The Failure of Company of Heroes (And Why There Is Hope!)
GiantGrantGames・29 minutes read
The next major RTS release, Company of Heroes 3, faced initial disappointment with a half-finished game, but developers had a year to improve it. Despite criticism for issues like lack of unit variety and chaotic audio, recent updates and community engagement show potential for a positive future by prioritizing player experience over monetization.
Insights
- The release of Company of Heroes 3 faced significant criticism for being half-finished, with a disjoint between player preferences and the game's content, leading to disappointment among players.
- The game's strengths lie in its exceptional campaign missions, showcasing developers' expertise, but issues like lack of unit variety, confusing transition between modes, and focus on expansion packs for profit detract from the overall player experience, highlighting the importance of prioritizing player engagement over monetization tactics.
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Recent questions
What are the main criticisms of Company of Heroes 3?
Lack of unit variety, weak sound effects, crashes.
What is the main focus of the Company of Heroes 3 campaign?
Innovative Dynamic campaign with strategic choices.
How does Company of Heroes 3 handle skirmish battles?
One versus one battles with repetitive objectives.
What led to backlash from the community regarding Company of Heroes 3?
Introduction of a game store with microtransactions.
What potential improvements and positive future does Company of Heroes 3 show?
Recent updates and community engagement.
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Summary
00:00
Company of Heroes 3: Disappointing Release, Promising Improvements
- Predicted the failure of the next major RTS release due to a disconnect with player preferences in modern strategy games.
- Company of Heroes 3 was released, initially disappointing with a half-finished game.
- Gave the developers a year to patch up the game before assessing the improvements made.
- The campaign in Company of Heroes 3 is an Innovative Dynamic campaign, starting with a tutorial mission on the Sicilian Coast.
- Introduced to a 4X style strategic map in the second half of the tutorial, managing forces and making choices.
- Players choose between two generals with conflicting views, but choices lack significant consequences.
- Expansion packs are available for purchase, adding to the game's cost.
- The main campaign begins with a choice of starting company and a sizable map of Italy to conquer.
- Skirmish battles in the mid-game are one versus one against the AI, with repetitive objectives and uninteresting gameplay.
- Skirmishes have dynamic bonus objectives, but often suffer from bad AI, broken bonuses, and frustrating abilities.
13:43
"Game's Missions Shine, But Challenges Persist"
- The missions in the game are spectacular, including Close Quarters Urban combat in Penza, fighting to the railway Siege gun in Anio, scaling Monte Casino, and battling through the fiery hellscape of Ortona.
- The campaign missions stand out as exceptional compared to the rest of the campaign, showcasing the knowledge and vision of the developers.
- The game mode focuses on artificially inflating encounters to sell expansion packs, detracting from the quality of the campaign.
- The transition from the campaign to Skirmish mode is confusing, as the game emphasizes one versus one battles despite the team battles being the game's strength.
- The lack of unit variety, especially iconic tanks like the King Tiger or Pershing, limits the gameplay experience.
- The game initially faced criticism for weak sound effects, but efforts have been made to improve the audio experience.
- The chaotic audio in the game can be overwhelming and confusing, hindering gameplay.
- The game's instability is a significant issue, with crashes and soft locks affecting the player experience.
- The release of a game store with microtransactions in the first patch led to backlash from the community and damaged the game's reputation.
- Despite the challenges faced by the game, recent updates and community engagement show potential for improvement and a positive future for the series.
29:01
"Respectful strategy games attract financially stable players"
- Strategy game players, typically older and financially stable, value respect and fair treatment in games, showing willingness to invest in titles that prioritize their experience over monetization through mobile game tactics and expensive DLC. The potential for successful games lies in creating engaging AI and handcrafted missions, fostering a positive player experience.
