Company of Heroes 2

 PC
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Jun 25, 2013
User Score
2.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5850 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,079 out of 5850
  2. Mixed: 273 out of 5850
  3. Negative: 4,498 out of 5850
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. kersal
    Sep 13, 2013
    9
    CoH 2 is a very difficult strategy game, that require skill to be played. But is a high level strategy game, very well balanced and rich of content. If you like RTS with hi level of challenge CoH2 is the best! [i'm talking about multiplayer, because I play only MP]
  2. JohnDeer
    Sep 7, 2013
    9
    Well, this game is not perfect, but I played it for 3 months or so and still like it. I am talking about MP. The single player campaign is so-so, and not historically true, but this is not a historical manuscript, this is just game.
  3. Mirek
    May 28, 2014
    9
    Game is very similar to the Company of Heroes 1. If you are searching something completely innovative you won't find it. But if you want play in old good CoH you will have a lot of fun. At least I have :). Anyway you have GREAT balls to handle history topic in II WW. All of those who says "it's historical plot fake" please read books and check the truth. Specially stories about SeptemberGame is very similar to the Company of Heroes 1. If you are searching something completely innovative you won't find it. But if you want play in old good CoH you will have a lot of fun. At least I have :). Anyway you have GREAT balls to handle history topic in II WW. All of those who says "it's historical plot fake" please read books and check the truth. Specially stories about September '39 or Katyn massacre '40 or Soviet salvation at 44-45 (Warsaw uprising is also authentic story).… Expand
  4. realworld123
    Oct 31, 2013
    9
    Great sequel for Company of Heroes sieres. Good graphic and AI, singelplayer and multiplayer works. Great levels just need a german campaign. Great work Sega
  5. Germanic
    Mar 28, 2015
    9
    Love this game! I give it only 9 because it didn`t allow me to kick ruski ass in the campaign but atleast in the Theater of war and in the multiplayer. Finally someone has the guts to tell what the rest of the world thinks about Russia.
  6. ConorHat
    May 7, 2014
    9
    This is one of the best games I've played. The battles are epic, I play online all the time. I've never played the campaign yet, but I've put almost 300 hours into online and it's so amazing! The only game I play as much as this is Dota, Civilization V, and StarCraft II.
  7. konigstiger79
    Dec 27, 2013
    9
    First off, I LOVE this game. The historical accuracy is spot-on and I applaud Relic for bringing some lesser-known tactics that were actually employed during WW2.

    It's obvious some mad Russians created fake accounts to skew the user score average with hundreds of fake reviews (and I bought this game mainly to support the truth, not some crazy nationalist Russian's who want to re-write    First off, I LOVE this game. The historical accuracy is spot-on and I applaud Relic for bringing some lesser-known tactics that were actually employed during WW2.

    It's obvious some mad Russians created fake accounts to skew the user score average with hundreds of fake reviews (and I bought this game mainly to support the truth, not some crazy nationalist Russian's who want to re-write things). It's been well documented in German historical accounts that the Russians used some pretty barbaric tactics to fight the Germans how else could they fight a superior opponent? Germans killed Russians 10-1 and ran out of bullets on a number of occasions.... The Chinese used the same tactic in Korea, too; send people out to their deaths and run the enemy out of bulets!

    There's a growing backlash against Russian devs such as Gaijin and Wargaming.net; they skew history to favor Russian planes and tanks and don't take in to account the real-world advantages. You can't rewrite history that's already been written....    … Expand
  8. everhate
    Jan 5, 2014
    9
    i loved the first one, and i also love this one. Its different, i think it lost some of its pacing etc. but its still so much fun to play :)

    espacially in Multiplayer its total awesome... the campaing, thats a different story
  9. TAT0_90
    Jan 14, 2014
    9
    I really enjoyed the game in spite of the initial beta that was too different from his predecessor. The campaign could last a little 'more, even if the "theater of war" increases the total hours of play and really get many achievements. I do not agree with those who say that the story is bogus and should be censored, I think that a war is never good and right and history has shown someI really enjoyed the game in spite of the initial beta that was too different from his predecessor. The campaign could last a little 'more, even if the "theater of war" increases the total hours of play and really get many achievements. I do not agree with those who say that the story is bogus and should be censored, I think that a war is never good and right and history has shown some respects occurred. The protagonist and the Colonel are always Russian! Game mechanics improved over the first. Impeccable graphics and soundtracks, videos could be made better. I am very pleased for the game, shame about the many DLC for a fee.… Expand
  10. Tinu-s
    Jan 16, 2014
    9
    This is despite what a lot of people say a very good game.
    Yes it is a little different from the first one, which was good but not complete tough.
    But with the addition of true sight, weather and some more stuff i really think besides the setting that this is an improvement to the first game. The multiplayer part doesn't always work the way it should but its good enough for a lot of    This is despite what a lot of people say a very good game.
    Yes it is a little different from the first one, which was good but not complete tough.
    But with the addition of true sight, weather and some more stuff i really think besides the setting that this is an improvement to the first game.
    The multiplayer part doesn't always work the way it should but its good enough for a lot of fun!
    This toghether with the high demands for your computer and the pre-release DLC is the only bad part of
    the game.
    And it's a game so stop whining about russian discrimination!
    I could easily play this game for another 7 years if there are enough opponents online.
    Buy it when u enjoy a good strategy game!    … Expand
  11. anggadaz
    Aug 8, 2014
    9
    company of heroes 2 is worse than company of heroes 1, but i think the game is not very bad. I give nine score cz many user give 0, the game should not have so many 0.
  12. KenanDemirel
    Feb 28, 2014
    9
    Clearly the best example of RTS for all time. It is considerably exciting in terms of reality, sound effects and playability. However, the sense of willing to earn money from doctrines, skins and campaigns still remain controversial.
  13. Bl3ssthefall
    May 14, 2014
    9
    This game is easily the best WWII / RTS out there. I have played more than 100 hours online and still I'm not bored at all. The graphics, the online gameplay, unit movement, skills, gameplay variety, different commanders, ...

    However I think how they made eastern European look in the campaign (and even unit descriptions) was a very bad marketing move, thus I think the reactons of these    This game is easily the best WWII / RTS out there. I have played more than 100 hours online and still I'm not bored at all. The graphics, the online gameplay, unit movement, skills, gameplay variety, different commanders, ...

    However I think how they made eastern European look in the campaign (and even unit descriptions) was a very bad marketing move, thus I think the reactons of these people is absolutely justified.

    Game: 9/10
    Marketing: 0/10    … Expand
  14. pajomife
    May 20, 2014
    9
    This game isn't Nazi or west propaganda,is to be played on line,both factions are balanced,right now im enjoying play with Russians,is my everyday game,I must play at least one battle a day,Its the most addictive game in the market.
  15. Karlyto
    Aug 21, 2014
    9
    This game is very good its campaign is not as good as coh 1 but its still good and multiplayer is fantastic,it involves many stratagy and tactics into the game,you need to think about your every move to win against another player.AI isnt great but its much batter then it was in coh 1 and if you set AI on very hight difficulty it would be a challenge to win,but its biggest problem to me isThis game is very good its campaign is not as good as coh 1 but its still good and multiplayer is fantastic,it involves many stratagy and tactics into the game,you need to think about your every move to win against another player.AI isnt great but its much batter then it was in coh 1 and if you set AI on very hight difficulty it would be a challenge to win,but its biggest problem to me is fps,because you need a good computer to run it,but with low graphics you can play it without any lag,I think everyone who is coh 1 fan should buy this even on full price because it gives you many,many hours of fun!!!… Expand
  16. Memhorder
    Dec 3, 2014
    9
    I don't know why people gave this game such a bad review. I almost didn't buy the game because of the low scores but now that I've got it and played for hours on end non stop, I'm not gonna listen to user complaining anymore. I think I'm gonna go for the expansions now as well.
    I gave this game a 9 because the cut scenes are a tad cheezy. Game play however is engrossing and addictive.    I don't know why people gave this game such a bad review. I almost didn't buy the game because of the low scores but now that I've got it and played for hours on end non stop, I'm not gonna listen to user complaining anymore. I think I'm gonna go for the expansions now as well.
    I gave this game a 9 because the cut scenes are a tad cheezy. Game play however is engrossing and addictive. Love the sound effects and graphics are not bad. I think I got my moneys worth for the hours of future game play.
    As far as history is concerned? Yes the Soviet Red Army was strict and disciplined. Over 1000 have been shot for being cowards. Even the British court martial ed and executed deserters so people need to brush up on their history.
    I just had to create a Metacritic account just to give this game some props .    … Expand
  17. micheljq
    Apr 29, 2015
    9
    This is the best RTS on the market. I am fan since Company of Heroes 1. Note, i do not play the campaigns so i cannot tell about the so called fact that it shows the red army in a negative role.

    My CoH interest is for the multiplayer games, campaign mode is boring to me, do i do not care really much about the campaign. Basics are relatively simple, but mastering the game requires    This is the best RTS on the market. I am fan since Company of Heroes 1. Note, i do not play the campaigns so i cannot tell about the so called fact that it shows the red army in a negative role.

    My CoH interest is for the multiplayer games, campaign mode is boring to me, do i do not care really much about the campaign.

    Basics are relatively simple, but mastering the game requires months and lots of gaming.

    I have some frustration with some armored units which some i feel overpowered, some underpowered, like the IS2 and ISU152, which i find underpowered. That is why i give 9.

    Those who have frustration against the editor of the game should send their complaints to the editor and stop spamming Metracritics with zero results and their frustration. Please grow up.    … Expand
  18. raulmagana
    Mar 26, 2015
    9
    I've read the other user reviews, and I honestly think that their disproportionately from stubborn, and arrogant, COH1 players. I am a COH2 fan, so I think the overall game is amazing; however, their are some negative aspects about the game that I would like to point out to curious gamers that are on the fence about buying this game. First of all the campaigns are ok. It might be fun toI've read the other user reviews, and I honestly think that their disproportionately from stubborn, and arrogant, COH1 players. I am a COH2 fan, so I think the overall game is amazing; however, their are some negative aspects about the game that I would like to point out to curious gamers that are on the fence about buying this game. First of all the campaigns are ok. It might be fun to beat it on general difficulty, but after that it looses a lot of replay ability, but believe me, no one buys COH2 just for the campaign because the online multiplayer is what keeps the game fun, fresh, and challenging.

    The graphics can be enjoyable, but you need a high end gaming computer. I recommend asus over alien ware because it tends to be cheaper, yet still deliver top tier quality.

    This game is tough on newbies. If your new maker sure to play 4vs 4 matches because you have more teamates to help you. Also, their are some pretty good strategy guides to get you started. Remember to do your homework if you want to start winning games. Their is a lot of cyber bulling as well. I think its pretty pathetic, and I always check any of my teammates if I see them doing it.

    Probably the biggest flaw is how the game is very buggy. Crashes happen often depending on how good your computer is, even on my new, high-end, asus rog g series laptop i still experience crashes occasionally, and the in game bugs seem unavoidable. If it wasn't for this major flaw I would definitely give coh2 a 10 out of 10. I feel a 9 out of 10 is appropriate because although the game has its downside, COH2 gives you a complete unique, fun, addictive high that I am convinced no other RTS game can offer.    … Expand
  19. Scipion
    Apr 14, 2015
    9
    Very very good game. I have play a lot of COH and im very please with this new version. Forget all the controversy about historical and stuff.

    This game is mass target as a negative game cauz couple of political points russian gov didin't like about the russian army attitude in those great war time. Russian deny those points since they end of WW2 and the rest of the world sat they have.    Very very good game. I have play a lot of COH and im very please with this new version. Forget all the controversy about historical and stuff.

