I have to admit, I've only played this game for about two hours so far, but I can easily say it's one of the best real-time strategy games I've seen. Being a huge fan of Star Wars: Empire at War, I picked this title up as part of the Humble Bundle, expecting it to be similar to that game. It was, except this one's a lot more graphically-detailed with more gameplay elements.

Absolutely fantastic game that restored my faith in the gaming industry.
Very balanced gameplay, every unit has its purpose and none are completely useless. "Battering-Ram"-tactics will get you completely destroyed and a lot of thought went into the tactical gameplay features.
Presentation is solid and outdated graphics really don't hurt the overall enjoyment.
I love the fact that you can employ actual strategies. There is no "works every time"-strategy or building order that will guarantee a win. You can accomplish most missions in a variety of ways.
The entire game has only 3 weak spots imho:
a) KI ist solid, but makes a few unnecesarry mistakes i.e. Anti-Tank weapons don't turn around when attacked from the back or sometimes infantry has the accuracy of Imperial Stormtroopers
b) Depending on your system, loading times are pretty long
c) A Pause-Function in Single-Player would have made the game a bit less stressful, since the AI can give multiple orders simultaneously which puts a human player at a disadvantage without a pause mode… Expand

Never has the RTS genre seen anything like this. Company of Heroes is rightfully, the highest rated game of its kind. And to this day, no other game in the likes holds a candle to its gameplay and tactical immersion. Every battle is something new and exciting, this is one of those games that never gets old.

One of the best RTS of all time, still fun to play. The only downsides are lack of map and faction variety in the vanilla version. COH still holds up in 2013 and there hasn't been a game that's challenged its place at the top of the RTS world.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the best RTS out there even today, it's totaly unique. It's so fun to play with friends, or even against random players. I would HIGHLY recomend this game to anybody looking for a great RTS game.… Expand

I am completely bewildered by all the high ratings given this game. Obviously all these people have never played a real quality RTS before. This game was sold in parts. This game doesn't hold a candle to the C+C series. Generals Zero Hour pure gutstomps this game into the dirt. Limited unit types, limited buildings, no research poor AI and one could go blind from trying to play it everything is so small. If you want a real RTS you would do better to go get yourself a copy of C+C Generals Zero Hour and skip this dog.… Expand

La implementación de la cámara es bastante molesta por momentos, y la AI es un tanto extraña. Por lo demás, es un juego muy entretenido, sobre todo en el modo multiplayer.

*Best strategy and tactics game ever! I just bought this in Dec 2012 and have logged more than 200 hours on it. Strategy games are my main interest with computer games and I have played some great ones. Warrior Kings Battles had some epic combined-arms tactics with interesting terrain and base building. Starcraft was OK for its time but was very limited and led to mono-tactics. CoH, and its fine expansion-packs, have set the bar so high that no game has been able to surpass it. The single player game is a fine tutorial and it has high production values and a logical progression. However, the game was designed around the PvP match, and it is very well thought out. There is an amazing variety of tactical options available with three distinct disciplines to choose from within each faction. (4 factions if you have both the expansions) Even still you will find that every player has a unique style that can be seen in their play. The game is about figuring out what your opponent is up to then foiling their plans. This does not boil down to 'this unit beats that unit' like so many other games. With CoH the player can react on the fly, fake out & misdirect, apply their 'brilliant plan' or devise a counter strategy when needed. Anything you can imagine can be attempted. *Many of the so-called 'bugs' are actually signs of extensive testing and debate by the studio. If your AT gun won't face to counter attack it is because you told him to guard the road. This is the army...units are supposed to follow orders, not decide what they feel like doing. Reacting to their pleas for refacing is your job...it's called micro. *The PvP has very little trash-talking compared to shooter games and there is an active community. Automatches will find you an opponent that is at the same level as you and game-play avoids abusive base-rushes and snowballing. Battles will often go back and forth leaving victory up for grabs until the very end. Solid design. Huge detail. The voice acting is great with accents and period-specific & regionally accurate colloquialisms. (Canadian soldiers with authentic Quebecois and Newfie accents.) Oh, and almost every significant unit type from WW2 is beautifully modeled with the actual abilities associated with them. The statistics for the weapon systems are modeled with amazing accuracy only being altered to maintain balance in the game. ( War is never fair but games should be). Matches can also be recorded and there are many shoutcasts for CoH playbacks with commentary available on the net. Company of Heroes is a must have for all strategy and tactics players.… Expand

I haven't played a war strategy game this good since C and C. If you want immerse yourself in the heat of all out war then this game delivers. Great fun, both playing the campaign or pitting your whits against people on line. Cant wait for the next one. Already pre ordered. The expansions don't really bring much more to the game other than extra teams. Still an excellent Game though. Buy it and try it.… Expand

That was good RTS, good game, nice campaign and great graphic, for this day in 2012 this is good game for play with friends :)
For Single and multi, must have!

Just started playing, as a certain magazine provided its readers with a free steam code - thanks! I've got dishonoured, far cry 3 and assassin's creed 3 sitting in their boxes unwrapped, as I've been immersed in these strategic/tactical, yet also action-packed campaigns (if you include Opposing Fronts expansion). I was worried that the slightly dated graphics and cut scenes would put me off. This game really stands the test of time. The only other war RTS I bought this year as Wargame: European Escalation, but COH literally is a far, far more fun game to play. Will be eagerly awaiting the sequel. My only criticism, is the population cap limit - I understand the reasoning behind it, but it would be nice to have truly massive and epic battles.… Expand

Best. Game. Ever Really, i've played it for 98 hours in total. you MUST try it out. And if you have doubts, you'll be surprised

Simply the best RTS ever made, can't wait for COH2. Graphics are still amazing after 6 years, the gameplay is so great and overall it's the deepest RTS ever made with a fast paced gameplay :)

A game which has strong elements and an enjoyable RTS system but for me the game never made me really want to play it and towards the end pushed through to just finish it.

I love this game!, the reasons that I do not give a 10 is because they are very few factions and in multiplayer of classic or skirmish you can't play as a fictitious faction with the units of the American vs American , or German vs. German.

This game sucked up a year of my life and I don't regret it. I still love booting it up even now. A perfect PC Strategy Game. GET IT GET IT GET IT.

