SINGAPORE — After some seven years of waiting, the sequel to award-winning game Company of Heroes is upon us. With mortars overhead and tank shells exploding nearby, Company of Heroes 2 brings the best to the table.

A gritty, semi-realistic real-time strategy (RTS) look at World War II, the sequel takes place on the Eastern Front, pitting the superior training and weaponry of the Germans against the endless human waves of the Russians.

Let’s just get the bugbear out first: Company of Heroes 2 (COH2) is essentially Company of Heroes with bells on.

Sure, the engine has been tweaked for more details including a nifty TrueSight technology that accurately portrays lines of sight for individual units. And the introduction of the Russian side adds a new wrinkle to the very hands-on style that COH espouses. And yes, the game is fantastically fun: The rock-paper-scissors aspect — coupled with small unit limits — brought a new, intense level of fun and tactics to this game.

One moment, as a machine-gun nest gets busy mowing down troops, an armored scout car smashes past it, before the turret of a Panzer IV turns the car into flaming wreckage — which troops can realistically hide behind for cover. This is the key essence of what makes COH tick, and game developer Relic wisely stuck to not fixing what made it great.

But, as mentioned, it is nothing new for veteran COH gamers — which actually isn’t all bad.

The combat style means battles never feel unmanageable: Unwinnable, yes, but not unmanageable. Every unit comes with their own special abilities to swing a fight — from a conscript’s ability to yell an inspiring cheer to a well-timed panzerfaust from the Germans.

WINTER HINTERLAND

The major new addition to the game is weather — specifically, winter. According to seasons and on certain maps, the legendary Russian winter can seep in, forcing troops to huddle against fires or freeze to death as armored vehicles slow to a crawl.

Rivers freeze over, allowing new ways to access the enemy or to destroy them with strategically timed mortars, sinking foes or allies in a moment’s notice. I found it an enjoyable — albeit generally minor — addition.

The asymmetrical style of combat also shakes up COH’s firefights. Russia prefers sending endless waves of conscripts, who can immediately reinforce more elite squads nearby, while the Germans prefer to let their superior training, firepower and defensive outposts outgun their foes.

COH2’s single player is basic, but serviceable. A Russian-only campaign that lasts for about 12 hours, follows the tale of Lev Abramovich Isakovich, a Soviet lieutenant locked up in the gulag for losing his faith in Mother Russia.

The game intersperses his interrogation with missions set as flashbacks, from the initial German push into Russia with Operation Barbarossa to the Russian’s own march on Berlin.

Some may take offense that infamous atrocities such as Order 227 — where commanding officers and troops were forced to shoot retreating soldiers — or the forced conscription of gulag gangs are glossed over in the name of gameplay.

There are sparks of brilliance in the game, such as one memorable map set in the ruins of a bombed out city. Ill-equipped soldiers play a cat-and-mouse game against the impervious Tiger tank (using True Sight to sneak behind it) while trying to scrounge whatever anti-tank weapons they can find. But, more often than not, missions are basic hand-holding scripted set pieces with limited movement options and garbled mission objectives.

I once broke a campaign mission by stocking every building in sight with conscript squads, easily fending off a supposedly invincible push by the Germans and handily completing the mission without them ever breaching our line. Why are we retreating again, comrades?

PLAY WITH FRIENDS

Turn on multiplayer and the fun really shines. A new leveling system allows gamers to choose from a variety of commanders — each offering several doctrine-specific benefits such as new tanks or off-map artillery — and minor perks to obtain.

While commander choices have been slightly dumbed down (COH used to have players make choices in a branching tree mid-fight while COH2 automatically chooses your options for you depending on the officer you pick) it also arguably streamlines the game and keeps gamers concentrated on their firefights at hand.

Co-op missions are also another gem. A collection of miscellaneous events across the war, players are tasked with specific missions such as holding a strategically important watchtower against all comers, or sneaking snipers deep into enemy lines to take out commanding officers. This game mode is not to be missed, even if it means begging, borrowing, or bribing some friends to play with you.

While some might argue that Company of Heroes 2 is “more of the same”, its brand of squad tactics, real choices, and pretty explosions more than do the job for those who have been hungering for a sequel — one that nearly did not see the light of day after publisher THQ shut down earlier this year.

Fans of the first most certainly deserve the game, and those interested in WW2-specific games should pick it up.

Game rating: Age Advisory

Price: S$69.90

Platform: PC

Rating: 4/5