    This game is mass target as a negative game cauz couple of political points russian gov didin't like about the russian army attitude in those great war time. Russian deny those points since they end of WW2 and the rest of the world sat they have. This is not COH2 who have bring these controversy, nothing to do with the game. This debate rage since 1945 but Russian since 2004 are determine to prove this is not the way its happened. Im totaly for this but right now, this is not the information the rest of the world are. People are not stupid i did have a smile to when i saw the story line about this poor russian commender who think russian are barbarian. Come on ;-)

    It's good old COH boost at maximum. A lot of commander features lots of stuff to do lots of action DLC everything is nice.    … Expand
  20. Veebora
    May 23, 2015
    9
    A great game, the low score is because a lot of over proud Russians got butt hurt because their County does not appears as a Saint Nation, just a communist nation in war leaded by a crazy dictator!

    Nothing new as it has been showed many times in movies too!
  21. chookshagger
    Feb 3, 2016
    9
    Its a pity that all the crap from the east have defiled this impressive effort. I have done the campaign a few online games i have found it a remarkable game - you can tell a lot of effort t has gone into this. The campaign for CCCp was rich and varied, contained humor and a few challenges, I have played for about 25 years and this was almost on a par with original COH. Having said that iIts a pity that all the crap from the east have defiled this impressive effort. I have done the campaign a few online games i have found it a remarkable game - you can tell a lot of effort t has gone into this. The campaign for CCCp was rich and varied, contained humor and a few challenges, I have played for about 25 years and this was almost on a par with original COH. Having said that i did have to delete "appcache " a few times and exempt it from defender etc to get it to work properly.… Expand
  22. Ataman
    Dec 7, 2015
    9
    haha, russian butthurt is beautifull here. Someone showed red army in real light and they are going crazy :D
    I live in Poland, people here still remember the savagery and barbarism of red army. Every girl above age 10 and woman under age 80 had to hide in a cellar whenever these "heroes" were around. bunch of savage brutes taken from siberias planes with a rifle. They are right about one    haha, russian butthurt is beautifull here. Someone showed red army in real light and they are going crazy :D
    I live in Poland, people here still remember the savagery and barbarism of red army. Every girl above age 10 and woman under age 80 had to hide in a cellar whenever these "heroes" were around. bunch of savage brutes taken from siberias planes with a rifle. They are right about one thing. This game doesnt show the truth. Truth was much, much worse.
    They had some cool tanks and planes tho, good material for a game ;)    … Expand
  23. RavenoiPL
    Nov 26, 2017
    9
    First CoH got me for hours. It was excellent. But can CoH 2 be better? Yes. And not. It is much better with graphics, physics and gameplay. It also lets us use Steam Workshop, so modding included. Multiplayer is awesome, I personally prefer coop. Together killing some Nazis (or Commies, as you wish) gives smile on my face. There is nothing better than building 10 pieces of artillery andFirst CoH got me for hours. It was excellent. But can CoH 2 be better? Yes. And not. It is much better with graphics, physics and gameplay. It also lets us use Steam Workshop, so modding included. Multiplayer is awesome, I personally prefer coop. Together killing some Nazis (or Commies, as you wish) gives smile on my face. There is nothing better than building 10 pieces of artillery and killin'em all. You like micro-transactions? You'll be fine then. It isn't very disturbing, though. You can farm XP and get free points or buy them. Game highly, highly recommended.… Expand
  24. Ukrainianguy
    Apr 4, 2016
    9
    Game is pretty well. I`m as Ukrainian support the devs because lots of people who gave such a bad score are just stupid Russian zombies. My grandpa was a WWII veteran and he told me a lot about it. And what i can say, that most of game plot is true! And many od communist scums are trying to hide those facts about "Great Union". It was really a "Jail for Nations"...

    And about game: it`s    Game is pretty well. I`m as Ukrainian support the devs because lots of people who gave such a bad score are just stupid Russian zombies. My grandpa was a WWII veteran and he told me a lot about it. And what i can say, that most of game plot is true! And many od communist scums are trying to hide those facts about "Great Union". It was really a "Jail for Nations"...

    And about game: it`s qute good, but i haven`t felt the all of game because of dull doctrines.
    I`ve played about 200 h. and still haven`t played on Tiger! Just because i haven`t doctrine with it.
    Also there a LOT of problems with balance. Such as 1-Rank players VS 100-Rank one.
    Or incomprehensible (for me) resource system. I have captured about 65% of battlefield and only can make one poor T-34 while almost dead Nazis SUDDENLY spam me with Panthers and Tigers (and vice-versa with Soviet IS-2, T-34 spam)

    It has a lot of abilities for units but unfortunately you can`t use them all. I think it`s a HUGE disadvantage!
    And stupid mods downloading without my consent.

    But anyway, i hope relics will make next game better.

    Gameplay is good and graphics too
    And it created a lot of butthurt by Communist fools!))
    9/10    … Expand
  25. Gregnator
    Dec 31, 2021
    9
    Company of Heroes 2 is a great follow-up to the original game, the microtransactions and the factions DLC is off-putting, but where this game shines for me the most is the story.

    This game shows the true story of how evil the Germans and Soviets were. Finally, a game that also showcases the true sickening horrors and crimes against humanity done by the communists. This game shows    Company of Heroes 2 is a great follow-up to the original game, the microtransactions and the factions DLC is off-putting, but where this game shines for me the most is the story.

    This game shows the true story of how evil the Germans and Soviets were.
    Finally, a game that also showcases the true sickening horrors and crimes against humanity done by the communists.

    This game shows that during a war, no side has clean hands, but the Germans and Soviets absolutely had the dirtiest hands in all of human history.
    This game doesn't pretend the Soviets were a "noble" force of good, it shows that the sick communists were the "better" evil at the time, and to destroy evil sometimes an unholy alliance is needed.

    Great game, gritty truthful story, online play is a bit meh, Steam workshop is a savior.    … Expand
  26. rattonzznnn
    Jan 30, 2020
    9
    Hilarious to read all the Russians complain about this game. They still think Stalin was some kind a great compassionate leader. I guess in Russia propaganda is still at a level Hitler could only dream of.

    Don't mind the crying Russians giving negative reviews here. The game is actually great. It had a difficult start, especially since COH 1 was great, and a lot of people started    Hilarious to read all the Russians complain about this game. They still think Stalin was some kind a great compassionate leader. I guess in Russia propaganda is still at a level Hitler could only dream of.

    Don't mind the crying Russians giving negative reviews here. The game is actually great. It had a difficult start, especially since COH 1 was great, and a lot of people started comparing. But this game changed over time, and improved where needed. It's actually one of the best RTS games ever made at this moment. You should definitely should give it a try. Game looks great and has great mechanics. I believe it's even free to play these days. But I happily have paid 40 Euros for it. The fact that this game is still very popular, proves that it's a great game. I am really hoping the will continue this series, because it's game-play is unique and well thought out.    … Expand
  27. apokalipto
    Aug 19, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  28. 444444444456778
    Feb 10, 2021
    9
    Это пример как стада баранов,п одного дебила .Не поигравшей в игру пошли ставить низкие оценки.Видно,что создатели старались и уважаёт наш народ.Есть конечно дурацсккие моменты , ,но мало.
  29. socokid
    Jan 27, 2015
    8
    These reviews are hilarious. There are very clearly a band of Russian's posting because they do not like the plot of the game where they are posted as the bogeyman... forgetting that this is a freaking game.... comment on the game, not your political bend to quell free speech.

    The actual gameplay, of the game for which this thread is meant, is actually pretty fun no matter what nation    These reviews are hilarious. There are very clearly a band of Russian's posting because they do not like the plot of the game where they are posted as the bogeyman... forgetting that this is a freaking game.... comment on the game, not your political bend to quell free speech.

    The actual gameplay, of the game for which this thread is meant, is actually pretty fun no matter what nation you come from.

    *sigh* What loons.... Go back to drinking vodka and invading other nations? Whatever...    … Expand
  30. DeeFar
    Jul 5, 2014
    8
    9 for multi-player. 5 for single-player campaign. Less cut-scene and special script than COH1, I think developer have turn their focus to multi-player, just like what BF have did.
  31. Rocket
    Jul 14, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a good game but Need more map ,But can you doo bigger map !!!!Please !!!so little map Ai (cpu) ave 5 min to kick your ass ,,good graffic but lagging little Need too be optimise ,,!!!
    By the way i buy the DLC so pay 99$ too promote Relic ,,So doo map !!!

    More map PLZ     … Expand
  32. Porkenstein
    Jun 26, 2013
    8
    GOOD: The game is very fun, dynamic, and challenging. The single player missions are incredibly challenging and varied, while the multiplayer is just as chaotically fun as it was in Company of Heroes 2. The gameplay changes made, I feel, are also an improvement (cover is no longer invincibility and point capturing and defending are much easier. If find the weather very challenging andGOOD: The game is very fun, dynamic, and challenging. The single player missions are incredibly challenging and varied, while the multiplayer is just as chaotically fun as it was in Company of Heroes 2. The gameplay changes made, I feel, are also an improvement (cover is no longer invincibility and point capturing and defending are much easier. If find the weather very challenging and strategically stimulating) The maps available are very well-designed and fun to war around in.

    BAD: The game lacks content badly, and the new commanders are fairly boring and homogeneous compared to the ones from Company of Heroes 1. Additionally, the use of the same old engine with slightly beefed up graphics has caused a performance dive.

    Wait to buy it if you don't have a high-end PC. If you do have one and are hungry for a new RTS to play, it's worth the purchase.    … Expand
  33. Auctane
    Feb 24, 2014
    8
    Not as well balanced as the original with less interesting units, abilities and combos. As of me writing this, Relic is finally getting around to updating the matchmaking system (about 9 years late), so hopefully the changes are improvements.

    Russia seems to have brought hell down on Relic. One point that I can sympathize over; its company of HEROES, where in the single player campaign    Not as well balanced as the original with less interesting units, abilities and combos. As of me writing this, Relic is finally getting around to updating the matchmaking system (about 9 years late), so hopefully the changes are improvements.

    Russia seems to have brought hell down on Relic. One point that I can sympathize over; its company of HEROES, where in the single player campaign you follow a traitor and cry baby Russian who was anything but a hero.

    In multiplayer they have greatly reduced the importance of countering units with other units. It has been dulled down by simply bringing numbers and using range attacks. Hopefully this gets fixed in later patches and this game lives up to what we would expect as a continuation of Company of Heroes.    … Expand
  34. KlausKinski
    Jun 12, 2015
    8
    very solid strategy game indeed, it delivers good the atmosphere of WW2, i dont really care if some of things you do in the game never happened and i could care less for the many many people that scream Russia has not done this... how often they showed normal German soldiers as very evil and ruthless in many other games? yeah almost always but if it happens a bit to the Russian everybodyvery solid strategy game indeed, it delivers good the atmosphere of WW2, i dont really care if some of things you do in the game never happened and i could care less for the many many people that scream Russia has not done this... how often they showed normal German soldiers as very evil and ruthless in many other games? yeah almost always but if it happens a bit to the Russian everybody goes crazy, also i cant really rate it higher because of the greedy commanders prices other that that the game is well worth for any WW2 fan..… Expand
  35. ChoicestGames
    Sep 24, 2017
    8
    If you're in the market for a decent WWII RTS that's not more than a decade old, then Company of Heroes 2 is probably the best choice there is: it has authentic units and locations, fun gameplay, solid multiplayer and riveting music, all the necessary ingredients for an RTS worthy of your time. The game does have a controversial single-player campaign though which is likely to anger anyIf you're in the market for a decent WWII RTS that's not more than a decade old, then Company of Heroes 2 is probably the best choice there is: it has authentic units and locations, fun gameplay, solid multiplayer and riveting music, all the necessary ingredients for an RTS worthy of your time. The game does have a controversial single-player campaign though which is likely to anger any patriotic Russians out there and there's heaps of DLC to purchase if you want to get the complete experience but these are really the only two things I could fault with the game and they didn't diminish from my personal experience.… Expand
  36. TomPD
    Jun 27, 2013
    8
    I do not rate games based on their launch, the beauty of PC is the healing virtues of time (think Total War). You must compare this game with COH 1 to understand it the best. I have over 1200 hours logged on the first COH, and as I sit here to write there are so many things that COH 2 does better.

