was blown away by the original...this has brought it all back!
what can i say, ompany of heroes always has and always will be an impressive series, and as long as they keep bringing out more games, im going to keep buying them on release, and this ws no exception.
in terms of game modes etc, very little has changed, in fact, nothing has changed, annihilate and VP mode are still tge only modes there, its the new armies and their campaigns which make this game as great as the original.
both armies are incredibly unique in a number of ways. the british forces are all about making field bases, and defenses, then slowly pushing up and holding the map, creating pockets of defensive lines to hold the enemy at bay, their tanks are generally weak, however the sherman firelfly is growing on me and with the camo paint jobs i really love the look of them too. the brits have a bvery unique way of building bases, for a start, both their HQ and base buildings can pack up and become mobile, allowing you to have your base dotted all over the map. this means you can requisition reinforcements closer to the front lines if you put your tank building up the front, howecver this obviousely accompanies some risks, such as the enemy destryiong it.
panzer elite on the other hand are all about small, skilled squads of infantry and vehicles. like the first teams, they have to build back in their base, and arent able to make field HQ's of any sort however they cn garrison a building and make it into an aid station providing its in tyour territory, that way you can have it as a safe haven for any infantry you have wandering about as you can reinforce squads there too. most of their infantry squads can be upgraded with n array of weapons, and you can also make many light vehicles and armoured cars which are effective agfainst infantry, and can also capture points, meaning the panzer elite are all about pushing forward fast and using their supreme training to defeat the enemy, as well as their speed. however, being like this means they leave their backsides unguarded and can easily be flanked unless you have a good teammate to back you up.
the commander tress are also quite different from the previous game. the brits have a choice of the engineers corps, which specialises in calling in churchil tanks, and also making their tanks stronger against attacks. then there is the commando corps (my favourite) which specialises in dropping dudes into the field through gliders. the catch is, when you drop guys, or tanks in from a glider, you can then use that glider to make more troops, kind of like a field barracks, you can also use them to make more tanks, making them very useful in conducting raids behind enemy lines. finally there is the artillery tree, which specialises in all kinds of bonuses for artillery units, and gives you mobile artillery.
the germans have a choice of the tank destroyer tree, which is kind of self explanatory giving you abilities such as mines etc, ending up at the fearsome jagdpanther tank. then there is scorched earth, possibly the collest in the game as you can booby trap building, command points and you can also "scorch" the command points making them useless to either teams. there is also another but i cant remember it right now!
overall this game is definately worth buying for any rts fan, the graphics are still stunning and with the new weather effects it all looks even cooler. in order to get the full experience tyhough, i would highly recommend getting the original, as at the moment i think the first too armies are generally better balanced, not to mention easier to play than the brits and panzer elite, but this game still rocks!