Confirming a rumor we reported on nearly one full month ago, Relic Entertainment has shared the new official console trailer for Company of Heroes 3 in The Game Awards.
As we had noted in that earlier reporting, the game is set in the Allies’ invasion of Italy as well as the African theatre of World War 2.
The trailer is clearly set in that Italy invasion, showing American soldiers walking across Italy’s beautiful fields and sneaking between its buildings. You even get to see some Allies vs Axis action, though uncharacteristically for the show, they opted not to get too violent. It kind of makes the trailer look artificial, but then again it somewhat feels like what playing a Company of Heroes game is like.
On their site, Relic reveals what changed they have made to fit the game to consoles. Aside from controller support, there is a custom UI and some new features to make the transition smoother.
There is a full tactical pause, which will allow console players to completely stop the game, to do things like read the situation at their own pace, and prepare a queue of commands before executing them.
Interestingly, the North African theater seems to be a traditional gameplay mode, letting you play the Africa Korps, while the Italian setting will use a dynamic campaign. This is still a turn based campaign, but with what Relic touts as ‘sandbox-style’ gameplay. It sounds like this campaign will have a greater degree of randomization behind it.
There will also be a host of multiplayer modes, including co-op vs AI, and PVP combat modes ranging from 1v1 to 4v4. Co-op modes will also allow you to choose the range of from 1v1 to 4v4 combat modes.
There are some newly revealed gameplay elements adding new strategic options to Company of Heroes, regardless of the platform you play it on. First off, infantry units can now ride tanks, mirroring possibilities the real soldiers tried in the war. There will also be verticality elements to positioning, meaning infantry on higher ground get bonuses. Vehicles will also have side profiles, opening up new ways to strategize in game.
Company of Heroes 3 will be released on February 23, 2023 on Windows. It will also be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, although dates have yet to be revealed. You can watch the trailer below.
Source: YouTube, Company of Heroes website