    First, it doesn't matter what people say, the graphics are better, with more dynamic    I do not rate games based on their launch, the beauty of PC is the healing virtues of time (think Total War). You must compare this game with COH 1 to understand it the best. I have over 1200 hours logged on the first COH, and as I sit here to write there are so many things that COH 2 does better.

    First, it doesn't matter what people say, the graphics are better, with more dynamic physics, albeit on the more arcade style which looks cooler. The HUD is so much more useful allowing much greater control over units and keeping on top of game events macro is easier.

    Thank the Lord there are no more micro exploits that ruined the old game (or just made skill gaps crazy). 7 years of the old game got a lot of these vets use to crap like blocking bridges with tank traps and kt carcasses, so yeah that is definitely better. No more cloaked snipers and vehicles spying on your army from behind hedgerows or sneaking in the middle of your troops. If you love cramped and funneled fighting I am sure there will be maps made to bring back the INfamous Hochwald Gap and the Schledt, two of the most unbalanced maps people are hopelessly addicted two from the old game.

    The true sight is brilliant and allows for much more creative defensive styles. Also, weather is a nice twist with a dash of realism to spice the game up over the last one.

    I mostly hear about how Germans are OP, but I play as the Russians 90% of the time, and I have won over 80% of my matches, so it goes both ways based in skill and luck.

    Let us not forget that the original CoH was just the Americans and Wehrmacht, so I expect to see expansion packs in the future.

    This game loses score because they have gone absolutely overboard with skins and commander trees to nickel and dime all their customers. Plus the multiplayer has gone the COD route and levels no longer equal skill. The way the lobby operates, you will never know if you are about to get a beat down from a practiced team of friends with mics or face up against noobs. Plus, there is too much dropping and lag issues right now.

    Thus I give this game an 8 out of 10, but in two years I expect to give it a 10 out of 10.    … Expand
  37. SilentHightimes
    Oct 3, 2014
    8
    It seems all the negative reviews are personal opinions and other thoughts still a epic game.

    Company of Heroes 2 is a incredible addition and better than its predecessor. Tho i wish they had the america's and brits added into the game they don't, it feels like a step back for me. They must learned a lot from the first game and its expansion because every time they put out a new game    It seems all the negative reviews are personal opinions and other thoughts still a epic game.

    Company of Heroes 2 is a incredible addition and better than its predecessor. Tho i wish they had the america's and brits added into the game they don't, it feels like a step back for me.

    They must learned a lot from the first game and its expansion because every time they put out a new game it adds more depth and better gameplay and it shows. CH2 has a good story better graphics and much better campaign the game feels great with new system's and gameplay i cant wait to play the expansions.

    Worth $60    … Expand
  38. degrassinoel
    Oct 29, 2016
    8
    Single player campaign is good, it's not as good as the original game. it's done in the same vein. The multiplayer is where this game really shines - particularly co-op for me personally. With the warspoils updates it's finally got a fair system for getting loot like commanders and skins. Pick this up cheap and get thousands of hours worth of play.
  39. armchairjerk
    Sep 5, 2013
    8
    Great game amazing RTS really the detail and combat mechanics are really amazing. Its a great merging of all of the ideas from the last one and a few from the DOW series too.
    Ignore the people screaming about historical facts, they are lashing out from a personal view and expect a video game to be accurate.
  40. pwnDonkey
    Apr 28, 2014
    8
    I just bought this game on steam sale after the free weekend and can SAFELY say its not as bad as these user reviews. These user reviews are a bunch of crybaby commie russian internerds. Period. Theyll never complain about the anti-USA anti-reality pro-commy pro-stalin bias in warthunder where russian UFOs rule the game and events REGULARLY leave out US and UK contributions duringI just bought this game on steam sale after the free weekend and can SAFELY say its not as bad as these user reviews. These user reviews are a bunch of crybaby commie russian internerds. Period. Theyll never complain about the anti-USA anti-reality pro-commy pro-stalin bias in warthunder where russian UFOs rule the game and events REGULARLY leave out US and UK contributions during events.

    Now that thats out of the way lets get to the real review.

    This game could actually be better than COH1 based on the latest versions balance. The DLC orgy is a little disgusting but i disagree that its pay 2 win. Armored Jaeger doctrine is a damn good base. So is the russian one with "hit the dirt". I really think you can win competitively with these non-pay doctrines.

    Also, I was going in to the free weekend thinking I would hate the snow/weather but its actually really cool. You can sink tanks in frozen lakes/rivers with artillery and it will refreeze over during blizzards.

    Single player is a one time thing. I think its worth going through once. The best scenarios are like carentan from COH1 where you are facing long odds defending a village.

    Unit voices from COH1 are untoppable, its a step down, but im not going to mark down for that.

    Honestly, if you dont know what COH2 is about and are reading this, just watch a youtube on multiplayer. Its going to be 90% multiplayer with some comp-stomp to try out new strategies and microing.

    I give it -1 for the DLC ugliness and -1 for minor issues like disconnects during games.    … Expand
  41. Klewer
    Aug 20, 2018
    8
    A really good RTS with an enjoyable campaign and story as well as plenty of Multi Player and Single Player options once completed. Definitely worth a play.
  42. Nightwolf141
    Jun 26, 2013
    8
    From the get go, they immerse you into Russia's brutal image of the war. The campaign is filled with heart wrenching scenarios and compassion for the troops and hatred for the officers (except the one you play as). This game has several new interesting tactics. The russians need to through multiple soldiers at Germans to be successful just as it was in World War 2. Besides a bit dullFrom the get go, they immerse you into Russia's brutal image of the war. The campaign is filled with heart wrenching scenarios and compassion for the troops and hatred for the officers (except the one you play as). This game has several new interesting tactics. The russians need to through multiple soldiers at Germans to be successful just as it was in World War 2. Besides a bit dull campaign, it is still pretty good for a game that doesn't focus much on campaigns.

    The multiplayer is amazing when it comes to playing with friends. One may run support while the other goes armor and another with infantry. It makes the game even more strategic. I will admit some downfalls are the powerful flamethrowers and the lethality of mortars but they can easily be countered. The game takes time to adapt from the previous CoH but once you're in the flow of things, it's pretty fun especially with friends. I've been in scenarios where a friend and I are at our main base struggling to survive but when the enemy's failed to push, we built up forces and countered and won the game from what seemed to be a loss for us.

    Overall, it's a game worth paying. Unless you are a fan, do not buy it for $60. I only find myself playing 1-2 games at a time before i switch to a different game just because it takes so much out of you.    … Expand
  43. JuiceRabbit
    May 13, 2014
    8
    Great game! Good graphics and sound. I never played COH1 so I can't compare to it, but I find COH2 to be well worth the $30 I paid on Steam for the base game and expansions.

    If you like COH2 give Men Of War Assault Squad 2 a try also, another great game!
  44. DragonKingSoup
    Jun 25, 2013
    8
    Company of Heroes 2 is a game that fans have been waiting for a long time for and this time, the Eastern Front is brought into light. As a person with a history degree and teaches this subject at least once a year, this game does a decent job at show casing the tactics and weapons uses by the Russians and Germans along this vast theater of war. Where the game shows polish is on theCompany of Heroes 2 is a game that fans have been waiting for a long time for and this time, the Eastern Front is brought into light. As a person with a history degree and teaches this subject at least once a year, this game does a decent job at show casing the tactics and weapons uses by the Russians and Germans along this vast theater of war. Where the game shows polish is on the graphical front. The first game pushed many gaming rigs of the time to the limits and to this day quite a few still can not deal with the amount of commands the computer needs to calculate. This is the case again as a new engine and higher requirements again push the limits of many computers. This is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to PC sales. I persoanlly know several people who I play the orginal CoH with that can not run this new release. To say this is a hinderance is by no means true, the game looks fantastic on the highest settings and the attention to detail is great.

    The gameplay is very much the same when comparing this game to the orginal. Battles are focused around the capturing and maintainig three different resource points. Keeping these points connected allows for supplies to be added to your totals and allows players to build more units and eqiup units with better weapons and abilities. Protecting these points is of major importance since enemies can capture points, thus breaking your supply lines. Maps normally center around several choke points where the battles become tense and the outcome of the entire map could rely on the timely defensive poistioning of units or the desperate counter-attack at a dug in enemy. Armored vechiles and tanks change the entire scope of battle and can make or break an entire game. In all, the way someone plays the game is vastly different from someone else and the enviroments and changes in weather make maps different each time you play. The single-player although pretty easy for veterans of the game is a great way for people new to the series to understand the basics of the game at least from the Russians anyway. Not being able to play as the Americans or British like the last game on these maps is kind of disapointing as well as not having the Panzer Elite on the German side. This maybe addressed in the coming months by the mod community or by Relic themselves with a patch or DLC.

    As for Histoical acurracy whcich some people have been railing aganist, could they have been more accurate yes, but whould it have hurt the gameplay and conistance of the experiance, most likely. For a more accurate RTS experiance there are other options out there, hell you can go and play games that you control the entire countries if you wish. If you want to play a fast paced, RTS that both looks and plays well, you can't do much better than this. For those looking to save some cash, you can get a copy of Company of Heroes from Steam and download the Eastern Front Mod for the game. The mod is pretty good, and is a great way to learn how to play CoH. Overall even with the DLC problems everyone is having with the game and the lack of factions, Company of Heroes 2 is still an excellent game, even with its flaws.    … Expand
  45. pbbem
    Jun 25, 2013
    8
    Company of Heroes 2, despite what many naysayers will claim, is not a bad game. If there had never been an original Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes 2 was released on its own the game would score very well; however, it is following a very tough act.

    The remarkable innovations of the original game are still evident in Company of Heroes 2, and the game itself continues to take    Company of Heroes 2, despite what many naysayers will claim, is not a bad game. If there had never been an original Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes 2 was released on its own the game would score very well; however, it is following a very tough act.

    The remarkable innovations of the original game are still evident in Company of Heroes 2, and the game itself continues to take steps forwards with new and innovative features such as the ColdTech and the TrueSight mechanics. It is fun, and it is enjoyable.

    But it is not the original Company of Heroes, and I think that is what everyone is going to think when they sit down to play this game. Though all of the aspects of what made the original great are here (the game's engine is gorgeous, the audio is fantastic, gameplay is fresh and innovative, the multiplayer is balanced-ish) the game ultimately falls short of what diehard Company of Heroes players were expecting, because it is impossible to recreate the experience of the original while still making changes, which is what any development studio has to do in order to stay competitive.

    The only actual failing of the game, in my opinion, is that of the multiplayer. Though the multiplayer itself is balanced enough to be enjoyable for the moment and will become more balanced over the next four or five months, the approach to the online atmosphere seems to be directed at cooperative play and online play versus AI. The inclusion of the Theater of War mode was well-done and adds an enjoyable amount of replayability to the single-player side of the game.

    While I can understand the decision to go the Theater of War-way, as most people who played the original Company of Heroes and its subsequent expansions preferred cooperative play against AI opponents, I feel as though the more competitive side of the online community has been neglected. There are, as far as I have been able to see, no noticeable improvements in the Company of Heroes 2 automatch features, and there seems to have been no real forethought into supporting competitive online play down the road.

    All of the games in the Company of Heroes series have always been too slow paced to ever be treated as a proper e-sport, but I think that in this modern day and age when e-sports are on the cusp of becoming big, it was a serious mistake on Relic's part not to have been proactive in attempting to make Company of Heroes 2 a competitive online game.