This is easily the best game ever made. I bought all versions beginning from 2006 and played extensively on multiplayer. I have played more than 3000 games in multiplayer and still playing every now and then. The multiplayer is very good because it does match quite well the other players skill to yours so there is normally quite a challenge in every game. The game is balanced very well between the factions. I mainly play 2 vs 2 classic and I love it. I can't play 1 vs 1 anymore because I get so angry when I lose to someone so it is better to have someone beside you when losing :)

Very good game, still after 6 years the graphics are very much worth it. I would buy it again and waiting anxiously for COH#2.… Expand

I haven't played multiplayer yet and my review is restricted to the gameplay and singleplayer only. Company of Heroes is one of the best RTS games I've ever played - possibly the best. The graphics look good even today, and the sound is pretty good as well. The game is almost a perfect ten - but it has drawbacks. The biggest complaint I have is the AI. It **** sucks. Infantry is almost completely useless (it can stand 4 meters away from an enemy unit and still require 1000 shots to kill it). If you meet an enemy that's inside a house, you might as well just turn back until you get a tank to come along. This brings me to another point - the tanks. Not only do they suffer from poor AI as well (sometimes they'll mindlessly drive into what you want to attack, which might end up in it getting flanked and shot to bits, instead of attacking from a safe distance. And it's not enough with tanks having poor AI, they are practically necessary to complete anything. If you want to attack an objective, you NEED tanks to clear out the enemy's defence. If not, your infantry will be eaten alive. Basically how the missions play out is that you defend your base until you've gotten a few tanks - then you can launch your offensive. The only thing you need infantry for is to capture objectives.

There isn't a whole lot of strategy involved either. No need for tactics - getting creative is not necessary at all. Just get a few tanks and steamroll through the level.

That said, I still love the game and like it very much. It's fun to play, even with the issues it has. I'm looking forward to the sequel - which'll hopefully fix these issues. I definitely recommend this game to anyone who like RTS's or would like to start playing them - you'll have a great time even though it can get a little boring. It's cheap on Steam at the moment, and very much worth the money.… Expand

By far one of the best RTS games out there period. There is a reason qualified gaming sources (Critics) didn't score this game below 80%. Any gamer who gave it less than 5 is just that "any gamer". They either couldn't get past the learning curve or understand the balance of the game. It is developed to show the reality of World War 2 while providing a fun, balanced playable game. Complaints about AI have either been exaggerated or are simply based on bad info. The fact there are complaints that the AT Gun does not swivel when positioned poorly and/or flanked is what makes this a strategy game. You need to be able to micro your forces and aim your weapons yourself. If the AI did that for you then flanking would be useless and there would be no need for a player at all. You could just click begin match and sit back and watch. I assume most low scores come from gamers who do not want to have to click on a single unit more than once. What do they expect this game to be simply build, point and watch it destroy the enemy. That is why the call it Real Time Strategy. This game has so much depth it does take some time to get used to. Expect to have to immerse yourself in the game and spend some serious time learning the hard and soft counters of each unit and what to do versus certain opposing strategies. While I find it more enjoyable than Men of War it is a different classification of WW2 RTS than Men of War. MoW is based on total realism. Company of Heroes is based on balanced game play. For instance the King Tiger can be overwhelmed and circled by lesser tanks and Anti-Tank weapons. That is part of the game. Some users commented on the fact the King Tiger was not able to take on lesser enemies with superior strategy. That is what balanced game play is all about. Every unit has a counter and can be defeated with the right strategy. My vote for game of the century goes to Company of Heroes. Even in 2012 it still has a strong online multi-player lobby and has been well supported by the developers. The last balance patch 2.602 was done with community participation and success in 2011. There are currently claims of rampant cheating (mostly by a few who cannot accept loss and point to complex 2v2 or bigger matches) but this is something I have not seen myself for sure in any of my thousands of 1v1 auto matches.… Expand

Great game! The best RTS game I ever played. The audio, gameplay and graphics all combine together to give a realistic war simulation. The destroyable enviroments are epic, showing the aftermath of huge battles. One of the effects I like is the ragdoll physics when a soldier dies when hit by an explosion. Really realistic. Worth it definetaly!

Greatest RTS ever made, period. I grew up playing turn based strategy and RTS games, and without thinking twice, this game is the best RTS I've ever played (I played pretty much every RTS worth playing in the past 15 years). This game gave me the same chills that Total Annihilation gave me when it came out, it was everything that I was expecting from an RTS, and a little more. The game is very solid, with good graphics, AMAZING sound effects, and a great physics engine. The part that makes this game so good however, is the actual strategy design of the game. This is pure strategy in real time, not only positioning, but also planning, decision making, control of units and most importantly reaction to your enemy's decisions. This gave is not as unforgiving of lack of APM or fast reaction times with the mouse, like most other RTSs. The most important part of the game is strategy, planning and positioning, rather than having a perfect mouse/hand skills. The amount of depth of the game is also astonishing. There is more to understand and learn about infantry mechanics alone in this game than most other RTSs have in their entire game. I really can't think of any cons, while of course the AI could be improved, personally I think the AI in this game does a whole lot more than most RTSs out there. Conclusion: This is definitely a legend in RTSs, it's strategy at its finest, and while it's not really fast phased, the amount of depth and strategy involved in it makes it seem to be frantic if you really get into it. The graphics, sound effects and physics of the game compliment perfectly the gameplay mechanics, and the concept matches very well the art of the game. Overall this game impressed me since the very first moment I played it, and it holds BY A LOT the #1 spot as RTS for me.… Expand

Unfortunetly, I have to write this from the perspective of someone who is THE WORST fps player of all time. However, if I play the easy mode their should still be the balance that would allow the me to make it through wihout huge difficulty spikes. The gameplay is great; the overall atmosphere is great.

You know what? This is one of those few non-crappy RTSs I ever played. The gameplay is addicting, i barely see any flaws. THQ you did a really good job.

