Music is "Band of Brothers" knock off
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