Company of Heroes Gold Edition includes the grandiose Company of Heroes + the great add-on Opposing Fronts letting you play the grand total of four different factions as they battle it out on Western European battlefields. You may command the American and British Army on the Allied side as you drive the Jerries all the way to the Rhine, or you may don your SS Uniform and join forces with the Axis as a Wehrmacht commander or as a Kampfgruppe Lehr (Panzer Elite) Oberst as you try to expel the allies from the Vaterland's soil.
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The factions:
-Allies:
*Americans: Highly versatile, they can adapt to almost any situation. Their tanks might not be the sturdiest around, and their infantry not the most experienced of the bunch, but they have resources aplenty and many tricks up their sleeve that if used well can kick plenty of Jerry *ss
Their doctrine trees allow them to focus on Infantry doctrines, Airborne support or Tank command.
*British: Adaptable defenses, that's what the Brits are all about, they can dig silt trenches for free almost everywhere, they can build pretty affordable defenses and they even have a mobile base.... but they lack quite a punch, having to overly rely on their defensive nature, lest they end up under a Panzer's caterpillar. But when you need to secure this or that position and make sure that no one gets through, the Brits are your guys.
Their doctrine trees are as follows: Royal Artillery, Royal Commandos and Royal Engineers.
-Axis:
*Wehrmacht: The bulk of the German War Machine, the Wehrmacht is pretty standard by general RTS standards... while the Americans have an OK start the germans must escalate their phases to unleash their greatest monsters... their focus is on power, much less versatile than the Allied army, but far more powerful on its own right, their tactics are simple: To overwhelm the enemy with sheer might: Panzer IVs, Panthers, Tigers and even the fearsome Königstiger are at your command... if there's something that makes it hard to play as the Wehrmacht is the slow buildup you must undergo... and the difficulties that may arise during it.
Their doctrines are as follows: Defensive Doctrine, Blitzkrieg Doctrine and Terror Doctrine.
*Panzer Elite - Kampfgruppe Lehr: They are the epithome of Blitzkrieg; their strength lies in maneuverability, being able to swiftly secure territories and specializing in hit & run tactics. They require a lot of micro-manage, but can be deadly in expert hands.
Their doctrines are as follows: Scorched Earth Tactics, Luftwaffe Tactics and Tank Hunter tactics.
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As for the game itself, it has amazing graphics, truly never seen before in any strategy game. Attention to detail is unprecedented: You may see a soldier raising his hand to cover his head when under fire, or some guy trying to peek from below a wall, or even reloading their weapons! Effects are top notch, being incredibly realistic; if your Panther shells a building with entrenched Americans, you'll see how that 88mm pounds through the building, taking huge chunks of that sorry house in the process. If you are otherwise bombing the hell outta those jerries, you'll be mighty impressed by the effect Howitzers may have on the terrain, leaving trench-like craters that may serve to shelter your infantry at a later opportunity.
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Music and sound-wise the game is superb; weapons sound realistic, explosions sound absolutely real, and the musical score will make you feel like in the inside of a Band of Brother's chapter...
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Gameplay: Superb! Easy to learn, difficult to master, make no mistake, this is the finest RTS outta there, with a most immersive gameplay, brilliant AI and intrincate strategies, it will surely leave quite a mark on you.
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All in all, this is a great game, and one you must surely not pass up, come on, grab your copy, believe me, you won't regret it. =)