"It's like Dawn of War in WW2!" More like improved version of Dawn of War. And there's nothing bad about it right now. Yeah, sometimes it's actually good to keep very similiar gameplay! Take that C- oh wait I hate that game too... The gameplay is very similiar to Dawn of War (Not in a bad way) but the additions improve the gameplay a lot and add more depth. Since there are now three different kind of control points to capture, it's now more important to decide what you want to capture first. It also adds more dirty things to do like stealing the ammunation points to prevent enemy from spamming artillery strikes. Add the fact that you need to keep control points around it secured to make use of the resources you get, there are a lot more things to do to stop the enemy. The gameplay is the most intense I've encountered in a strategy game. Playing 3vs3 is simply amazing in this game. This game is definently one of the best strategy games released. The gameplay is great and was improved from Dawn of War in right places with very good additions. You DON'T avoid this game. You'll buy this game, play 3vs3 (Or 4vs4 and such), and have a lot of fun. 24/7.… Expand

One of the most fun rts titles I have ever played. Don't expect to play this competitively, there is a lot of randomness that dictates the outcomes of battles and the combat AI is horrible but you forget those things when your blowing everything up with artillery.

love this game. the system works well and the enemies offer a challenge. the games upgrade system feels satisfying and doesn't feel a worthless waste of points. I enjoyed the game from beginning to end and will consider buying the sequel when I've finished the game I'm playing now

One of the best RTS games ever made, i got it at release and from time to time im still playin it.
Ofc the concept is repetitive, but its like any other RTS.
Great feeling over the game mechaincs, really great audio, still very appealing graphics, challenging AI, balanced but enough different factions.
I personally think that Starcraft II offers a bit more depth to the players who wants a more competitive experience in multi and a better structured single player campaign, anyway thumbs up for this COH, imo second only to SC2, really a well made and fun RTS.… Expand

An RTS with great depth. Number of units, fast pace and unit diversity makes this game a real RTS jewel. I 've never seen another RTS that represents land warfare with so much fidelity. Taking cover behind a wall, flanking an MG, hitting a tank's weaker rear armor, advancing behind a smokescreen, laying barbed-wire and placing a mine smartly are some of the things you don't see together in an RTS and used to be features of FPS genre 'till CoH's release. The game features a Campaign (US faction only which is nicely done, still scripted) which serves well as a tutorial to the game's mechanics, Skirmishes against AI opponents which from one point on seems easy cause of the AI limitations. The game really shines when it comes to online play against other players. The variety of things a human player can do and the variety of your response options are so many than you 'll be amazed. The only "bad" thing is that the learning curve is quite steep and the player community quite experienced after so many years since release which can be intimidating for a new player. Still, if you cope with this, learn from your own mistakes and admit that you 'll count many defeats before saying you know how to play then you have a great game at your hands. Graphics are very good, still amazing after so many years, and sound is great and vital to your battlefield performance. I would recommend it to everyone who likes RTS. Personally, before CoH I 've played many RTS extensively, after CoH I only play CoH and Total War games. Even more recent RTS (like SCII) seems too simplistic for me to bother playing!… Expand

Company of Heroes is one of the best (or maybe the best?) RTS games ever made. Beautiful graphics, gameplay and scenarios make this game look like it was released just last month. But it wasn't, it's 6 years old and I'm still playing it.

Although this can be challenging to new players, Company of Heroes offers an experience like no other.
You play as the US Army in the campaign, and must play to ensure the success of the D-Day invasions. The game is however completely brought to life in the Multi player mode. Here you can play as either the US Army, or the Nazi Wermacht. Each faction has it's own 'doctrines', which allows you to have certain units.

The US Army, for example, has the Airborne Company, which allows you to parachute in elite infantry, and even Anti-Tank guns. On the other hand, the Nazi's can pick the Blitzkrieg Doctrine, which allows the player to call in Elite Stormtroopers and Stug IV Tanks, allowing you to smash into enemy lines, for a final push to victory.

The unit pool is very broad, with many upgrades for your units. For example, Nazi Grenadiers can be upgraded to have MG42 light machine guns, capable of ripping enemy infantry to shreds, or even Panzerschreck Rocket Launchers, to give you the upper hand over enemy armour.

This game is worth every penny, so this game gets 9/10!… Expand

I bought this game on sale from Steam, not expecting too much, but was pleasantly surprised. The game featured fairly good graphics, physics, and game mechanics and seemed well-balanced. I especially enjoyed the environmental cover system, which adds an additional tactical layer to any place you fight. The single-player campaign (which is all I played) was pretty good: the story was okay and the levels were mostly fun. As with many games with build limit systems, it does get frustrating at times to be forcibly outnumbered and to have to defend large areas with relatively few troops, but there are ways to counter this (I personally enjoyed building elaborate defensive lines across my territory using turrets, fences, etc.). Overall I would strongly recommend this game to any RTS fan, and if you catch it on sale, you can't beat the value.… Expand

Horribly overrated. This game so badly wants to be a tactical wartime RTS on the level of a Sid Meier's Gettysburg, but ends up being a bleh spinoff of the Command & Conquer series. Don't get me wrong there are lots of cool ideas here, but none that really excel in the framework of the game. You have the ability to station troops behind walls or inside houses for cover; engineers can build sandbags, barbed wired fences or anti-tank blockades, and even plant landmines; you are given a variety of troop types from machine guns, snipers, basic infantry, down toward mortars for long range bombardments; and even an RPG like level up skill system based on experience gained. Heck, the game even adds an overhead tactical view as if to say, "see this is more than your mindless send wave after wave of whatever type of unit you want and auto win." However, it won't be long till you realize all these "strategy's" are pretty useless and you'd be better off ignoring them and going back to the "build tons of units, group them all together, and just mindlessly walk around the map steamrolling the enemy." This is due to the fact that game plays out too quickly and chaotically to make bothering with any of these tedious strategy's effective or worthwhile. The problem is if you aren't babysitting your troops and issuing pain in the *** micromanagement commands the entire time they will be obliterated so attempting to strategically place your units around the map is a death sentence. If you even for a second try to switch to an engineer on another area of the map to plan or build some defenses you will just look back a few minutes later to see your entire army has been wiped out because they were too 'tarded to fight back properly then look back to find out your engineer is dead too - fun. The constant "losing troops before you even realize they are under attack" gets aggravating really quickly 100x more so if you try to play skirmish against the computer because they can micromanage and track all troop movement at levels a human player can't dare reach. Add in a camera that makes it feel like you are playing at 640x480 resolution and you might as well just tell strategy and tactics to go f' themselves.

