When Company of Heroes 3 is at its best, it’s so immersive that almost nothing else matters and I spent absolutely hours engrossed in these conflicts. There are many moments where it’s hard not to feel overawed at how much is going on and you will be mumbling tactics to yourself and demanding reinforcements so much that you may as well start dressing up for the occasion and slip into a uniform.

Skirmishes are quicker battles that shouldn’t take too long to complete but then there are more cinematic, narrative-based encounters that feel like absolute blockbusters. When battling as mentioned there are 2 types you will come across throughout your playthroughs. These are turn based encounters where you will have to make decisions on how your army progresses, what battles to take and how to distribute supplies. The tactile feel of the map is very similar to others game in the strategy genre like Civilization and Ara: History Untold. Much of your time in Italy will be spent clearing territories, establishing defences, adding new units, and taking part in battles both large and small. It sounds rather simple on paper, but there are so many ways of marching on the capital that no two playthroughs will ever be the same.

From a hectic and deadly beach landing on the shores of the country, you must slowly take back Italy piece by piece, bolstering your forces and cultivating relationships so that you can make a final break for the final line of German defence and take back Rome. The headlining addition for Company of Heroes 3 is its Italian campaign, an epic hard fought battle in all senses.

So what is the story you may be asking and where will I be spending most of my hours playing the game? It’s difficult to say that Company of Heroes 3 revolutionises the genre, but those who were absorbed by the constant risk/reward pull of the original games and the scale of conflict will find plenty to adore here, though the game isn’t without its fair share of flaws.

Company of heroes 1 vs 3