''Company of Heroes'' is a 2006
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in turn-based strategy (TBS) games, players take turns to p ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
developed by
Relic Entertainment
Relic Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as THQ Canada Inc.) is a Canadian video game developer based in Vancouver, founded in 1997. The studio specializes in real-time strategy games and is known for series such as ''Homeworld'', '' Warhammer 40 ...
and published by
THQ
THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initi ...
for the
Microsoft Windows and
OS X operating systems. It is the first installment of the ''
Company of Heroes
''Company of Heroes'' is a real-time strategy video game series developed by Relic Entertainment. The series is set during World War II.
Games
''Company of Heroes''
The first game in the series was released on September 12, 2006 in North ...
'' series, and was the first title to make use of the
Games for Windows
Games for Windows is a discontinued brand owned by Microsoft and introduced in 2006 to coincide with the release of the Windows Vista operating system. The brand itself represents a standardized technical certification program and online service ...
label.
''Company of Heroes'' is set during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
and contains two playable factions. Players aim to capture strategic resource sectors located around the map, which they use to build base structures, produce new units, and defeat their enemies. In the single-player campaign the player commands two U.S. military units during the Battle of Normandy (
Operation Overlord) and the liberation of France (
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the United States First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take adv ...
). Depending on the mission, the player controls either Able Company of the
29th Infantry Division's
116th Infantry, or Fox Company of the
101st Airborne Division's
506th PIR
The 506th Infantry Regiment, originally designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (506th PIR) during World War II, is an Airborne forces, airborne light infantry regiment of the United States Army. Currently a parent regiment under the U ...
.
''Company of Heroes'' received widespread acclaim, winning multiple awards for the best strategy game of the year, and being considered
one of the best video games ever made. Two expansions were released: ''
Opposing Fronts'' in 2007 and ''
Tales of Valor'' in 2009. A free-to-play massively multiplayer online version of the game, ''Company of Heroes Online'', was briefly released as open beta in South Korea in April 2010, before being cancelled in March 2011.
The success of the game led to a sequel, ''
Company of Heroes 2
''Company of Heroes 2'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sega for Windows, Linux, and OS X. It is the sequel to the 2006 game '' Company of Heroes''. As with the original ''Company of Heroes'', ...
'', which was released in 2013. , the ''Company of Heroes'' series has sold more than 4 million copies.
A film adaptation, also titled ''
Company of Heroes
''Company of Heroes'' is a real-time strategy video game series developed by Relic Entertainment. The series is set during World War II.
Games
''Company of Heroes''
The first game in the series was released on September 12, 2006 in North ...
'', was released in 2013.
An
iPad
The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating ...
version, developed and published by
Feral Interactive
Feral Interactive is a British video games developer and publisher for macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows platforms. It was founded in 1996 to bring games to Mac and specialises in porting games to different p ...
, was released in February 2020. A version for
Android and
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
mobile devices was released in September 2020.
The latest installment in the series,
Company of Heroes 3, released in February 2023.
Gameplay
Multiplayer
''Company of Heroes'' allows multiplayer matches of 1-8 players via
LAN or the Internet. ''Company of Heroes'' allows players to fight as both the Allied and Axis forces in multiplayer matches.
For ''Company of Heroes'', developer Relic Entertainment used a new online matchmaking system called
Relic Online
Relic Online was an online gaming system that Relic/ THQ uses for matchmaking in some Relic Entertainment games, replacing its previous use of GameSpy Arcade (''Dawn of War'') and WON (''Homeworld''). Relic Online was developed by Relic/THQ and ...
. Previous Relic games had used
GameSpy Arcade
GameSpy Arcade was a shareware multiplayer game server browsing utility. GameSpy Arcade allowed players to view and connect to available multiplayer games, and chat with other users of the service. It was initially released by GameSpy Industries, ...
or
World Opponent Network
World Opponent Network (WON) was an online gaming service created by Sierra Games as the Sierra Internet Gaming System (SIGS). WON was used by games such as ''Homeworld'', ''Half-Life'', '' Outpost 2'', '' Star Trek: Armada'', '' Soldier of Fortu ...
services. This system includes many features that the previous systems did not have, including a built in automatch and ranking system.
Relic Online matchmaking has been shut down. In order to play multiplayer users must transfer the game to Steam. The Steam version does not allow for LAN matches.
Game modes
Victory Point Control
These games focus on controlling several victory points around the middle of the map. These victory points can be captured similarly to strategic points. When one side has more victory points under their control than another, the other side's "points" start to decrease. When one side's counter runs out of points, they lose. Alternatively, the player can simply destroy all enemy structures to win the game. Before the start of the game, the host can choose between 250, 500, or 1000 points. The point function in ''Company of Heroes'' works much like the ticket feature in the
''Battlefield'' series.