I love WW2 games whether its online first person shooters, the Command and Conquer series, or strategy heavy games like the Commandos series, but this one didn't work for me. It tries to cram elements from all three together and the result is just an overly complicated mess of annoyance, failure, and disappointment. I got this game for $4.99 on a Steam sale, which I thought was going to be a steal having read all the glowing reviews and instead it just feels like a con. I'll play the single player campaign for a few more hours than I'm done - uninstall never to be spoken of again.… Expand

This is one of the Best Strategy Games i ever played, even in 2012 i'm still playing it, just because its that great! Really looking forward to the sequel

One of the best strategygames out there, despite it being 6 years old. It is for those who dont want to spend most of the time building houses and farms but to focus on the action while micromanaging your units to take strategic points on the map to recieve resources. It is also graphically impressing even today with detailed units and enviroments and a good physics engine. The campaign is really great with many missions if you include the two expansions (which are cheap today) and the multiplayer and skirmish-mode is hard to let go.… Expand

One of my favorite games of all time and the only RTS I've ever really been able to get into. It's got the mechanics of StarCraft with a WW2 setting and a much slower pace. There is an emphasis on micromanagement because your units are expensive and thus limited. This serves to make each battle realistic. Each faction is unique - they don't just have different units, they play differently. The Wehrmacht and Americans play differently from the Panzer Elite and British. The different kinds of units are very diverse. You can build sandbags, lay barbed wire, tank traps, mines, upgrade squads and vehicles. By the end of a match you won't recognize the environment because of the destruction. You can choose doctrines, upgrades. There's infantry, light vehicles, light tanks, heavy tanks, artillery, anti-tank guns. It's especially addicting if you're a WW2 buff. The game runs decently but has vsync enabled by default (this can be forced off) which causes some input lag. Also it lacks an AA option but this also can be forced on if you have an Nvidia GPU (FXAA). The sound in this game is phenomenal. You can really feel the thump of shells firing and units exploding; the environmental reverb is amazing. Each rifle, machine gun, and artillery piece sounds unique. The campaign is kind of boring but who cares... 10/10. Truly a masterpiece.… Expand

This is an awesome RTS. Company of heroes is the most realistic WWII game I have ever played. All of the Weapons and Vehicles are historically accurate. The graphics and the sound effects are great. Company of heroes is territory based yet it still plays like an "Age of Empires" or "Warcraft III", but it is one of the only RTS games I have seen that can be territory based, but still fast and not extremely complicated. CoH only has 2 different playable armies which is one of the only down sides, but that's why I bought "CoH: Tales of Valor" which unlocks the British and the Panzer Elite armies. I personally believe this is one of the greatest RTS games of all time.… Expand

I always wanted a WW2 RTS. No one ever seemed to deliver though, until know. i LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this game. Its all us RTS gamers could ask for, including stuff we might not have :/

As stated before, i love this game, but there are certainly some things that hold back gameplay. Standard to almost all games unfortunately, is that the AI is so incredibly stupid its mind boggling, you mostly have to baby-sit the units youre advancing with. The penetration in tank on tank is VERY frustrating, the Shermans constantly bouncing 88mm shells off their hull like it was a soft breeze.

Playing single player is almost not an option on the Axis. If you dont end the game FAST, you will lose, unless you have the Ai set to easy. Ive tried many times to do so, maybe its just me. But basically, anything you through at anywhere is facing it's weakness. The allies NEVER use any strategy other than massing anti tank guns and flamethrower engineers. because the game is balanced in a sense, Shermans are almost as powerful as the Panzer IVs and Tigers you through at them, making superiority in quality not easily achieved. The Germans are incredibly expensive, everything they have takes preposterous amounts of gas. Overall, the Germans get the short end of the stick from start to finish. Thats not to say they cant win, its just incredibly difficult. So basically, if youre in a single player game against the Allies, end the game quick or dont expect a win without incredible difficulty. All they do is mass AT guns and armored cars, making even a nice balanced mix of units crumble under 6 AT guns and other small arms. This is the problem, at least, with playing 2v2 and up, because the allied AI can produce AT guns so incredibly fast, it melts anything you throw at them.


This game could be better, like all games, but its just what i wanted, a WW2 RTS. The majority of the game is great fun.… Expand

One of the best RTS of 2012!!!! 6 year's old and this game is still amazing and it's not dead! Seriously people like me are still playing after 6 year's!!!! I can't wait to see what COH2 has to offer..... This game was and is still great!

This is a must buy if you ever thought of yourself as a RTS.gamer. Relic took the genre to another level much like Westwood Studios did several times before. I was realy impressed with the sound and environment destruction in the game. That is something I feel no other title in this genre have been able to match. It would be weird if you did not trash the whole map with these big weapons so were is the destruction in other games. They are surely missing this realy big part of an actual war.

Some thoughts taken from my experience in the first Company of Heroes:
# AI would need to be improved alot cause there were issues with it that made fighting and doing advanced maneuvers a real pain.
# Multiplayer/LAN were the big thing in this game cause I have always been a player that would want to compete with others. There are big problems with how they have programed the networking. The players without high ping will be set on hold so you cant take action when waiting for the one who is having problems. This is just experienced as latency.
They also have alot of server problems that still haunt me even now 2012 when the game have had some time to get over these growing pains.
# Controls would need a overhaul so I can select units easier and not risk to select my whole army cause of their big hitboxes.… Expand

ClausA u can go screw yourself! the critics gave it amazing reviews. the AI is supposed to be hard ur fighting against a **** computer no duh its gonna be hard. the makers make the AI challenging to give u a challenge to face to make u get frustrated and go head on not to rage quit and whine all day about wasting your money its a good game don't blame the game because u suck!

Genre defining game, still standing strong in 2012. The amount of detail on every facet of the game, from audio, to animations, to game play is simply amazing

Some of the connected features are a bit outdated by today standards, but that's to the expected. And with the latest patches installed, this game comes close to a very good balance between the 4 factions available with the expansions.

There are still glitches here and there (units getting stuck in collisions) due to the physics engine used, but the fact that all unit damage is governed by a random factor can make some moments of it the most frustrating or the greatest game moves ever played :).

Replays are being uploaded and commented on youtube and there is a hardcore community built around it with mods and the works.

And let's not forget 2013 will bring us Company of Heroes 2... Well, if THQ doesn't go under in the meanwhile.

