If you did not have enough of the original Company of Heroes, you can now play its second installment. The same background story goes: nations are at war and a battle in arms is needed to gain supremacy. Aside from aggression, strategy is highly important in this game which is set on the trenches along the eastern front. In this game, you are tasked to lead an army through a series of missions that will help you gain more territories.

That being said, the developers could have done away with the excessive drama that the cut scenes portray. Yes, there are strained relationships which are portrayed using old-fashioned cinematic methods. However, the battle itself can augment the story. If you emerge victorious, the mission continues and you start to understand why the two sides became locked in battle.

As the perceived general, you are in charge of the tactical formations and plans of action of your troops. If they did not succeed because you got overran, you can retreat your entire squad and fortify another position. Aside from this, you have to consider the natural occurrences in the game maps and use them to your favour. It takes common sense to decipher that the battle mindset changes when snow starts to fall. Fire is essential to keep the soldiers warm and tanks might make the thin ice break into pieces.

But just like in any war in history, fortune favors the bold. Therefore, a little sacrifice during harsh weather spells will help you gain victory because your enemy will be caught off guard. It is nice to take a portion of your infantry to scout the map and find victory points that you can use to improve the attack and defense of your army's troops.

It is also interesting to hear what the commander will tell. His staunch policies and tough voice can mobilize soldiers to sacrifice for their country. If you have placed the armies well, there is a possibility that you can win without firing a single weapon. But despite the differences in circumstance, strategy will take you to places. Yes, you can attack using sniper guns and Molotov cocktails but it works best when you do it with groups.

The game's graphics is intense and it gives justice to the effect that devastating weapons will have. The exchange of bullets between the two sides simulates that of a real confrontation while artillery weapons like a Katyusha rockets bring heavy blows to the opponent's fortifications. Tanks add to the sharpness of the game because it can demolish buildings with their heavy firepower.

Unlike other strategy games, Company of Heroes 2 does not have resource gatherers that collect raw materials in order to create buildings or make new personnel. Rather, you will be given an infantry from the beginning and it is your task to move them around the battle field to gain precious victory points. These points will then enable you to construct additional structures that can improve your fuel or ammunition supplies which you then use to create more units.

If you don't want to go through the practice mode, you can still learn Company of Heroes 2 through the Theater of War. This is a collection of individual and mutual challenges that often feature the USSR and Germany. These challenges are often tougher than the typical campaigns but it provide the best training for it. The game can be played in multiplayer or single mode and there are several missions for you to choose from. If you are a frustrated military man or an aspiring general, this game can get you ready for the harrowing truths about war. However, there will be no wars against that fact that this is a must play game on the PC.