    All in all, however, the game is a solid investment and, in spite of any personal grumblings I have about the lack of foresight on the behalf of the game's developers, the multiplayer is a solid component of the game and complements the single player campaign and theater of war aspects well.

    If you played the original and loved it, give this one some time. It is still fun, though you may experience some culture shock in adapting to this new game. If you never played the first game, but enjoy real-time strategy games, you'll find Company of Heroes 2 to be a great experience.

    8/10    … Expand
  46. FrozenHobbit
    Jun 25, 2013
    8
    Graphics aside, this isn't a huge leap forward for the series. A lot of the core gameplay that made CoH the gem it was remains in the sequel. I'm happy that the developers didn't try to reinvent the wheel. The campaign is decent so far, and the multiplayer skirmishes are still extremely fun within my circle of gaming friends. If you don't like the new winter mechanics then you can justGraphics aside, this isn't a huge leap forward for the series. A lot of the core gameplay that made CoH the gem it was remains in the sequel. I'm happy that the developers didn't try to reinvent the wheel. The campaign is decent so far, and the multiplayer skirmishes are still extremely fun within my circle of gaming friends. If you don't like the new winter mechanics then you can just play on the summer maps.

    The only complaints I have are that the campaign does feel a little too easy, and there's not enough multiplayer maps right now. I expect more maps will be released within time, just as was the case with the original CoH.

    Overall I'm happy I bought the game. I expect to get a lot of fun out of it.    … Expand
  47. Edas10
    Aug 6, 2013
    8
    So first I want to make this point about 3000 scores of this game are total The history is what it is there are no lies as far as I played. The game should be rated on how good it is. Not on graphics. Graphics don't make a game. Just because the game gets release day dlc doesn't make the game worse. Dlc is optional it should not in any way affect the score of the game. So the gameplay isSo first I want to make this point about 3000 scores of this game are total The history is what it is there are no lies as far as I played. The game should be rated on how good it is. Not on graphics. Graphics don't make a game. Just because the game gets release day dlc doesn't make the game worse. Dlc is optional it should not in any way affect the score of the game. So the gameplay is good it is not bad in any way. The story isn't the best but it is not super bad either. I don't see how you can rate a game like this 0. This game has a user score of 1.5 wtf is wrong with you people. Tell me how can this game be worse than big rigs over the road racing that game was literally unplayable.… Expand
  48. Fishook
    Jun 26, 2013
    8
    A worthy sequel to the original Company of Heroes games, it seems to strike a good balance of Single and Multi-player aspects.. I admit the RRP is expensive but if you shop around you can get it cheaper, a lot of people are moaning about the DLC but this is unlocked in game and mainly cosmetic,

    I admit I dislike the RPG elements of levelling up, in most games mainly because I do not    A worthy sequel to the original Company of Heroes games, it seems to strike a good balance of Single and Multi-player aspects.. I admit the RRP is expensive but if you shop around you can get it cheaper, a lot of people are moaning about the DLC but this is unlocked in game and mainly cosmetic,

    I admit I dislike the RPG elements of levelling up, in most games mainly because I do not the time or patience to grind for suitable unlocks, but I am not willing to purchase these as well, but a lot of people must do it otherwise this companies wouldn't do it.. I think a lot of peoples concerns is the lack of maps and no in-game lobby system, which I can understand but as I don't play much multiplayer it doesn't concern me a great deal..
    By giving gamers a Beta version which anyone could play, was a clever idea but for a lot of multiplayer only gamers the full version doesn't offer much difference. as a lot would of already hammered the game..

    It must be difficult to get the balance right for both hard core gamers and people who just don't have the time to commit to playing for loads of hours and I think Relic have done a sterling job.    … Expand
  49. Cr1msonwolf117
    Jul 3, 2013
    8
    I'm going through these reviews and all i can see are people complaining about the graphics being only 5% better, performance being crap, no sli support, also people are saying this game is racist to Russians?
    Russia lost about 30 million people in world war 2, half of those were soldiers, also have you people heard about the battles around Stalingrad? the Soviet Union lost 1,129,000    I'm going through these reviews and all i can see are people complaining about the graphics being only 5% better, performance being crap, no sli support, also people are saying this game is racist to Russians?
    Russia lost about 30 million people in world war 2, half of those were soldiers, also have you people heard about the battles around Stalingrad? the Soviet Union lost 1,129,000 soldiers during that battle, Order No. 277 meant that if you tried to retreat you were shot, no matter the odds that were against you, Order No. 270 meant that even if you were encircled by enemy forces if you tried to surrender you became a traitor and you family was executed. This is how things were so everyone stop complaining about that. Now with the performance issues i am running the game on a gt 630 4gb v-ram, It is running fine at 1680x1050 on higher image quality, highest on everything else but AA, which is on low, so i don't know what is wrong there as i am getting a solid 30fps a second. Also stop with the zeros, a game with a zero is an unplayable mess with no ui, 16 bit graphics, etc, not a decent if not good AAA title. This game is not equal to aliens colonial marines. Overall i believe this is an improvement over the first one, a more streamlined command system and a very well designed true vision system. I can not give this game a 10 as there are still crashing issues and the music plays through cut scenes and other moments which it is clearly not supposed to be there, overall this game is worth the price and is a worthy addition to the series    … Expand
  50. Inductionist
    Jul 6, 2013
    8
    This could have been a great game. But I think it still is a good game.

    Compared to its predecessor, Company of Heroes I, it is a step up in graphics, animation, sound and several gameplay elements, but a step down at much else. Doctrines are dumbed down. Unit weapon stats are gone. Realism has taken a turn for the worse (e.g. homing AT-nades which always hit the engine with same max    This could have been a great game. But I think it still is a good game.

    Compared to its predecessor, Company of Heroes I, it is a step up in graphics, animation, sound and several gameplay elements, but a step down at much else. Doctrines are dumbed down. Unit weapon stats are gone. Realism has taken a turn for the worse (e.g. homing AT-nades which always hit the engine with same max distance as Panzerfaust or crazy tank-ramming which always hits and destroys the gun of the victim tank). Unit abilities seem half-baked. And the user interface has been messed up did Relic delegate it to an intern?

    The multiplayer ranking ladder from the predecessor is gone. Instead, we have an experience system a lá Battlefield or Call of Duty out of place and really ridiculous. Of course, matchmaking suffer because of this.

    To make matters worse, the marketing department at Sega has worked day and night to packet lots of different DLCs to maximize revenue from already paying customers, which their cherished fan-base of course must pay for, even though they obviously have been developed alongside the main product, and adding nothing really new so far (e.g a new doctrine with a new combination of already existing commander abilities).

    In conclusion, the best WW2 RTS out at the moment, a ton of fun, but with lots of improvement potential.    … Expand
  51. Tituki
    Nov 29, 2013
    8
    This game is great. The detail is the best you'll get in an RTS today, and that's a breath of fresh air from the many games about building the biggest army and seeing who can rush the enemy base the fastest. Cover and upgrading units are a MUST or you'll be overwhelmed quite easily. Relic also did a great job with the two factions, Germans and Russians, which both play differently. TheThis game is great. The detail is the best you'll get in an RTS today, and that's a breath of fresh air from the many games about building the biggest army and seeing who can rush the enemy base the fastest. Cover and upgrading units are a MUST or you'll be overwhelmed quite easily. Relic also did a great job with the two factions, Germans and Russians, which both play differently. The Germans rely on high firepower and training while the Russians rely on their great numbers and harrassment to overwhelm enemies. In the right hands both factions can be played effectively, and contrary to popular belief the Germans do not have the advantage (just watch Sundaynightfights on Twitch).

    Where the game lost its points was the fact they were doing microtransactions for commanders the week the game came out! Being a hardcore Relic RTS vet, I bought CoH2 the night it came out full price (60$) but I was dismayed (PISSED) to see that there were a lot of commanders you had to buy. WHY?! If I paid 60$ for a game I want everything it releases with! This isn't even the commanders that game with the Delux version, which I can let slide because if you're going to pay extra for a delux version then you should get a little more but no. These were just regular old microtransactions available to anyone willing to shell out 3-6$ more than the 60$ they already paid. I would've taken off more if not for the recent update including 2 free commanders (made by the community) which isn't redemption, but its a step in the right direction. I am also quite disappointed in the DLC for the theatre of war as they just seem too short for something so easy to make, however I can let those slide since they were fun and the map-builder tool was recently released.

    I wanted to give CoH2 a perfect score so badly. The campaign was well done with good pacing and fun scenarios, especially the stealthy/sniper stages (although I REALLY wish they did more snow stages). Also, I don't understand why everyone is so up in arms over the story. It's not the greatest by all means, but its not bad. Hell, the original CoH had less story than this. However, they could have improved the campaign by a lot. For instance, a branching campaign story could have EASILY been implemented through the use of the commander system such as using certain commanders in the stages would have different outcomes in the battle and story between stages. Also doing certain side objectives could have drastic outcomes in battle and story (Because the side objectives actually rarely had any benefits). See? That would've been LOADS better than a linear story Still though. It is a fun 14 mission campaign that leaves more to be wanted, but still delivers fun moments.

    All in all, if you're looking for a fun tactical RTS with loads of depth Buy CoH2. Its a great game and now that the price dropped 20$ (its now 40$) I would recommend it to anyone. I had to take off from the score due to the stupid micotransactions from the start and the lack of innovation in the story arc, but I still would give this game a SOLID 8/10 because its gameplay is the best out of any RTS on the market.    … Expand
  52. LegalRegal
    Jul 20, 2013
    8
    not yet completely balanced (but working on it in careful little patches which is the right approach)
    + beautiful graphics
    + great, realistic sound (real weapon sound recordings) + cool unit chatter (pioneer squad gets flamethrower: ''put out that cigarette!!'') - no ladder (is confirmed to be added later) + multiplayer set in 1944 with offensive russian side and defensive orientated     not yet completely balanced (but working on it in careful little patches which is the right approach)
    + beautiful graphics
    + great, realistic sound (real weapon sound recordings)
    + cool unit chatter (pioneer squad gets flamethrower: ''put out that cigarette!!'')
    - no ladder (is confirmed to be added later)
    + multiplayer set in 1944 with offensive russian side and defensive orientated german play, 2 sides encourage different playstyles.
    + Blizzards while annoying for some starters are great once you learn to use the surprise moment
    + Infantry has many abilities and is more durable than in most games
    + livestreams and casts of the game are really enjoyable to me because it looks so great and you can learn how to play by watching :)
    + Theater of war missions are fun and challenging while offering unique units and assets of a certain time period (1941 ToW is released more will come in the future..)
    +Co-Op Missions
    + it's not an APM game. You don't have to click all that fast like as in some other RTSs. It's mainly about positioning, availability of unit counters, flanking and things like that.
    +/- it suffers from the greatness of its predecessor
    +/- many things are still the same as in CoH 1

    8/10    … Expand
  53. boomslang
    Jul 19, 2013
    8
    overall i enjoy the game very much, the sound effect was fantastic, game engine is nice, it is a fun game especially kicking Nazis ass. the negative point i would say is it is the same engine and game play and graphic as the company of heroes 1 as i recall, so it should be not called company of heroes 2. But it is a good game
  54. mattkachu
    Jul 30, 2013
    8
    Not a whole amount of substance added compared to CoH ToV. The sound is the best feature and includes a well done soundtrack and good voice acting for the units

    +15mission campaign that plays like Enemy at the Gates movie meets Red Orchestra +Stellar soundtrack and voice acting +good maps design and water effects the bad -not a whole graphical/ unit improvement -balance a little    Not a whole amount of substance added compared to CoH ToV. The sound is the best feature and includes a well done soundtrack and good voice acting for the units

    +15mission campaign that plays like Enemy at the Gates movie meets Red Orchestra
    +Stellar soundtrack and voice acting
    +good maps design and water effects
    the bad
    -not a whole graphical/ unit improvement
    -balance a little out of whack
    -some people didnt like the anti USSR sentiment in the campaign
    All in all, good game, but maybe not worth $60    … Expand
  55. Mantris
    Aug 9, 2013
    8
    First and foremost, i don't agree with the current started by the russian community, that is completly lacking any constructive criticism about the game itself, only moaning about a storyline in the singleplayer part that is showing the american perspective of the russian war crimes.

