AI

Vanilla CoH AI does what it says on the tin, it provides a decent challenge and with an active modding community over at the Relic Forums you can find mods that change the AI around and create an even more challenging game. Squads react with varying degrees of intelligence based on their role, moving through enemy territory with a slow pace, searching and being alert. They change their behaviour in allied territory and move quicker, more relaxed and cocksure. In unoccupied neutral zones they shift into a wary but less alert stance.

They can take cover, return fire and use various tactics to battle the enemy. Their avoidance AI will make them attempt to get away from grenades and other dangers.

Sound

The sound design for the Company of Heroes series is solid, great spot effects and various special effects provide a suitable audio backdrop to the war effort. When things really heat up there's artillery blowing the hell out of your enemies, tank shells pinging off armour and the staccato rattle of tommy gun and machine gun fire mixed with the shouts and screams of battle.

Music

It's epic, it's stirring and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the battles that rage on. CoH always has brilliant music and THQ needs to release all three soundtracks.

Voice and Dialogue

One of the treats of playing the game is listening to all the spot voices, each soldier has something to say and will often call out as a squad moves through various zones. If they're left idle they'll make wise-cracks and tell old war stories. It's this level of detail that really elevates the series above the rest of the RTS's out there. The dialogue is written extremely well and the script is gritty and no-nonsense through the new campaigns as well.

Multiplayer

In addition to the Annhilation and Victory Point forms of Gameplay there are now three more modes to enjoy. Operations as they are called form the basis of the Tales of Valor multiplayer experience.

Assault: Two bases attempt to battle it out with waves of AI controlled soldiers; you can spawn a single hero and using xp gained in battle help to turn the tide. To gain control of the battlefield you must destroy the enemy machine gun nests and eliminate their respawn bunkers until you finally get a crack at their main HQ.

Operation Stonewall: You're dug in and there are waves of enemy soldiers converging on your location. Defend key points and assure victory by deploying squads and reinforcements against waves and waves of deadly foes.

Panzerkrieg: A tank battle with direct control, fight for dominance against squads of AI soldiers and human opponents and may the best tank win.

Sniped?

With the inclusion of these three new mp modes ToV provides an excellent addition to the series that continues to grow stronger and stronger. Relic has proven that you don't just have to throw in a couple of new maps and a few new units to make a great game and this comes highly recommended as an addition to your Company of Heroes and Opposing Fronts.

It also installs over Company of Heroes/Opposing Fronts if you own those and doesn't require them to play. I would recommend owning all three however since the experience is much richer when you can play with all the units, campaigns and squads.

As a stand alone game it's not quite as impressive as either CoH or OF however.