All in all, this game has to be played by everyone who is even remotely interested in RTS. I mean, the first mission of the American campaign is a beach assault in Normandy!… Expand

Quite simply, a member of the select few games that have ever warranted a perfect ten or thereabouts. Undoubtedly one of, if not the best, real-time strategy games ever made. Roll on, number two!

A near perfect game, heavily marred by glitchy unit AI, as many others have stated (tanks driving straight into other tanks etc, trying to get a tank to reverse to retreat is almost impossible, as they always try to turn their back to the enemy, which is the weak spot, AND it heavily slows them down)

and an obvious imbalance in teams. US and Nazis is an equal battle, but Panzer Elites are overpowererd, and the British literally cannot play without having US allies or they will be crushed quickly, but if the Brittish do play with American allies they become completely overpowered and it becomes a case of spawn killing with pounder howitzer barrages on the enemy base!

Couple that with the most unfriendly online community imaginable (just try and get in games with a bad win/loss ratio, i dare you, noone wants to play on your team, its terrible) the player base care way more about their stats and ranking than actually having fun on the game...

and it is a real shame because the game itself looks to be astoundingly good, its such a pity that the potential is wasted.… Expand

This game have all what I expect from RTS! Great team play with friends in MP, great single player and graphics is good too. Really looking forward to CoH2!

This game is one of the best strategy games I have ever played. It is very fun and its graphics are amazing. The AI is pretty stupid through, which ruins the game a little bit. This is why I give this a 7.

Even after all those years still one of the best RTS games when it comes to fast paced combat. A great fun to play online! It's also still one of the best looking RTS games out there. Relic truly did a great job!

Company of heroes is not just the best RTS I've ever played, this game simply make other real time stratagy games (which I liked until played this game) look like a joke. I will admit the units in Red Alert 3 or in Starcraft 2 looks cooler: this game has no electricity shooting plane that turns into submarine or Giant 6 legs laser shooting beasts, but as far as the game goes, it's just excellent. And its not just the graphics and sound- in fact I only find myself zooming in while watching replays (Because awareness is key in this game) And the sound is great and realistic but not really varied. Its the game itself that earns the 10 score. The enviorment- Anything in the enviorment: Buildings, fences, trees, Destroyed Vehicles, Anything is part of the game. You will have to make sure your riflemen stay behind cover while running in mortar fire, position them behing fences while engaging the enemy, move quickly on roads (which offer nagative cover) and pretty much consider every detail in the landscape. The Securing Points System make sure no moment in the game remains dull. from the engineers skirmishes in the beginning to the full scale armour and artillary war in the end, the war takes place in every second and in every place, not just the enemy base and yours. Resources management is also improtant.

The game also brings back many tactics that seem forgotten by other RTSs. Flanking the enemy can make the diffrence between full retreat to full victory. A well placed mine can soften enemy squeds and damage the enemy vehicles' engine and health. firing a supressing Brust can send your enemy troops into cover so you can finish them off with grenade. Tanks and other vehicles can cause total chaos until you bypass their shields and destroy them. As I said, after playing this game all other RTSs, even those created 5 years later, just seem childish. Anyone who loves RTS should definatly get this game… Expand

A jaunt through the multi and even single-player modes of this game will lead you to the inevitable conclusion that this is the greatest and most innovative RTS of all time, no questions asked.

The gameplay is infinitely replayable, terrain truly matters, and the micro is so detailed without ever becoming overwhelming or tedious. This is a game that makes full use of its available resources.

Most of all, mastering this game requires intelligence, not block-headed keyboard mashing. If you still haven't bought this yet, it's on Amazon for $14. Why don't you own it?… Expand

F*CK YOU RELIC!!! I CANT STOP PLAYING THIS GAME!!!!!
This game is from 2006 yet i dont know a RTS with better graphics.
Yet i dont know a game with more strategy.
Yet i dont know a game with more mods.
Yet i dont know a game with better dynamic combat.
This is a underrated masterpiece!!

Still playing it in 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Company of Heroes is surprising in almost every way possible. Its graphics were ahead of its time at release, the combat is polished and the gameplay is easy to pick u. Of course it has suffered slightly from imbalance and a bit of frustrating AI at times, but these issues seem to have been worked on in the end. This game delivers realism, immersion and shows strategy games from their finest angle.… Expand

One of the WORST!!! Games i have ever played... just a bad camera position, far too close to get a good overview, especially because you have to micro your soldiers all the time!! all of your units... they get nothing done and often do things first after the 3rd or 4th direction. They are unable to find the shortest way and some times just run in with enemy fire instead of attacking, very unuseful for a mortar for example. The online don't run anyway and there is no support... i am scared of THQ giving their name for such a crap. If you want do something good, don't buy this!… Expand

Best RTS game ever. It's really realistic with lots of actions. Controlling tanks and spuads of troops to destroy the enemies. Campaign has good varieties of missions, like defending or attack with paratroopers. Skirmish and multiplayer can give you endless actions. I especially like 4 vs 4, because it requires teamwork and you can rely on your ally to help you. This is a really amazing game.

This is the best RTS I've ever played, and yeah that's counting Starcraft. I've played over 300 of this game with my friends alone. About another 150 hours on my own, if you want a great RTS this is the game to get especially since it's $10 on steam without specials. Personally not a big fan of the expansions though, which are basically required for multiplayer other than with friends.

Unit AI, works just fine for those who complain about it are just clicking and forgetting to much. Sure it's not perfect but to give this game a 4 because of it is down right stupid.