    While not all what is shown is a true fact, things like soldiers getting shot when they wanted to    First and foremost, i don't agree with the current started by the russian community, that is completly lacking any constructive criticism about the game itself, only moaning about a storyline in the singleplayer part that is showing the american perspective of the russian war crimes.

    While not all what is shown is a true fact, things like soldiers getting shot when they wanted to retreat, war crimes like the massacre at Katyn (google for it fellow russians) and Gulags are a historical fact that can't be denied!

    The game itself rates as a solid 8 for me, the gameplay is almost the same as the previous installment, but lacking the content since it had no addons so far. The dynamic weather changes on snow maps add a lot of immersion to the gameplay since you need to constantly micromanage your troops or they will die in the harsh conditions of winter.

    If you want a fresh CoH experience and you liked the previous games, this will be a game for you too then.    … Expand
  56. ArjanS87
    Aug 22, 2013
    8
    Personally I have only played CoH 1 for multiplayer skirmishes against the PC and it is likely that CoH 2 will almost only be used in this sense. Therefore, it pleased me and my friends greatly to find out that the AI in CoH 2 has gotten a major overhaul from the predictable patterns of CoH 1.
    After getting used to the new supports, new UI and new way of playing, we are finally getting in    Personally I have only played CoH 1 for multiplayer skirmishes against the PC and it is likely that CoH 2 will almost only be used in this sense. Therefore, it pleased me and my friends greatly to find out that the AI in CoH 2 has gotten a major overhaul from the predictable patterns of CoH 1.
    After getting used to the new supports, new UI and new way of playing, we are finally getting in the position that bashing normal AI's can be won.
    I get that a lot of people are ticked off because CoH 2 has not become a successor of CoH 1 in the strictest sense; but for me it is definitely an improvement.    … Expand
  57. Echo196
    Sep 21, 2014
    8
    This game has been flooded (not without reason) with I think a disproportionate amount of negative reviews. While the campaign's plot is extremely...questionable at best, if you can look past the "Enemy at the Gates" or Hollywood "The Soviets are monsters" portrayal of the Soviets you'll find a game that mirrors many of the attributes that CoH fans came to love from the original game,This game has been flooded (not without reason) with I think a disproportionate amount of negative reviews. While the campaign's plot is extremely...questionable at best, if you can look past the "Enemy at the Gates" or Hollywood "The Soviets are monsters" portrayal of the Soviets you'll find a game that mirrors many of the attributes that CoH fans came to love from the original game, while branching out to try and add new elements to the game to keep it interesting.

    Graphically the game is impressive, and the sound effects are excellent just as they were back in CoH I, from the snow effects to watching/hearing a T34 or Panther brew up in a fiery explosion CoH II's graphics and soundtrack captures the tiny details that fans learned to marvel at in the original title.

    Gameplay: A lot has changed since CoH I, but at its core, CoH II is still very much like its older brother. The elephant in the room regarding this particular game is the single player portion. Unfortunately, the protrayal of the Soviet Union is one that appears to be ripped right out of a Hollywood script, where the Soviets officer corps is portrayed as unfeeling monsters, willing to send hundreds of thousands to their deaths, mercilessly cutting down waves of retreating conscripts. While this has been said to have happened during the way, it appears to have been overplayed and over focused within the campaign. This of course drew the ire of many. Buyers be warned, if you are looking for a compelling single player experience, you sadly will not really find it here.

    However, where CoH I really shined its brightest (IMHO) was in its multi-player, this is where CoH II draws its strength from and is what you'll likely want to buy the game for. Initial balance issues aside, games can be fast paced and frantic. The recent introduction of the American faction as well as OberKommando's really helps to add some flavor to the multiplayer game play.

    While CoH II has its issues, to include (at first) a clunky interface, it is still a great game (Questionable/forgettable Campaign scripting aside)

    Buy the game if you are a fan of the first, buy it if you want to have one of the best WWII RTS gaming experiences out there on the market, buy it if you want a fast paced, action packed, strategic demanding multiplayer experience.

    Does the game deserve 4.6k+ negative reviews? Likely not. Is it understandable why people were upset? Absolutely, but do not be fooled by the 1.9 Metacritic score. Try it for yourself, and if you can remain open minded about the SP, you'll certainly find a diamond in the rough with CoH II IMHO.    … Expand
  58. FirestormMk3
    Jan 24, 2014
    8
    Company of Heroes 2 is a great follow-up to the hugely successful and influential Company of Heroes. In this installment gamers are taken to the Eastern Front in the battle between the Soviet Union and Germany. Like the first CoH before its expansions, the campaign is Allies only. There are a number of challenge maps, both single-player and cooperative, on each side. But the single playerCompany of Heroes 2 is a great follow-up to the hugely successful and influential Company of Heroes. In this installment gamers are taken to the Eastern Front in the battle between the Soviet Union and Germany. Like the first CoH before its expansions, the campaign is Allies only. There are a number of challenge maps, both single-player and cooperative, on each side. But the single player experience is really about prepping gamers to play online.

    A number of changes have been made to the formula of CoH. For one, resource points are no longer set, but can be assigned when captured. That is to say all strategic sectors generate manpower to the group that captures them. While the uses of the three main resources are the same, players gain munitions or fuel by locking down a point, which allows fights to be over more than a few critical sectors. On the other hand its makes starving the armor-heavy German faction of fuel a much more difficult ordeal.

    Line-of-sight rules have had an overhaul. Now instead of units simply having a fixed vision radius it is affected by terrain and obstructions. This means that infantry can't see over walls and your tanks won't know what's on the other side of that large building. With some of the hilly or forested maps this has brought ambush tactics to the forefront. Such infantry tactics are necessary to secure a Soviet victory. This is especially true since inexplicably tanks traps are no longer in the game. Now that armor can't be bottlenecked reconnaissance and hidden flanking units must be used to their fullest.

    As of the time of this writing, while the balance has improved significantly over launch, it is not balanced nearly as well as its predecessor. I do not think this ruins the potential of the game, as I'm sure that early adopters of the first CoH will remember the years it took to balance that game and the re-balancing that was needed with the additional factions of Opposing Fronts and units from Tales of Valor. The trend has been towards a more well balanced game.

    Rather than major expansions it seems that CoH2 is opting for a model of incremental DLC. Packs of a few new commanders (which function like trees in the first game) and units are being sold piecemeal. I expect that if there will be any major DLC or expansions it would be the addition of a new faction. However as an Eastern Front game that seems difficult and unlikely. Factions from the Western Front would be out of place (and are covered in the first game) and there is little room for the small-scale tactical ground wars in the Pacific theatre.

    Bottom line is if you liked the first CoH I see no reason why this shouldn't be a no-brainer. As long as you remember that the first game wasn't balanced overnight you can have a lot of fun hours playing this game!

    Note: I am sticking to giving a fair score of my own, but I will admit there is a part of me that wants to bump this to a 9 or 10 to help overcome the ridiculous number of people giving it a zero. For a game to warrant a zero it would need to be completely non-functional and unplayable, these are just people raging.    … Expand
  59. Ahlers
    Aug 29, 2013
    8
    This game is getting a terrible score because of inaccuracy about what actually happened in history. Not going to lie i do believe some of these things did in fact happen but the game took it to the extreme. However giving it a score below 3 ONLY because of that is beyond stupidity. Anyone care to talk about the game play, customization and the multiplayer? No they don't because they areThis game is getting a terrible score because of inaccuracy about what actually happened in history. Not going to lie i do believe some of these things did in fact happen but the game took it to the extreme. However giving it a score below 3 ONLY because of that is beyond stupidity. Anyone care to talk about the game play, customization and the multiplayer? No they don't because they are crying over a game that misinterprets history. WHO CARES! This is not the History or Military channel! I understand they should have actually spent the time to learn history and make their game historic but rating it a 0-4 only because of that. That is very stupid and you guys should never be judges.… Expand
  60. rocknro11
    Sep 2, 2013
    8
    Great Game! A lot of fun and the graphics are great for a strategy game.

    Multiplayer does need some more maps and hopefully expansions down the track will fix this problem. The campaign is involving and they do cross into some deep water with the controversial story line. But if you have learnt any history you would actually realise this is a very truthful and stark reminder of the    Great Game! A lot of fun and the graphics are great for a strategy game.

    Multiplayer does need some more maps and hopefully expansions down the track will fix this problem.

    The campaign is involving and they do cross into some deep water with the controversial story line. But if you have learnt any history you would actually realise this is a very truthful and stark reminder of the bloodshed hell Russian soldiers went through just to come out alive and to serve mother Russia,

    The flack this game is getting in reviews is ridiculous and people are doing the usual and turning there back on history. Ever heard of the the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact? Look it up and do a little bit of reading. Nazi concentration camps? Where do you think the Germans got the idea from? Many smaller European nations including Finland went through mass genocide, millions murdered by the Russians for land and resource's. Only reason Russia wanted to turn on Germany is because they had there own agenda including communism and plans to expand even more... committing hideous war crimes at the cost of millions and millions of innocent lives. Yet they are forgiven and forgotten... not even spoke of.. that's why you probably gave the game a 0. Look a little deeper next time     … Expand
  61. acdoob
    Sep 3, 2013
    8
    This a good strategy game. It is a little disappointing in comparison to the original but I felt compelled to join this site in reaction to the negativity.

    To all of the people who are overreacting, humans are very complex creatures. Many armies that were cut off from supplies resorted to cannibalism. They also had to make sacrifices. People also are self preserving especially people    This a good strategy game. It is a little disappointing in comparison to the original but I felt compelled to join this site in reaction to the negativity.