Annihilation
Annihilation games lack the victory points of the VPC game mode. To win, the player needs to destroy all enemy buildings excluding observation posts on points.
Plot
On
June 6, 1944
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...
, the
US Army's Able Company, under the command of Captain MacKay and Sergeant Conti, storms Dog White sector on
Omaha Beach in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
. Preceding them is Fox Company, a
101st Airborne
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
unit that drops into
Vierville-sur-Mer
Vierville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Vierville on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. ...
, secures the roads to Omaha Beach and assaults
Carentan
Carentan () is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France, with a population of about 6,000. It is a former commune in the Manche department. On 1 January 2016, it was mer ...
. Able relieves Fox as they repel the German
counter-attack
A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...
on Carentan.
The US Army begins its push towards the port city of
Cherbourg. In
Montebourg, Able Company defends the
Red Ball Express
The Red Ball Express was a famed truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving quickly through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches in Normandy in 1944. To expedite cargo shipment to the front, trucks emblazoned with red ...
convoys from the elite
''Panzer Lehr'' Division commanded by
Tiger tank Tiger tank may refer to:
*Tiger I, or ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf. E'', a German heavy tank produced from 1942 to 1944
*Tiger II, or ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf. B'', a German heavy tank produced from 1943 to 1945, also known as ''Kön ...
ace ''Hauptmann'' Shultz. Supported by
USS ''Texas'' and other warships offshore, the company then takes the
main harbor of Cherbourg in
vicious street fighting. Afterwards, Able Company provides armored support to Fox Company as the paratroopers infiltrate and destroy the
V2 launch facility at
Sottevast
Sottevast () is a commune in Normandy in north-western France.
Sottevast in World War II
During World War II, there was a German storage and servicing bunker for V-weapons near Sottevast. The site was captured by the 504th Parachute Infantry R ...
.
The focus shifts towards
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the United States First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take adv ...
and the breakout to
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô (, ; br, Sant Lo) is a commune in northwest France, the capital of the Manche department in the region of Normandy. . Able Company captures a bridgehead across the river
Vire
Vire () is a town and a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Vire Normandie.
Geography
The town is located on the river Vire. Much of i ...
at
Saint-Fromond before fighting through the
bocage
Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use.
''Bocage'' may als ...
to take Hill 192 outside Saint-Lô. The German garrison in Saint-Lô is
encircled and defeated, but the ''Panzer Lehr'' escapes. While the
US Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
carpet bomb much of the ''Panzer Lehr'', Able Company's
M10 tank destroyer
The M10 tank destroyer was an American tank destroyer of World War II. After US entry into World War II and the formation of the Tank Destroyer Force, a suitable vehicle was needed to equip the new battalions. By November 1941, the Army requeste ...
s mop up its remaining
Panther tank
The Panther tank, officially ''Panzerkampfwagen V Panther'' (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation: ''Sd.Kfz.'' 171, is a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to ...
s at
Hébécrevon
Hébécrevon () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Thèreval.Mortain
Mortain () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Mortain-Bocage.
Geography
Mortain is situated on a rocky hill rising above the gorge of the ...
, with Conti given command and a field promotion to lieutenant. However, a
German armored counter-attack strikes at Mortain; Able defends the hill until relieved and retakes Mortain. The Germans begin to withdraw from Normandy, and Able attacks one escape route at Autry, destroying Shultz and his remaining Tiger tanks with a
Pershing tank
The M26 Pershing was a heavy tank/ medium tank of the United States Army. It was used in the last months of World War II during the Invasion of Germany and extensively during the Korean War. The tank was named after General of the Armies John ...
. By August 19, the German
7th Army is almost encircled in the
Falaise pocket. With support from the Air Force, Able Company links with
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
and
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
forces at
Chambois and
crushes the German escape, ending the Normandy campaign. A postscript notes that Able Company sustained an 80 percent casualty rate by the end of the war, although Conti survived.
Development
''Company of Heroes'' is Relic's first title to use its
Essence Engine, which allows various graphical effects, including
high dynamic range
High dynamic range (HDR) is a dynamic range higher than usual, synonyms are wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, expanded dynamic range.
The term is often used in discussing the dynamic range of various signals such as images, videos, au ...
lighting, dynamic lighting and shadows, advanced
shader
In computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that calculates the appropriate levels of light, darkness, and color during the rendering of a 3D scene - a process known as ''shading''. Shaders have evolved to perform a variety of speci ...
effects, and
normal mapping
In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or Dot3 bump mapping, is a texture mapping technique used for faking the lighting of bumps and dents – an implementation of bump mapping. It is used to add details without using more polygons. A common ...
. The game was in development for more than 3 years.
At its peak, more than 100 people worked on the game.
''Company of Heroes'' also uses the
Havok physics engine
A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics (including collision detection), soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer gr ...