I've also noticed this game has a major historical inaccuracy that greatly effects gameplay. (I assume for balance reasons) Historically during WWII the only tanks that could turn in place was the Panther and Tiger tanks (and a few related versions of those tanks), while no other tanks could do this, but in CoH all tanks can do that. Once again I'll assume it's for balance reasons because the allies would lose a lot more often than necessary.… Expand

Nice game, it's realistic. I'm loving it!
It's especially fun if you play 4 vs 4. Communication will be as important as skill. And for the price you pay now? Why not?

best strategy game ever. really good and cant stop playing it. tanks are wonderful and taking enemy machine guns and vehicles are so fantastic. i gave it 10 since its best for me

You'll be hard-pressed to find another RTS as immersive, realistic (in a fun way) and intense as Company of Heros. Even by todays standards it's a great looking game. The objectives, units and weapons are so varied that it fails to feel tedious even over it's extensive campaign stretching 30+ hours (depending on how good you are) . Unfortunately, although it isn't the most complex of RTS games, it can feel overwhelming to those used to Age of Empires, and many of the weaknesses of certain enemy units are not always known or apparent. However that is a miniscule issue that won't prevent you from enjoying the game on easier difficulties, especially considering how mesmerized you will be by the incredibly sound effects.… Expand

This is one of the most overrated games I have played in many years. The praise given by critics and gamers to Company of Heroes is truly alarming. To play the game, you will be forced into signing up and logging into a Relic-Online account with your CD key. It doesn't matter if you're playing single player. Relic forces you into this DRM style process that is not even listed with Steam. This is absolutely unnacceptable and I feel misinformed by Steam and Relic. Relic had another idiotic idea. Menus for all three standalone Company of Heroes games are included, but locked. There are also two training missions from the second standalone game that appear, but are locked as well. Ridiculous. Upon first impressions (first four missions), the tactics appear to be slow, unrealistic, lacking in response, and surprisingly linear for a real-time strategy game. I am somewhat shocked, as this game has secured much hype over the years. The AI (of your own units and the enemy) is amazingly simple and limited. The units often have a hard time with your directions, and all units appear to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The AI is simply not up to standard. Many of your troops stand or sit around during a large generalized firefight, or have extremely bad shot accuracy. Saving and loading times (especially) are unexcusably long even with a modern computer. After you quit the game, Steam uploads/synchronizes several hundred megs each time. I understand I can turn this off. My complaint is the amount of space the Company of Heroes save games occupy without allowing you to delete previously saved games. Company of Heroes does not make this simple save game housekeeping possible. The game has some serious sound volume troubles in general, as it is abnormally low. Between the live action portion and the cutscenes, this problem is most serious. The cutscenes are much lower in volume in comparison. You will be restricted to constructing a very small amount of buildings (six) and only seven types of infantry troops. If the aforementioned buildings and units were more extensive with their usage and utility, I would not have much to gripe about. In reality, you will find that what you have access to is quite abridged for a game that came out in 2006. From the fifth mission on, things do get better and a tiny bit more exciting, even though it will continue to be almost an exact repetition of the first four missions. The gameplay is abbreviated, strikingly dull, laggard, close to being boring, and with little to no excitement. You select your squad(s), point them in a certain direction, select some inexstensive actions, watch some mildly interesting battle take place until the enemy troops are all dead, then capture a strategic point. That's it. There is really not much else to it. Even if the mission objectives change from mission to mission, the means you will exercise to achieve those goals will be the same. Construct buildings, generate units, upgrade, take over strategic points, repair units, replenish units, and then repeat. Once again, that's it. Company of Heroes does not provide the player with any fresh real-time strategy scope. This clumsy piece of software also managed to crash multiple times during the final mission. It took me about 19 hours to complete.… Expand

This is probably one of the fewest games that defines real-time strategy. This would have been called the Call of Duty RTS game of the century. Excellent graphics, content, story and cinematics make this unique game far better than all the others. Slow gameplay, less FPS usage, less missions, numerous balance issues and big patches are the drawbacks.

Definitely one of my favorite RTS games.
The Company of Heroes series offers many great campaigns to enjoy, different factions and a true to history feeling.
The Squad-based strategies are easy to get into yet are challenging to use correctly.
Upgrading and equipping your troops with specialised weapons is an essential part of the game, and the balance is nicely achieved; you can counter the biggest tank rushes if you use the right units, use cover or hide in buildings.

Great franchise, amazing value!… Expand

Einfach nur schlecht, alleine der Realismusfaktor ist sowas von mies und dann noch der miese Basisaufbau lässt sehr zu wünschen übrig, aber was mich am meisten stört ist das erobern von Munitions "Fahnen" oder Benzin "Fahnen", was soll das ? Das hat apsolut nichts mehr mit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zu tun, sondern ist einfach ein Stupides Gameplay, da machen es viele andere Spiele besser, man hätte die ECO wirklich besser machen können. Und dann auch noch die mini Armeen, was ja nicht mehr Armeen sind sondern eher eine kleine Gruppe an Leuten, auch wieder hier geht jedes WW2 Feeling Flöten.

Einzige was mir sehr gut gefallen hat waren die Soundeffekte, zb wenn in der Ferne, sich Leute beschieÃ… Expand

CoH is the best strategy game currently on the market. The game is flawless in every aspect, and allows for some pretty epic battles. There is nothing more to say, everything is a perfect 10.

This game is highly overrated. Yes, it's a good game, quite different from regular RTS games out there, but you get tired of the innovative stuff after 5 missions. It's the same old song and dance in all missions (make tanks and go through the map cleaning the path), you have very little choice of units (< 10), even less of buildings. To be worse, all the battle can be summarized as tank fights. Infantry units are almost useless.

This game starts very promising, but gets off the trail very bad. It's a shame. I couldn't make it to the end, got really boring.… Expand

Best RTS ever. I've played every RTS on PC from Warcraft 1 to Starcraft 2, the DoW series, and the Total War games. This one shames them in all. In terms of gameplay, graphics, fun, and orginality, nothing has and I seriously doubt anything ever will surpass this game. Smart AI, great graphics and physics, awesome voice acting, endless maps and content. There is literally nothing more you can ask for.… Expand

Hell of a game. It's 5 years old, but still very good looking, unrivalled gameplay. Squad based infantry, very tactical because you can cut off important strategy points. Excellent cover system. Great tank mechanics. factions are very good balanced. Mulitplayer still totally vivid. On weekend there are more then 8000 players online. Great for a 5 year old game.

CoH is not for everyone, but overall, its an amazing experience. the sheer level of realism is impressive, and the complexity is quite deep, but not so deep that it gets in the way of the gameplay. however that being said, the complexity of the game would turn off many people. to truely be able to be good at this game, you need to be very good at micromanaging, which im not particularly very good at. the level of complexity actually gets to the point where you have to actually tell every tank exactly which way to face, since their armor varies depending on which side they get shot... its not a perfect game by any means, but it sure is a great one.… Expand

I have played this extensively and YES the graphics and sound effects are AMAZING, and is mostly good for massive battles and intense firefights. I give it a 10 because I have not once gotten bored of it over the last 4 years I've had it. Great game, AI needs some work, I highly recommend this game. P.S. Anyone who rated this game badly never gave it a BIT of a chance, don't listen to them please.