    To all of the people who are overreacting, humans are very complex creatures. Many armies that were cut off from supplies resorted to cannibalism. They also had to make sacrifices. People also are self preserving especially people who are not violent and do n not want to be in a war. Having said this, I think that the Russian people are a people with an amazing history and culture. They have been the ones to push back against massive threats to the stability of Europe and the world. They beat Napoleon, Hitler and many other blood thirsty people. I have nothing but respect for the Russian people; but sacrifice is a part of war and you should not look at the things that were done for victory as negative things. Rather you should understand that alot of bad things have been done to preserve a people. Death is sometimes the answer to save your country. I know it sucks but nobody likes to think that their own people did what they had to, to survive. I hope that many of you realize some day that the developers were just trying to show that the Russian leaders were not afraid to do what it takes to survive and I think that many people would benefit from understanding that you can't always do things the right way and you can't save everybody.    … Expand
  62. Myziot
    Sep 11, 2013
    8
    I don't get rating game 0 for storyline. OK, it is cheesy, but if you take that out and look at multiplayer, I'm having loads of fun. Pretty well balanced gameplay.
  63. SoakerCity
    Sep 29, 2013
    8
    This is a very good game, not as good as the highly polished original. The Russian side is overpowered, units die too easily, and the unlock grind is much too long. Otherwise, its still a lot of fun, graphics and especially sounds are fantastic.
  64. Seriousgum
    Sep 12, 2013
    8
    I just felt that this game deserves an HONEST rating. Everyone here is complaining about the portrayal of Russians during the war, saying that Relic is too insensitive or heartless. They way Relic portrayed the Russians is just simply, the truth. They wanted to make a more realistic story for their game, and I like them more for doing so. They are completely ignoring the gameplay and otherI just felt that this game deserves an HONEST rating. Everyone here is complaining about the portrayal of Russians during the war, saying that Relic is too insensitive or heartless. They way Relic portrayed the Russians is just simply, the truth. They wanted to make a more realistic story for their game, and I like them more for doing so. They are completely ignoring the gameplay and other components that make this game great.… Expand
  65. MrBla
    Jan 17, 2014
    8
    The game is pretty good. It's not perfect of course. Graphics are very nice and the game runs very smooth on maximum settings. The gameplay is unique and fun.
    All those negative reviews comes from russian fascists who falsificates history. Red army were no heroes, they were scum, same as nazis. Neither of them are winners. So thanks to developers for not falsificating the history.
  66. CommanderEllie
    Sep 28, 2013
    8
    Company Of Heroes 2 is an actually great game, It has it's ups and downs compared to it's procedure, CoH1. The game-play, in my opinion, is smooth and just a big fun adventure. But I think that lots of people are hating because CoH1 was such a great game, everyone compares it to that, so it's unevenly judged. I think it's a great game, and should buy it if you like a fast passed but strategic RTS.
  67. epevik
    Oct 22, 2013
    8
    To everyone complaining that its not CoH1: you got it right, this is not CoH1. I am big CoH1 fan, but still, the game is amazing!
    However:
    The voices are terrible (-1).
    High price (-1)

    Beware of fake reviews. After reading some of the reviews, most of the poorly rated ones are blatantly bogus.
  68. Vakan
    Nov 4, 2013
    8
    Great game with true story. Soviets (not russians) was bad as Third Reich (not german people) was, they both started a WW2 and life was nothing worth, they both done lots of criminals against people.
  69. PropellerScar
    Nov 6, 2013
    8
    A well-constructed follow-up to the amazing first Company of Heroes that suffers from too much hand-holding throughout the campaign and some connection issues online (10% of my games end in being disconnected). Overall, still a great game to a WWII aficionado like myself.

    As for what the Russian community is decrying, I felt like Relic did a good job of conveying the valor and    A well-constructed follow-up to the amazing first Company of Heroes that suffers from too much hand-holding throughout the campaign and some connection issues online (10% of my games end in being disconnected). Overall, still a great game to a WWII aficionado like myself.

    As for what the Russian community is decrying, I felt like Relic did a good job of conveying the valor and accomplishments of the Red Army soldiers vs. the terror of the NKVD and Stalin's regime. However, there are a couple ahistorical moments in the game that seem to exist simply to push this theme forward which in retrospect probably should have been left out.    … Expand
  70. Frankoldboy
    Nov 16, 2013
    8
    Company Of Heroes-2-Hack

    the first and the best hack for company of heroes 2
    i find it on google has a survey but it`s a free survey
    tnx
    best hack for company of heroes 2
  71. Dakar234
    Nov 30, 2013
    8
    For one, who plays COH for the campaign? I didn't even play it till i heard all the mudslinging. And on that note the multiplier is very good, not as good as the first, but still very good and i can see it getting much much better with the development of the branches and patches/expansions. And the history major in me feels the need to correct the crap being written. All i will say thatFor one, who plays COH for the campaign? I didn't even play it till i heard all the mudslinging. And on that note the multiplier is very good, not as good as the first, but still very good and i can see it getting much much better with the development of the branches and patches/expansions. And the history major in me feels the need to correct the crap being written. All i will say that there were 20,000 Polish officers were executed. 200,000 Estonians killed after soviet take over (20% of total population), 300,000 (1/3rd) Estonians were effected by deportations (via rail cars, ironically),purges and other acts of repression. 780,000 Lithuanians were killed (1/2 of whom war refugees) and 17,000 deported and if could continue with the Ukraine, other Baltic states, and Poland, but you get the idea. Russians didn't kill Russians, no. But the Baltic states wanted to be independent and were willing to fight, and so was Stalin in order to establish SSR's in their territory...… Expand
  72. TomatoOne
    Nov 30, 2013
    8
    Wow, so many Russian crybabies without jobs on this site rating this game as a zero probably so Vladimir Putin won't put their families in jail. Here is actual fact: Joseph Stalin was a power hungry madman who is responsible for tens of millions of Russian deaths. Where the nazis employed the SS, the Russians deployed the NKVD, who were fanatics who enforced a no retreat mindset and ledWow, so many Russian crybabies without jobs on this site rating this game as a zero probably so Vladimir Putin won't put their families in jail. Here is actual fact: Joseph Stalin was a power hungry madman who is responsible for tens of millions of Russian deaths. Where the nazis employed the SS, the Russians deployed the NKVD, who were fanatics who enforced a no retreat mindset and led millions of soldiers to unnecessary deaths by charging German defenses and shooting them if they retreated. Make no mistake, both armies did terrible things, but these Russian dogs on this site are claiming it was only the nazis who raped and pillaged?? LoL what a laugh! Lastly, the Russians encouraged their soldiers to rape as many German women as possible in 1945 as a sort of reparation for the Germans invading their country. In Berlin alone, half a million German women, young and old who did not flee the city were raped by the Russian dogs.… Expand
  73. GamersUnited
    Feb 20, 2014
    8
    I am a long time gamer, played most RTS games that have come out in the past 30 years. I am a big fan of the original COH, and still play to this day. I was anxiously awaiting COH2, expecting big things. I will admit, at first I didn't care for it. After playing it for a few more hours, it grew on me and I started to notice the difference between the original and part 2. The first thing II am a long time gamer, played most RTS games that have come out in the past 30 years. I am a big fan of the original COH, and still play to this day. I was anxiously awaiting COH2, expecting big things. I will admit, at first I didn't care for it. After playing it for a few more hours, it grew on me and I started to notice the difference between the original and part 2. The first thing I noticed was the pop. cap. Its always at 100 and never goes down or up, no matter how many points on the map are held. The points held on the map only increase the speed at which you get points for building, not the population cap. That means its possible to make a come back even if the enemy holds most of the points. The Russian army has a unique approach to winning, its no longer about who can build the most tanks. Skill and decision making about which points to take and when will win the game. With the pop. cap at 100, you cannot cover all the points at the same time. There is a steady ebb and flow to the game play if the teams are evenly matched. Being able to replenish your forces on the map in a timely manner is the key because both sides take heavy losses the entire game. The line of sight mechanic seems to work well and flanking works better when the enemy can't see you all the time. It also makes ambushes possible. The weather effects in the game are a welcome addition and it increases the need to watch your infantry and how close they are to cover when a blizzard is about to hit. The fires that can be built do not last that long and they cost man power, and cannot be built by the average infantry. Although the infantry can build sandbag walls and they are very important in this game, since there is a lack of true base defenses. The infantry and vehicles last longer in fire fights, thereby giving you time to asses the situation and send reinforcements, or retreat and regroup. After playing both the Russian and German sides, the difference between the two armies is very noticeable and therefore will require different strategies to win. The Germans do have a small defensive structure, an MG nest that can be built anywhere on the map. Also, their vehicles seem to be a bit better than the Russians in the aspect of firepower, but the Russians can ram with tanks and their AT guns are not bad once they level up. The anti-tank weapons that are carried by both sides are woefully inefficient on any vehicle. Although, the anit-infantry weapons they carry are great and do lots of damage to infantry. You really need to babysit infantry in order to use the specials, they are not used without the player input. When playing skirmish, the A.I. is unrelenting, even on the easiest level. It seems to take a lot longer to kill their units, while theirs kills yours at a normal pace. Picking your General's powers is different and takes some getting used to, but its essentially the same as the original. The camera angles are fine, not too different from the original. I am not a big fan of paying for DLC, something that should have been in the game from the start. Also, there are not nearly enough maps that were released with this game. I did not build my computer to run games, but its no slouch either. I have a decent rig with a crappy video card, that I am going to immediately upgrade, and I am able to run COH2 pretty smoothly as long as all the settings are on the minimum. I have a Geforce 315, yes I know its terrible. But it does run the game pretty well. Overall, if you want to like this game, don't try to compare it to the original. It takes a well known formula and just makes things a bit different. Is there room for improvement? Sure! Will it happen in patches, hopefully! Also, I am sick and tired of listening to people saying "boo-hoo, its terrible how they portray the nations in this game, boo-hoo". This is just a game people, its meant to be played as a game, not a history lesson. If you want a history lesson, go to school.… Expand
  74. Megatellica
    Jun 16, 2014
    8
    Seeing the reviews from what I suspect are Russian players they can't handle the facts of history. further on its a good game not standalone worthy it's more like an expansion with some graphical updates and some extra 's . as a big fan of the series since day 1 and with a lot of hours in the game i'd recommend it.
    of course the game has some flaws and maybe it's not perfect , but which game is ?
  75. OOa007
    Oct 1, 2020
    8
    Decent game good tactics. No air or sea. Good graphics, runs well. I'd buy another if that added air and sea
  76. leungkevin24
    Oct 22, 2015
    8
    This game has an extremely fun and addictive multiplayer, guranteed that you feel exhausted after every game more than 30 minutes. Nevertheless this game can give you moments of joy.
  77. sreven199
    Sep 1, 2015
    8
    I have sunk over 300 hours into this game, And a decent amount into the prequel So I feel it's time to give my opinion on this game.

    Pros: Lines of sight are much more realistic. It's a nice improvement over the previous game Fun and long battles. I've had games last as long as 3 hours. Wonderful graphics. (A little bit on this in the Con section.) Troops have idle lines, Giving    I have sunk over 300 hours into this game, And a decent amount into the prequel So I feel it's time to give my opinion on this game.

    Pros:
    Lines of sight are much more realistic. It's a nice improvement over the previous game
    Fun and long battles. I've had games last as long as 3 hours.
    Wonderful graphics. (A little bit on this in the Con section.)
    Troops have idle lines, Giving them some personality. ("We had a girl back in Aachen that could do it standing on her head! And singing!")
    Weather effects are a nice addition (A little bit on this in the Con section)
    Steam workshop support. Making some DLCs a little less like an obvious choice.
    Decently balanced team wise. (Not perfect. I find the Americans to be the weakest, Especially late game. But, hey. I don't play as them that often so...)
    Challenging Campaign.

    Cons:
    Kinda Dumb AI. Late in the game, even expert bots will either: A) Stop producing units, B) Keep all their units in their base, or C) They'll move their troops out 100 yds and then have them retreat for no reason. Also, Bridges. Bots seem to just leave their troops on a bridge effectively blocking it, and you can't do anything to make them move.
    Monstrous PC specs required for a smooth game. Do not get this game if your computer is even remotely considered anything close to a toaster.
    Fairly toxic community, but that's expected with almost team-based every game.
    Time needed to get a War Spoils drop is too long, and you can get duplicates.
    A lot...A LOT of DLC. Extra mission packs, dozens of commanders, dozens of camos, and the camos are split individually among the vehicle classes. Making you buy all three of the same camo if you want it to appear on all of your vehicles
    Lots of RNG when it comes to what happens to a tank on 1 health. Most of the time it destroys the gun, instead of killing the tank, allowing the enemy tank to get away and repair.
    Models have started warping all of a sudden.

    Controversy: Holy crap...the amount of people on here offended about the game is too damn high. Makes me kinda wonder where the found info on flowers springing up in the Russians footsteps as they peacefully cared for all of their troops individually...Oh wait, THAT DIDNT HAPPEN. I have done...quite extensive research on the eastern front during WW2...and while this game does take some "unhistorical" liberties (The execution of the soldier who left his post to save his commander)...It's portrayal of the Russian army is pretty accurate. Some soldiers didn't have guns, those that retreated were seen as traitors, and they WERE shot by their own officers, and the Scorched earth policy was a thing. Now before everyone reading this immediately claims I'm Anti-Rus, or Pro-Nazi or whatever, The Nazi's most well known atrocities were on the German home front. The Holocaust, etc. You can't really model that, especially when there's a difference between the government in power (the nazis) versus the army. That's like saying all of the US's soldiers are democrats. Because that's what our president's party is. In battle, the Russians were far more uncaring of their troops, and this is quite obviously shown with the body count, as commanders would just use human wave tactics to overwhelm the germans. And they did kill any polish people that weren't willing to side with them. War isn't politically correct, and games shouldn't have to be in order to be considered to be good.