, giving it a more realistic physics system than previous RTS games. Parts of buildings can be destroyed by
grenades
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade gene ...
,
satchels, or
mortars
Mortar may refer to:
* Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon
* Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together
* Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind
* Mortar, Bihar, a villag ...
, and
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
s can drive through sections of walls or other barriers. Smoke created from explosions behaves realistically as possible, including its behavior in wind. Debris is also influenced by explosions; a blast can send barrels flying and shower troops in dirt, while leaving behind a large crater. When infantry are bombarded by
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
, body parts sometimes detach and are dispersed over, and some units are thrown about in the immediate area. Bridges and buildings can be destroyed by engineers using
demolitions
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking ...
.
Relic released the ''Company of Heroes'' patch v1.70 in May 2007, which included a new
DirectX 10
Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with "Direct" ...
rendering mode with better terrain, more world objects, and improved shadows and lighting. This patch made ''Company of Heroes'' the first commercial video game to support
Direct3D 10.
Expansions
''Opposing Fronts''
''Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts'' is a standalone expansion pack. It contains two factions; the
British Second Army
The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...
and the
Panzer Lehr Division
The Panzer-Lehr-Division (in the meaning of: Armoured training division) was an elite German armoured division during World War II. It was formed in 1943 onwards from training and demonstration troops (''Lehr'' = "teach") stationed in Germany, ...
(German Panzer Elite). Owners of ''Opposing Fronts'' are able to play against owners of ''Company of Heroes'' and vice versa, although only using the armies from the game they own. Owners of both games are able to play all four armies in multiplayer. ''Opposing Fronts''
was released on September 24, 2007. It was later re-released along with ''Company of Heroes'' as ''Company of Heroes Gold'' and later as part of the ''Company of Heroes Anthology'' (together with ''Tales of Valor'').
''Tales of Valor''
''Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor'' is a standalone expansion pack. It was released on April 8, 2009.
Reception
''Company of Heroes'' received a "Silver" sales award from the
Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association
The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) is a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the United Kingdom (UK). Ukie was originally founded as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the ...
(ELSPA),
indicating sales of at least 100,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
Reviews
Upon its release the game received wide critical acclaim. On the review aggregator
GameRankings, the game had an average score of 94% based on 57 reviewsmaking it the fourteenth highest rated PC game of 2006.
On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the game had an average score of 93 out of 100 based on 55 critic reviewsconsidered "universal acclaim" by the site.
In June 2011 the game was ranked #51 on IGNs Top 100 Modern Games. ''
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
'' ranked the game #30 on its list of "The 100 Best Games To Play Today", stating: "From its lofty perch above an RTS battlefield, Relic gets to the heart of WWII, turning the genre's plusses and minuses into salvation and sacrifice. If only the same could be said of countless first person shooters".
Awards
*
PC Gamer
''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
: Game of the Year 2006
*
GameSpy: PC Game of 2006, Best Sound, Best PC Strategy Game, Best PC Multiplayer
*
Satellite Awards: Outstanding Puzzle/Strategy Game
*
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
: Best PC Game 2006, Best Strategy Game
*
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
: PC Game of 2006, Best PC Strategy Game, Best Use of Sound on PC, Best Online PC game
*
Game Critics Awards
The Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards are given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category.
Format
The nominees and winners of the awards a ...
: Best Strategy Game
*
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
: 2005 Best PC Game of Show; Best Strategy Game of Show; Best Overall Game of Show
*
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
: Runner-up, Best
Strategy Game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game (e.g. a board game) in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous, decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome. Almost all strategy games require internal decisi ...
(
PC), Runner-up, Technological Excellence (
PC)
*
GameSpy: Best of
E3
*
Interactive Achievement Awards: Strategy Game of the Year
*
Mod DB Hall of Fame: Two modifications, ''Europe in Ruins'' (2007) and ''Company of Heroes: Eastern Front'' (2010), have each earned a spot in the Mod DB Hall of Fame.
The editors of ''
Computer Games Magazine'' named ''Company of Heroes'' the overall best computer game of 2006, and presented it with their special awards for "Best Strategy Game", "Best Sound Effects", "Best Multiplayer" and "Best Voice Acting". They summarized it as "an ideal real-time strategy game", and as "a perfect storm of visuals, sound, and gameplay".
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Company Of Heroes
2006 video games
Aspyr games
Company of Heroes
Fiction about the United States Army
Games for Windows certified games
Lua (programming language)-scripted video games
MacOS games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Real-time strategy video games
Relic Entertainment games
THQ games
Video games developed in Canada
Video games scored by Jeremy Soule
Video games set in France
Video games set in 1944
Video games using Havok
Video games with expansion packs
Windows games
World War II video games
Works about the British Armed Forces
D.I.C.E. Award for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year winners
Feral Interactive games