Best RTS ever. Single player campaign is excellent, but the game shines most for 1V1, 2V2. Deep tactical macro and micro. Very strategic, requiring careful planning of attacks. Flanking, using cover, machine guns supressing fire, snipers, tech tree from basic troops, advanced troops, medium vechicles and heavy tanks.

After so many years, there is no other RTS that offers better gameplay. Highly recommended.… Expand

Possible the best RTS ever made! 5 Years old and the GFX are still amazing compared to most other RTS games. Just wow, if you havent tryed it your missing out!

This is the greatest game WW2 RTS ever made. Its graphics and ganmeplay are mind blowing and with updates its even better. I hope this franchise is expanded

There are many things that are just great about Company of heroes. The AI is polished, The campaign is awesome, the maps are pretty much flawlessly designed, the multiplayer is a ton of fun, there is a nice replay feature, AND SO MUCH MORE!!! If you would like to try a unique RTS, the look no further. You like occupying enemy territory? this will be your fix. Do you want a fun game that is going to last a long time? Then buy this game. This game is a MUST BUY!!! If you would like to check out more about this, then go to wikepedia. I would give this thing a 10 out of 5. This thing is so good, it is tied right up there for one of the best RTS/pc exclusive/game of ALL TIME!!! Give yourself a good thing, and make this your next purchase/gift.… Expand

Definitely best game ever, much better than so many other RTS as theres much more to think about, much more tactical play, and awesome replayability, Fave game still after over five years

This is my second favorite game of all time, and I'm still playing it long after I gave up my favorite game of all time (Battlefield 2). It's probably one of the most replayable games of all time. It keeps things relatively simple yet provides endless ways to play.

I've had this game for a few years now and have all the expansions. I have played through all the campaigns now a total of 3 times and still enjoy loading this up every now and then. It is perhaps one of the best rts games ever made. I really like the idea of being able to have my infantry take cover and get an advantage on the field. I really like not having to mine or collect resources. The fact that you have to take over territories and hold on to them is a great concept and makes the game much more fun to play. It seems that the all sides are good and balanced. The graphics and special effects look fantastic on a good gaming system. One thing that I find annoying though is the AI at times. Path finding seems to be good for the most part, but sometimes your troops will just stand there and take a beating from an enemy mortar team and you have to baby sit them (though they do have the smarts to go for cover when someone is shooting at them). It would be nice if they would automatically retreat back out of range when this happens instead of just standing there like a bunch of idiots (or lying down on the ground as if that is going to help). When playing against a computer player even on a normal setting the computer player seems to obtain far more resources faster then you do....so if there is nothing in the way to slow it down (blown bridges) the computer will just run you over with wave after wave all the while taking all your territory from you faster than you say "cheatinsob!"....over all it is a great game to play if you like RTS games (especially World War 2 ones), and though I have yet to play against a human player I'm sure it would be fun.… Expand

What stands out about this game is the attention to detail. The audio and visuals are excellent. Unit speech is believable. The use of a physics engine is put to excellent use; gunners hunch over and fall out of vehicles when killed and tanks plow though most of the destroyable landscape in their way. The campaign play has been fun and challenging, though it's not uncommon for missions to punish you for not being prepared. It de-emphasizes buildings and resources somewhat and focuses more on unit combat and strategy which can lead to more intense combat, but can also mean more micromanaging.
My biggest complaint about this game is the occasional AI malfunctions; Units not fighting back, tanks fighting in melee-range, or units taking cover next to explosives they just threw. The combat balance can be frustrating, it can take minutes for a tank to dispatch 3 foot-soldiers. The main menu shows you many campaigns but says you need to purchase expansions to play them, giving the impression you need to purchase a lot to enjoy this game. However the main campaign included has a sufficient number of gameplay hours. Luckily these flaws don't overshadow what a great RTS this is; It's worth picking up if you enjoy RTS games.… Expand

This game is the best rts i'v seen because its more tactical than most of the rts where you win is who has the most units this rts its how you play the units not how many anyway I find this a good game! =3

I have played a lot of RTS (Close Combat, Star Craft, Warcraft I-III, World in Conflict, to name a few), Company of Heroes is the most polished and innovative that I have played. As many have noted the graphics in this game are top notch. The frantic and non-stop action of the game requires a great deal of thought rewarding both the quick and the intelligent. If you enjoy RTS's, you will love this game.… Expand

The best RTS ever made, without question - no game, not even simulators like Theatre of War approach the depth and variety of CoH. One of the few games that gives you such options in battle, and is the only RTS where you can truly use and manipulate terrain and neutral world structures to turn the tide of battle. Use a howitzer to create a heavy cover point for advancing infantry? You bet. Build your own cover? Sandbags coming right upt. That hedgerow blocking your advance? Not if my demolition pack has anything to say.

No RTS game approaches the sheer variety, depth and brilliance of CoH. I've been playing since release and it still amazes me the new strategies and environmental tactics that pop up.

A master work of game design, no RTS fan should miss it.… Expand

Purely, one of the single best games to ever be created. From the gorgeous, stunning scapes and graphics to the realistic FX, to the clever and brilliant music that you will be dying to hear again and again. The way this game captures the look and feel of driving a semi-truck makes me all giddy inside. Hands down, better than the Ocarina of Time, better than Halo, better than Super Mario 64 this wins Game of all Eternity.… Expand

Company of heroes is easily one of the best RTS games of all time and excels in all areas. Relic continues to provide support by releasing balance patches and graphics updates and is one of the few developers who listen to the community and provide balance updates based on the feedback they recieve. If you haven't played COH yet your missing out.

Best RTS game i have ever played, just bought the whole combo pack for $35, best $35 ever spent, i was a little wary because i am more of a FPS kinda guy but this game is intense enough to pull me into it!

I've been hooked on this game since it was in beta. It is IMHO the best RTS ever made.

I like this game but it falls apart when it comes to the AI i mean come on. I played against easy AI on a skirmish and they already had 3/4 of the map when i started sending troops out; this means you might as well quit the game because as soon as they get tanks out you are dead.

One of the best RTS games of all time. A testament to the quality products that Relic is capable of developing.