    Overall, It's a very fun game, With a lot of mod support that further adds to the life of the game. However It is very DLC centric, and War spoils system needs some tweaking. It's a decent addition over the first game, and you all need to calm down and do some actual research about the russians during WW2. They're not the Angels you all seem to think they are.    … Expand
  78. partieboy
    Sep 27, 2015
    8
    I dont understand why so many people disklike this game. I played it already for several years and its still good to play regarding of the age of the game.
    In my opinion, i think most of you didnt even play it for longer than one hour.
    Check my review at www.e-core.org about this game.
  79. MercenaryofHate
    Jun 9, 2017
    8
    Company of Heroes 2 is a complex and widely debated RTS strategy game many neo-Nazis dislike it because it doesn't feature a German campaign others hate it because it doesn't glorify the red army and instead tells about brutal war and cruelty that was in-fact committed by the red army in WW2. Those who hate the game can't understand history. Many people think the game is CommunistCompany of Heroes 2 is a complex and widely debated RTS strategy game many neo-Nazis dislike it because it doesn't feature a German campaign others hate it because it doesn't glorify the red army and instead tells about brutal war and cruelty that was in-fact committed by the red army in WW2. Those who hate the game can't understand history. Many people think the game is Communist propaganda but it does not shed light on the Soviet actions during WW2 it does however do a good job on putting you in command of the Soviet Army in it's battle with Germany on the eastern front from Stalingrad all the way to Berlin and it's expansion packs. Many also straight out hate the game because it is made by Sega and Sega is not a very popular developer because of how much DLC packs that released for the game along with it's original price tag being overpriced, Sure some situations are more hollywood but it is still a brutal depiction of a violent real war that people can't accept happened in the way it did. The game neither glorifies the Soviets or demonizes the Nazis. CO2 is a good RTS but it was mixed into the wrong crowd. I rate 8because it demands alot from your computer in order to run effectively. Voice acting is a plus and gameplay is your average RTS with a bit more strategy and encouragement. I guess I can be considered a bad person for actually rooting for the Soviets in their conquest of their land but soon turning to pure horror as they take the fight to their enemies land's brutally murdering anyone who doesn't comply with them or tries to flee the battlefield. The Soviet Army as much harm as they did were still a brave and fierce fighting force that defeated Hitler with help from Western allies. I shouldn't get to historical about this but if it was made by a beloved company such as Valve then it wouldn't nearly have received as much hate. The game is misunderstood and throw in the highly disliked symbol of communism and sell it off and you are bound to receive a backlash. I enjoyed playing the game and it's story no matter how controversial it may be.… Expand
  80. Psheshlov
    Nov 21, 2017
    8
    Its a very good RTS game. Like first one. But it's not good historical game. Good multiplayer, good single player but... cmon! Anyway war is horrible, is it important who killed more civilian? Everybody hate Russian and don't care about their history. Потому, что они мамолюбивые тупые патриоты.
  81. Amorph0us
    Jan 9, 2022
    8
    Will not judge the game for the way that it treats soldiers and especially soviets (which is disgusting indeed). About the balance: well germans had better equipment and more experience at the beginning of the war. As a game it is as good as the first and I enjoyed it more cause I was more interested in the eastern warfare.
  82. boomer27
    Nov 7, 2019
    8
    I never played the storymode much, so i don't really get all the nazi stuff everyone is complaining about, but i though the gameplay was pretty good
  83. datCRY
    May 26, 2020
    8
    Don't listen to russian trolls. They just don't like to know the truth. Great historical rts.
  84. JustPlayer
    Jul 25, 2013
    7
    Nazism. Fascism. Paul Joseph Goebbels. Hitler-Jugend. Propaganda. The Cold War. False. Deception. Manipulation of facts. Manipulation of citations. One-sided point of view. Russophobia. But this game the best strategy for the last 5 years.
  85. vXxo0oxXv
    Jun 25, 2013
    7
    To sum it all up, it's a great sequel. It amazed me how critical some of the reviews of this game were. Still, this is an honest 9 to honor a solid production.

    Company of Heroes, the original, is still hailed as one of the best RTS's of all time. CoH 2 uses an enhanced version of it's engine, that adds some really nice gameplay features. At the same time, it maintains the original feel    To sum it all up, it's a great sequel. It amazed me how critical some of the reviews of this game were. Still, this is an honest 9 to honor a solid production.

    Company of Heroes, the original, is still hailed as one of the best RTS's of all time. CoH 2 uses an enhanced version of it's engine, that adds some really nice gameplay features. At the same time, it maintains the original feel of that CoH 1 had. The grudging pushes to extend your frontline, the explosive sound, the chaotic dialogues, the tactical squad based combat... yep it's all still here.

    I see a lot of players complaining about performance of this game, when compared to other shiny titles. Honestly, this is not your every day shiny title. The map is fully 3D and can be rotated to any angle. Almost all pixels, from the ones that make up dirt and pavement, to the ones that make up monstrous buildings, are dynamic, and can be destroyed or altered. The physics and combat feel realer than any strategy title before this. Even the original CoH took flak for being unable to run on high settings on most machines. Being a supercharged version of the same engine what did you expect?

    The theatre of war is a great addition, and adds a nice way to take a break from competitive multiplayer. Small army perks can be gained through levels and combat, which adds incentive to play, while being small enough to not break the balance (which is well done now that the beta is over).

    The new commander system is less taxing on your actions during gameplay. Fog of war, & vaulting are both improvements. The maps are beautiful and are incredibly interactive. Not to mention, campaign progress is stored on the cloud now!

    I'm impressed. A job well done. Good rescue Sega.    … Expand
  86. LD9000
    Aug 29, 2014
    7
    The game is definitely improving from the very poor launch. New multiplayer lobbies with annihilate is the most welcome addition. The in-game feedback popups also show that devs are trying to make the game better. There's still imbalance, most notably with the OKW from the new expansion, but the game is much better than it used to be
  87. Trytobefair
    Jul 10, 2013
    7
    The game is great for those players, who have never ever been played CoH before. All other old long termed hardcore CoH1 Players is it disappointing. There are a couple of reasons for disappointments:
    - KI feels unfinished, mainly because the soldiers of any kind of fraction dies to quick and they are running partially all over the place, to cover soldiers behind walls etc. is not    The game is great for those players, who have never ever been played CoH before. All other old long termed hardcore CoH1 Players is it disappointing. There are a couple of reasons for disappointments:
    - KI feels unfinished, mainly because the soldiers of any kind of fraction dies to quick and they are running partially all over the place, to cover soldiers behind walls etc. is not possible.
    - Graphics still on the first release of 2006, in highest settings this game is unplayable even on a high end pc
    - The gameplay without a proper setup of function keys is absolutely rubbish and I believe after thinking of some other SEGA releases, that it seems to be a big internal SEGA issue.
    But: It is still Company of Heroes and I have to wait what sega/relic will do on the update front for this game. I like it, but I am not happy with it.    … Expand
  88. JoeH
    Aug 17, 2013
    7
    No where near as good as the first one, but still a solid RTS. And seriously people, make your rating based off of game play and not some part of the campaign where its "offensive towards Russians."
  89. baguwk
    Aug 6, 2013
    7
    Why metacritic allow to leave comments and rate games without checking users steam profile or something, just to check, did this player actually play this game?
    Because mighty army of hamsters, who did not even play, just came here and unfairly lowered the rating of game.
    First of all, THIS IS JUST A GAME, also scenario is not important here. AND IT HAVE PEGI 18+, so childrens did not    Why metacritic allow to leave comments and rate games without checking users steam profile or something, just to check, did this player actually play this game?
    Because mighty army of hamsters, who did not even play, just came here and unfairly lowered the rating of game.
    First of all, THIS IS JUST A GAME, also scenario is not important here.
    AND IT HAVE PEGI 18+, so childrens did not allow to play this. Use parental control software if you aware.
    This is multiplayer based game. Just like campaing in battlefield 3/bad company 2.
    And of course, in my country (Russia) our main distributor "1C" took this game off sales, because petition has gathered 15k signatures. What it if not censor? I hope Gabe will ignore the petition.

    I am against censorship.    … Expand
  90. Sir_Recon
    Sep 14, 2013
    7
    ZEROes the community here on metacritic is making metacritic not even work properly, this game isn't a ZERO how ridiculous, either hate it or love it, that's not what metacritic measures, give it a score. Ok this game does seem like a lot of sequels go backward instead of forward, I don't believe this game is any better at all from COH 1, but yet it is a good stand alone Russian frontZEROes the community here on metacritic is making metacritic not even work properly, this game isn't a ZERO how ridiculous, either hate it or love it, that's not what metacritic measures, give it a score. Ok this game does seem like a lot of sequels go backward instead of forward, I don't believe this game is any better at all from COH 1, but yet it is a good stand alone Russian front playable game, the snow I thought would be corny, but I really like it. Its kind of like COH in respect to gameplay the Russian infantry is about as strong as US infantry and tanks and cars do pretty much the same thing. I like the commanders but there is not a forked tech tree you pick a commander and you go linear down their tech. This game isn't a step forward its a good game, but it doesn't move the ball down the field at all,… Expand
  91. Drej_X_Army
    Jul 18, 2013
    7
    The game has the feel of COH 1, but lacks hte realism that COH 1 had. You cannot flank a Anti-tank unit and easily kill everyone. The mechanics still believe that the crew has the shield blocking the shots. Plus, the lack of defenses for the Russians make it seem that they are always on the offensive.I think its still alot of fun and brings new strageties to the table, but COH 2 should ofThe game has the feel of COH 1, but lacks hte realism that COH 1 had. You cannot flank a Anti-tank unit and easily kill everyone. The mechanics still believe that the crew has the shield blocking the shots. Plus, the lack of defenses for the Russians make it seem that they are always on the offensive.I think its still alot of fun and brings new strageties to the table, but COH 2 should of brough the japanese into play as well, instead of bring more germans.… Expand
  92. Spedattack
    Dec 10, 2014
    7
    I wanted to wait at least until I had finished the campaign to do this review because I had only played the multiplayer. I will not spoil anything about the story itself, but will go into some of the historical portrayals in this game.
    To be honest, I did not like the campaign itself. I actually have to somewhat agree with BadComedian and say that this game was far too negative of the    I wanted to wait at least until I had finished the campaign to do this review because I had only played the multiplayer. I will not spoil anything about the story itself, but will go into some of the historical portrayals in this game.
    To be honest, I did not like the campaign itself. I actually have to somewhat agree with BadComedian and say that this game was far too negative of the Soviet Red Army. There were many moments where I said to myself "that never happened". I have studied WWII immensely and have spent years reading about it. Order 227 shows up through most of the campaign despite the fact that Order 227 was repealed several months into the Battle of Stalingrad. The Soviets never set fire to their own houses with civilians still inside. And some of the bloodthirsty dialogue for the Soviet laughter was just laughable because the Soviets were never that cheap with their soldiers and equipment. Their needles bloodthirsty portrayal of the Soviets was just plain ridiculous and laughable at times. The game barely mentions any of the numerous German war crimes in this game. They did a great disservice to those who were murdered and raped by the invading German army by constantly showing the Soviets as those who constantly wasted the lives of their own people which simply was not true. The Soviets did commit a lot of war crimes themselves especially when they invaded Germany, but to be portrayed as cheap egotistical tyrants is extremely unfair as many generals and officers treated their men with dignity and tried to save as many of them as possible.
    Also, I had gripes about not being able to fight in the Battle of the Kursk which was the largest tank battle in history. You got to fight somewhat in Leningrad, in Stalingrad, and Berlin but you never get to fight at Kursk which bummed me out. Also the level designs just felt all the same to me.
    I loved the first Company of Heroes and the gameplay that was passed on to this game was the only reason this game was enjoyable. The sniper is no longer a ridiculously overpowered unit, but they gave that role to flamethrower units especially the German halftrack that can literally annihilate infantry units in a few seconds. Soviet infantry units are extremely weak, but their advanced vehicle units make up for that.
    The sound editing and music were astounding though as they gave you the feeling of being on the actual battlefield while adding epicness to it.
    Despite this game's flaws it is a good entry to Company of Heroes, but Relic needs to stop trying to be controversial and actually make a game that displays the soldiers they are portraying as heroes or do not make the game. It is Company of Heroes for a reason. There were times during the first game where I also noticed some demonizing of Allied troops while adding sympathy to the Germans. I am not saying stuff like this didn't occur, but you are trying to show heroes here not war criminals.    … Expand
  93. nebz
    Aug 6, 2013
    7
    Well I guess it boils down to this. How close to the quick do you want to cut in your depiction of war? The Russians may want to be shown as the Allies, which they were without question, but they did order and authorise firing on their own troops, so you can't have it all ways. Historical accuracy isn't going to paint the prettiest picture.

