We all agree: great games don't age! 'Company of Heroes', the tactical gem that stole our evenings and weekends in 2006, is back in the Nintendo Switch fold through the Company of Heroes Collection. Let's be honest, the updated control scheme seemed awkward at first, but after a few hours, it felt like slipping back into my worn-out onesie. As comfy as ever!
Right off the bat, it was nostalgia galore! The first mission drags us back into the Normandy Beach invasion, capturing the merciless brutality of warfare. Graphic machine-gun fire, staggering losses, and all that jazz. War ain’t Call of Duty, folks! Yes, it's grim and gruelling, laying the stage for the fabulous tactical gameplay of extreme wit and precious little mercy.
However, the puppet-like and frankly stiff character models were something of a letdown. Sure, zoomed out combat missions seemed fluid and a solid 30fps was welcome. It’s no beauty contest, but with gameplay this solid, who cares about the minor stuff? This is old school, remember?
Company of Heroes has always been strategy-centric, and on the Switch port, that is still the name of the game. From unit movements to spawn selections, all your choices shape the outcome of your campaign. Try not to send your brave lads to their doom, will you?
Transitioning from PC to Switch was smoother than a bowling alley but sifting through ZR and ZL combo menus? Confusing as a beaver in a toolbox. Ten hours in, it starts to make sense - but the steep learning curve has teeth, and boy, does it bite!
Then comes the grim satisfaction of the perfect strategic move. Outflanking an enemy bunker or protecting your base from air assaults – the stark variety keeps the old ticker racing.
The original anthology, along with Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansion packs, broaden the horizon with new armies to juggle in the game’s Skirmish mode. But here’s the kicker: multiplayer Skirmishes, the jewel in the PC version’s crown, are not on the Switch. Feral Interactive assures us they're coming in a post-release update, so for veterans, the skimmed down Skirmish mode against AI might feel like playing chess with a hamster.
In its present state, the Company of Heroes Collection packs quite a punch, offering over 30 hours of tantalising playtime – Skirmish AI battles can shoot that number through the roof. If multiplayer mode does materialise, it’ll undoubtedly skyrocket the game’s appeal, making it a must-have on the Switch platform.
All things considered, Company of Heroes Collection proves that riveting gameplay is timeless. Despite the overbearing control adjustments and absence of online multiplayer, this collection is as good as Grandpa told it. And when the alleged multiplayer update kicks in, rest assured, we'll be losing sleep over Company of Heroes all over again.
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