One of the best games i've ever played. I'll keep this short. While there's bugs, mentioned by others, such as infantry specifically moving AWAY from the sandbags you've stationed them to use as cover, and other small annoying bugs like this, it's still and AMAZING game. You really can't miss out on this. You can zoom in and alternate your view to get a great look at the gorgeous visuals, you have full controll over everything on the battlefield, it's just so fantastic. Multiplayer lobbies can be a real bish though...… Expand

Great game. Enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, from building to building, check point to check point, Normandy to Berliin.

The greatest RTS since STARCRAFT .I really love the details of COH that is its strongpoint. The graphics are top notch and the sound too.Gameplay is fast and tactical COHs physics perfectly .Anyone who has a pc buy it, you wont regret it

The tanks, Jesus Christ they can be retards, instead of retreating lets do a full u turn, expose our rear armor and die. Infantry, Why do you insist on jumping out from behind the sandbags and getting blown to hell? Game has balance issues, once the enemy controls more than 2/3 the map you may as well quit as they will have more units than you have bullets. But some parts do redeem this game.

While i did enjoy the whole squad based combat and the fully discructable environments i never really liked the stratiegic point capturing objective. It gets frustrating during a single or multiplayer game because while im capturing one of the enemys points he is usually captuering one of mine and i just hate that. But overall it was a pretty good game and the campaign was good so i will give it a 7.… Expand

There's a lot to like in CoH and the game has a huge following. I'll come right out with it though.. This game is for kids. If two tanks circling each other and firing at point-blank is your idea of a 10/10 game, so be it. Also if you buy this game it will take you about 4 hours at least to download and install all the patches. Just figuring out which patches you need to get is a challenge. What CoH succeeds at is delivering the experience with a simple/solid user interface. However the gameplay in CoH isn't very hardcore. Another RTS I find more detailed and rewarding to play: Men of War. It isn't nearly so arcade-ish as CoH and has a far better ballistics model. Well, CoH doesn't really have much of a ballistics model. When you tire of CoH, get Men of War.… Expand

An excellent revision of the squad-based RTS genre, and a fitting blend of realism and gameplay conceits to maximize fun. The ability to use and upgrade civilian buildings into forward bases and make use of cover is brilliant. The power to call on allied forces from off-map is true-to-life and genre appropriate. The sheer flexibility of the infantryman as the backbone of the Army is in full display, a welcome change from the crippling overspecialization rampant in many titles. The use of a territory control model for resourcing is excellent, as it ties economic and defensive strategy together as a package. I do have to say that buying it on Steam is a good way around the torrent of patches and updates at install, but it does mean waiting for the full download to play.… Expand

I have played this game since it first came out. I came across it by luck. Now with all of the expansions out, this game appeals to single and multi player enthusiasts. The AI in the troops is a great aspect, the dimensions you have to cover in this game mean that you cannot get a super weapon and win. You have to play to win each time. For first time strategist it is a fun play and for veteran gamers it is the complete conjunction of action strategy and fun.… Expand

great game i Recommend every RTS players to buy it. the reason i gave it a 9 is that the system requirments... it recommends: 3.0 ghz intel P4. 1GB ram. Nvidia geforce 6800 256mb or better. I have 2,2 ghz amd athlon 64x2 2GB ram nvidia 7200gs 256mb. so i throught i could run it maxed out. but i have to run it on low settings....the system requirments is really a big lie...

CoH pretty much set the standard for RTS games post 2006. At its conception, its mix of intuitive and deep unit cover, intelligent unit AI, a great interface and outstanding graphics blew away previous entries into the genre. CoH was as a big step forward for the genre as Command and Conquer or Dune. It was the perfect mix of gameplay, history and balance. With patches, the game's AI is now absolutely outstanding, and still features a strong online community. Plenty of variety in maps, built in mission editor, the game simply features everything you could want in an RTS, complete with the expected attention to quality relic can provide.… Expand

The graphics and gameplay in this game are terrific, apart from some small problems with AI that others have mentioned. But I take issue with the oppressive front-end, which has to be the worst on the market. Even if you only want to play single-player, you are forced to create an online account and log in. Even worse, the first time you run the game you have to download and install large patches. You have no choice. It works like this: you start the game, wait for it to load, and are told you must install a 75 MB patch. The game exits, the patch downloader starts, and it downloads the patch (patches ranges in size from about 10 to over 100 MB). The patch to installs. You must repeat this process seven times before you are allowed to play!… Expand

Most impressive and revolutionary RTS Ever. The first RTS games, Warcraft 1 and Dune, defined the genre. Since then every game has merely copied these two with no real innovation - starcraft is a shining example of this and sc2 promises to be no different. CoH is far more than the boring stats vs stats combat. It is a very cerebral, highly tactical strategy game. It skill fully maneuvers away from all the criticisms of the RTS genre (as pointed out by actual military strategists and turn-based strategy game players). It defines a innovative new strategy game that can be hailed as the greatest revolution in RTS since Warcraft 1 made its debut in 1994. Despite its excellent design and depth, it engages from the start, as one makes the first fumbling steps into the game. The game has remarkable polish: excellent graphics, color schemes and incredible sound to add to the inspiring atmosphere. It transforms the computer into a 1944 battlefield. A new bar has been set rather high for future games in the RTS genre.… Expand

The best RTS ever played, Even from what we've seen of Dawn of war 2 cannot match Company of heroes, and with yet another incoming expansion pack adding more machines and campaigns to this box of carnage, It can only get better, Physics is fantastically implemented, AI is fantastic, the squad act not just through morale but simple common sense that many other modern games lack even now! Graphics are among the finest to be seen in RTS history, the only other graphical details I've seen that are better would be the new Empire Total war. Relic has grabbed the RTS genre by the throat tore its previous ideas from it's grubby hands and put something far better in it's place.… Expand

This game i still right at the top a couple of years later and the devs are still working on new patches, maps and balance tweaks. I've spent several hundreds of hours with it. While the campaign doesn't last more than 15-20 hours or so (I forgot), in online play it never gets booring. Since the four main factions (including the follow up opposing fronts) in turn have three tech trees each, even repeated play on the same map usually turns out differently depending on player strategy and the flow of each game. Whats more, the game can now be found dirt cheap. An amazing bargain for a game that kicks ass and will last for a long time to come. Out of this game and the follow up opposing fronts, this one is definitely the better one, but you may want to get the other one too for the ability to play as all four factions online.… Expand