Company of Heroes 3: How Relic Brought a Strategy Game to Console for the First Time

Company of Heroes 3The series was given a much-needed refresh earlier this summer, marking its debut on consoles for the very first time. 

This title came out on Xbox consoles in May. However, this wasn’t just a straightforward port – developers Relic and Hardlight worked together to craft a streamlined experience specifically for console players. The Xbox version features tactical enhancements to make it easier for you to organize your attacks with the controller. 

Brass Leopard Patch – On Sept. 5, several new improvements will improve the quality of your life. Company of Heroes 3The update includes audio updates with intelligence warnings and gameplay improvements, such as tweaks for the camera and cues. Catania Crossing – a brand new map for 3v3 players – is also part of the update. 

Ian Thomson, principal programmer at Relic and Ashley Woolley Khan Senior Project manager at Hardlight were available to talk about the improvements made for Xbox to support console players and to explain why it is the right time to jump into the long-running RTS. 

Thomson’s history is long with the team; he played with the initial squad for the very first. Company of HeroesWhich was launched in 2006. Even back then, conversations about bringing the game to consoles were taking place – this has been a long time coming for the series. He tells us that there’s always been that question of balance, how to make it work on a controller, and there was also the matter of working with a different set of resources for console development.

Relic saw an opportunity with Company of Heroes 3 to work together. Relic concentrated on creating the PC experience, and Hardlight focused on building the console version. 

“We want to bring the entirety of Company of Heroes to new players,” Thomson says. “The squad-based combat, the destruction of environments – we are bringing those same mechanics and in-game experience, and now it comes down to how you want to participate in that experience.”

Making the Company of Heroes 3 user experience feel great on the controller meant an overhaul of the existing keyboard controls, alongside some smart new features to ensure players aren’t overwhelmed during intense rounds of combat.

The tactical pause is one of the new features. It allows the player to halt the game and navigate the battlefield while planning the next move. 

“We want players to be able to say ‘okay, my brain has overloaded’ and have the ability to slow down,” Thomson says. “It really gives that level of precision too, so you can lay out your plan and not be in a panic about what’s happening.” 

Woolley Khan highlights some of the other goals that console versions should have, such as being able switch units quickly, or navigate the maps quickly and accurately. The Global Unit Command allows players to manage vehicles and infantry, individually or in groups.

“That’s a big part of the PC experience, so we wanted to ensure that we could bring those over to the console in a common sense fashion and make sure players have that ease of use and accessibility,” Wooley-Khan explains. 

The majority of commands are in Company of Heroes 3‘s console edition are found in a new radial menu, designed so that specific actions are easy to find during fast-paced combat. It also means that you’ll only see commands relevant to the unit you have selected, freeing up valuable UI real estate. That way, you’ll see more of what’s happening on the battlefield, and not have your view clogged up by unnecessary prompts.

“Looking at a TV from a distance versus sitting at a monitor means having that extra space is beneficial,” Woolley-Khan says. 

One thing that the pair make clear is that this isn’t an either/or situation – bringing Company of Heroes 3 to consoles just means there’s choice in where players can sit down to enjoy a game, they don’t have to choose one or the other. 

“Not only do you get that full PC experience on the console – you can still play keyboard and mouse if that’s your preference – but the controller experience makes it a little bit more accessible and opens the game out to a wider audience. And obviously, if you’ve been sitting at a desk office monitor for the whole day, crashing on the couch sometimes is exactly what you need.”

Company of Heroes 3S is now available.|S.

Company of Heroes 3

Relic Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆
140

★★★★★

$59.99

Welcome to the Mediterranean – a breathtaking new theatre filled with untold stories of war. You will face ferocious enemies in the Italian mountains, stunning coastal views and vast deserts of N Africa. The stunning visuals will keep you entertained with their authentic environments.

Company of Heroes 3 delivers an award-winning blend of strategy, action and tactics. Company of Heroes 3 was designed specifically for Xbox. This includes a unique UI with full controller compatibility, as well as features which allow players to set their own pace.

The Gamepad Support allows you to control your armies on a battlefield that is constantly evolving. It ensures you make the correct moves when you need to. This User Interface is optimized for gamepads, delivering a riveting and exciting gameplay experience.

Players can control the pace of action in single player mode with Full Tactical Pause. Plan your attacks and easily queue lethal precision play that will give the advantage in battle.

Enjoy the largest single-player campaign ever in franchise history. The new Dynamic Campaign Map delivers full ‘sandbox-style’ gameplay, allowing players to command the overall war effort and experience an unprecedented level of strategic choice.

Set up vital supply routes before you deploy rear-guard defenses. Air and naval attacks can be launched to disperse and weaken enemy forces, or to liberate nearby towns to create a Partisan spy system. Upgrade your veteran companies according to your playing style.

With four new factions that are all unique and international battlegroups. Command ground, air and naval forces and build supply lines to crush enemy advances on the new Dynamic Campaign Map – no two playthroughs are ever alike! Enjoy campaign and skirmish mode at your own speed before you dive into the explosive multiplayer action. The Essence Engine allows you to explore the stories that have been left untold in a Mediterranean Theatre.

Company of Heroes delivers the next-generation of tactical gameplay. A combination of classic gameplay mechanics and authentically new features creates the most intense tactical experience ever.

You can use daring tactics to show off the enemy’s side armor. New infantry-breaching mechanics will allow you to clear enemy troops from their fortifications.

Company of Heroes III will delight the most avid WW2 enthusiast thanks to its biggest launch of all the series’ previous releases.

The new army customization features will let you call on a diverse cast of specialists. Join the battle with elite squads such as the American-Canadian Special Service Forces and the revered Gurkhas of the Commonwealth.

Company of Heroes 3 boasts the largest lineup in the history of the series, from devastating tank-destroying vehicles to clandestine reconnaissance vehicles. These include the ultra-light Weasel tank, armor-sniping Nashorn and Chaffee Light Tank. Don’t forget about the revamped versions of classics, like M3 Recovery Vehicle Halftrack. It can be used for repairing and stealing abandoned enemy vehicle!

Relic’s Essence Engine lets you feel the impact of each mortar shell or naval bombardment. Company of Heroes 3 transforms every place into a fully-destructible sandbox. This allows you to create endless tactical options.

Watch as your soldiers use the ruins of fortified structures as dynamic covers. New rendering technology and particle effects create a stunning new look for fire, smoke and sand. New soldier animations and enhanced A.I. combine to deliver realistic squad responses on the battlefield. Relic’s engine technology is optimized for DirectX 12 as well as multi-core processors. This will produce cinematic action that rivals any Hollywood blockbuster.

*Game Pass/Xbox Live subscription is required to play “Multiplayer”, “Cooperative Play (vs. AI)” and “Custom Games”.
*Single-player mode does not require a Game Pass/Xbox Live subscription, but does require an Internet connection.