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Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts

Company of Heroes was one of 2006's smash hits for the PC. Gameplay innovations like intelligent squad-based control over infantry units, great physics effects and destructible environments made the WWII RTS really stand out. An expansion or a sequel was only a matter of time, and here it is with Opposing Fronts. Company of Heroes has aged remarkably well, and graphically it is still at or near the top of the RTS food chain. With a minor graphics facelift, it's now a much vaunted marquee title for DirectX 10 as well.

Fight for the King, fight for the Vaterland

Opposing Fronts breaks new ground, as the first of its new campaigns lets the player command the German Panzer Elite, a euphemism for the 2nd SS Panzer Corps. Single player games from the Nazi German perspective are exceedingly rare, and Relic made some concessions for the sake of political correctness: there isn't a Swastika or SS symbol in sight, nor are there any other direct visual references to Nazism. The story revolves around two brothers and German officers who try to fight back the Allied assault during Operation Market Garden, and survive while the Third Reich is crumbling.

Opposing Fronts borrows visual cues from any number or WWII movies

Cutscenes before missions use lighting and exposition to set the tone nicely

Opposing the Panzer Elite is the British 2nd Army with their airborne infantry, heavy tanks and engineering corps. The setting for the British campaign is based on the historical Operation Charnwood to take the city of Caen, after the Allied landing in Normandy. British and Canadian forces fight bitterly to advance against entrenched German troops, and face ambushes, booby traps and the Germans' superior armor. Real events like the heavy Allied bombardment of the French city are featured in the campaign missions, and the cutscenes convey a very effective war movie pathos.

Page 1: IntroductionPage 2: Single-player CampaignsPage 3: MultiplayerPage 4: Graphics and Tech analysisPage 5: Final scores and Conclusion

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