    Plus, if the stories coming out of Russia just    Well I guess it boils down to this. How close to the quick do you want to cut in your depiction of war? The Russians may want to be shown as the Allies, which they were without question, but they did order and authorise firing on their own troops, so you can't have it all ways. Historical accuracy isn't going to paint the prettiest picture.

    Plus, if the stories coming out of Russia just now are to be believed... What they are doing to their own people right now for what sexuality they are is pretty damn grim and does not in any way "represent the best of human qualities like bravery, cunning, self-sacrificial courage and honesty". That's another story though.    … Expand
  94. Aeryx
    Aug 22, 2017
    7
    Is it better than the original? NO
    Is it a great game? YES
    Is it a worthy sequel? JUST Having played the original for 7 long years I must say that it has to be the longest, continuously played game of my life. 2 succeeding PC builds always had it installed. I had my doubts with Relic but this one is A-OK. The gameplay is not as unpredictable and as positively protracted as the first    Is it better than the original? NO
    Is it a great game? YES
    Is it a worthy sequel? JUST

    Having played the original for 7 long years I must say that it has to be the longest, continuously played game of my life. 2 succeeding PC builds always had it installed. I had my doubts with Relic but this one is A-OK. The gameplay is not as unpredictable and as positively protracted as the first which takes away a little bit of excitement but you still get loads of fun, explosions and other good stuff in its place. Let's hope the patches improve the balance just a bit more as the high population count of units is an issue. I don't think all the negative reviews accurately portray this still good game so don't let the naysayers discourage you. If you want a very good RTS, this is definitely worth your time and money.    … Expand
  95. JaJu
    Jun 28, 2013
    7
    SCORE: As a 1000+ hours veteran of CoH 1, I rate this a solid 6. I'm not going to play that childish game of rating based on other player's votes (10's and 0's). Metacritic needs to come out with a rating system that requires a driver's license I.D. to register so that accuracy isn't thrown out the window for nerd raging children.

    ALL AROUND: The "nothing has changed!" reviews    SCORE: As a 1000+ hours veteran of CoH 1, I rate this a solid 6. I'm not going to play that childish game of rating based on other player's votes (10's and 0's). Metacritic needs to come out with a rating system that requires a driver's license I.D. to register so that accuracy isn't thrown out the window for nerd raging children.

    ALL AROUND: The "nothing has changed!" reviews aren't as stupid as they come across. What people are saying, and I agree, is that the base game never evolved. Instead, what they did was take the same system and the same crap AI with it's same aggravating maneuvers, and "fixed" things that weren't really broken. Sure, the interface is cleaner and easier for newcomers to utilize. What is glaringly obvious is that nobody from the development team was tasked to find the problems with the original and fix them. You'll still have tanks getting stuck on a shrub, cascading a traffic jam into all of your other units, causing many more of your tanks to turn 180 degrees and show their weakest point to the enemy, getting nailed by anti tank fire in the behind while they throw a fit over a tiny land object. Foot-soldier units won't calculate that they are in a huge clusterfrack and decide to take a 3 second detour around the idiots in front of them in order to complete a move order.

    The workaround for poor A.I. is still the same: micromanagement. If you didn't plan ahead the perfect point-to-point path each and every unit should take, then you're going to have to force your tanks to reverse with their gun's forward on your own for every single jammed unit. Essentially the commander of the entire front is out of the office driving tanks for the army while the rest sits around clueless.

    GRAPHICS: This game was clearly developed with the same technology and requirements of the old version, thus, the developer decided that updated machines will take place of them optimizing their game. I'm left to question -WHAT?- exactly was done with all of this development time?

    GAMEPLAY: This is merely CoH 1.5, a reskin and rehash of the original. There's some added gimmicks thrown in to make you think you're playing the next generation of RTS, but really all your going to be playing is a regurgitation with a bunch of things to slow down and pin your armies in order to change the pace of gameplay.

    ---------: If you've played the original CoH with any of the incredible modifications that the fan base churned out, you'll be sad to find that none of that talent was used to create a real CoH 2.0. We already had these doctrines in the CoH mod, Eastern Front which was FREE! We already had these graphics in the CoH mod blitzkreig... and it ran a hell of a lot better than Company of Heroes "2".

    Don't buy this game until its had at least 6 months of fixes. If you're a CoH 1 fan and didn't preorder for whatever reason, you'll be bored of this game in minutes anyway. Even waiting six months, I'd wait some more until expansion packs and features that have been removed from the game are available for major discounts or free with the main game. CoH2 is just another franchise grabbing easy cash from their solid fan base while really offering nothing new that truly is worth $60.

    Just Imagine what you can and will get if you spend your money elsewhere...    … Expand
  96. ElWrobel
    Dec 12, 2014
    7
    A very good game, brought down by overpriced DLC fest. It looks very nice, it's cinematic, it's sound assets are very high quality, overall, when compared to vanilla CoH it's better. However, it pales in comparison to modded first game, mods like Blitzkrieg or Europe at War absolutely obliterate it.

    Regardless, it is fun to play and if it would've taken the route of first CoH, that is    A very good game, brought down by overpriced DLC fest. It looks very nice, it's cinematic, it's sound assets are very high quality, overall, when compared to vanilla CoH it's better. However, it pales in comparison to modded first game, mods like Blitzkrieg or Europe at War absolutely obliterate it.

    Regardless, it is fun to play and if it would've taken the route of first CoH, that is one serious expansion pack, it would've been much better value.    … Expand
  97. medpack87
    Jun 28, 2013
    7
    This game is such a great MP game. It is a pity there are only 2 factions to play with, but the gameplay is awesome, everything you expect from a RTS. 4v4 games are just grand.
  98. JohnWitten
    Oct 20, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Concept: Adds in more realism and gameplay elements at the sacrifice of the aspects that made the first game the strategy juggernaut that it was.

    Graphics: The graphics update is appreciated, and looks great from a distance certainly, but don't expect the same level of quality up close.

    Sound: Sounds are clearly one of the game's highlights, with realistic explosions and feedback chatter spinning around at all times- realistically disorienting the player as well sometimes.

    Playability: Once you figure out the controls, it's a blast to play. Key words: once you figure out the controls.

    Entertainment: The game is a good one, albeit an extremely flawed one, and one that could have really been something great given a little bit more time.

    Replay Value: Moderate.

    Overall Score: 7.5    … Expand
  99. CoffeeGuy22
    Jan 16, 2014
    7
    I didn't like the first CoH really at all but this is way better. My problem with this game is that it's very arcady which isn't what I was looking in a world war 2 RTS so I like Men of War way more but that's personal preference but this is still a pretty ok RTS. So what about the tecnical stuff? This game is quite pretty, not amazingly so but the effects like the explosions and smoke areI didn't like the first CoH really at all but this is way better. My problem with this game is that it's very arcady which isn't what I was looking in a world war 2 RTS so I like Men of War way more but that's personal preference but this is still a pretty ok RTS. So what about the tecnical stuff? This game is quite pretty, not amazingly so but the effects like the explosions and smoke are well made. The optimization isn't great but it's not awful (it's certainly better than the original CoH) I have an average PC (1000 €) and it ran ok. This game has a lot of content to play, versus multiplayer and co-op. You might want to buy this when it's on sale if you're interested in an arcadey world war 2 RTS.… Expand
  100. Basilone
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    Multiplayer: I've had fun in my 400+ matches played so far, but there are some questionable design choices. Blizzards mechanics are unrealistic and terrible for multiplayer. The Commander system has really degraded from the depth and uniqueness of the original. There are these things called "Intel Bulletins" which can be unlocked and work similar to perks in a CoD title by buffing certainMultiplayer: I've had fun in my 400+ matches played so far, but there are some questionable design choices. Blizzards mechanics are unrealistic and terrible for multiplayer. The Commander system has really degraded from the depth and uniqueness of the original. There are these things called "Intel Bulletins" which can be unlocked and work similar to perks in a CoD title by buffing certain units. Most of these bulletins are absolutely useless, everybody good is using the same 10 which is really stale and pointless. But aside from that, the core gameplay is pretty good.

    Campaign: This is why the game has a 1.6 user score. Though the missions are pretty fun to play, the plot is just terrible. It should be called Company of War Criminals, because rather than focus on the heroism of the soldiers (there are some instances but few and far between) the whole purpose of the story is to demonize the Soviets. I know the Soviets did some bad things, but even the Russians wouldn't go burning down farm houses with their own citizens inside still inside to "deny the enemy". This franchise is not about war crimes, but if they were going to go that direction they should have showed both sides of the coin. A Russian commentator made a video exposing the campaign for the piece of crap it is, and after it went viral the user score plummeted in hours.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m4SCUaBHS8

    Theater of War: Missions you can play cooperatively or singleplayer. I was skeptical at first but they are quite fun, they are like a full campaign minus the propaganda.

    Patches: They are actively patching the game and have really been listening to feedback.

    Audio: Great, as usual for Relic games.

    Grahpics: The textures haven't improved that much since the original, but they did add a ton of detail to the particle effects.

    DLC: $100 worth of DLC just 2 months after release, with much more to come. And I thought EA/Activision were pirates.... #dafuqwereyouthinking

    If I were to take in to account the horrid campaign, CoH2 would get a 4/10. But since multiplayer is what makes or breaks this game, I give it a 7/10. Two steps forward and three steps backward from the original, but luckily CoH1 was the highest rated RTS of all time so we are left with a "decent" game.    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

57
#57 Best PC Game of 2013
6
#6 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
19
#19 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 82 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 82
  3. Negative: 2 out of 82
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 7, 2013
    85
    Company of Heroes 2 is curiously forgettable as single player, even though cliched horrors of war and overdose of fake accents try their best. As a multiplayer it shines, although beginners usually think otherwise. [Aug 2013]
  2. Armchair Empire
    Sep 10, 2013
    80
    Relic Entertainment cleared the hurdle the original game set as far as I'm concerned. Tweaking, remoulding and teasing out the underlying systems of the original, and then layering things like cold weather, may not set the world on fire like the original Company of Heroes did but it's still a solid strategy game and with the right support and continued release of content I can see it living on for quite some time.
    Read full review
  3. Shacknews
    Aug 23, 2013
    60
    Everything its predecessor was: an intense and enjoyable RTS that gives you the feeling of really being an armchair general. It is just unfortunate that after waiting so long for a sequel, it doesn't offer too much in the way of innovation.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »