Relic Entertainment says that the new engine they’re using to power the upcoming Company of Heroes 2 will have fully dynamic weather.
The so-called Essence Engine comes with a technology they developed in-house called ColdTech, which allows the game to depict the effects of cold weather in a battlefield in a realistic manner. Soldiers who remain unsheltered from the elements will freeze to death, just as the Germans did during their invasion of Russia, which happened in the Winter of 1941.
In order to prevent cold-related deaths, soldiers will have to build fires, and the snow will even melt based on its proximity to heat.
The weather system will simulate snowfall, and even register footprints and tracks left behind by soldiers and vehicles. Just as it is in reality, deep snow will be difficult to traverse and hinder movement. The simulation also allows for lakes to be frozen over—or collapsed.
Thanks Eurogamer.