

Since many battles in the Eastern Front occurred in winter weather, troops can die of frostbite if caught in the outside during blizzards. Weather conditions are a major factor in gameplay, with movement and action penalties applied to players' units. Essence 3.0 also incorporates an innovative weather-simulating technology known as ColdTech and destructible environments. In contrast to traditional unit visibility, TrueSight more accurately represents a unit's visibility range based on environmental conditions and type of unit. One such improvement is the new line-of-sight technology, TrueSight, which aims to better emulate troop visibility in real combat. The game is built on Relic's proprietary Essence 3.0 engine, which showcases new improvements compared to Relic's previous games. The campaign features the Soviet Red Army as a new faction and takes the player to various stages of the Eastern Front campaign, from Operation Barbarossa to the Battle of Berlin. 6.3 Company of Heroes 2: British Forces.6.2 Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault.6.1 Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front Armies.

There have been plenty of rumours about a third game in the series, although Relic currently has its hands full developing Age of Empires 4 for Microsoft. In January the developer released a 64-bit update for Company of Heroes 2 that enabled crossplay between Steam and Microsoft Game Pass / Windows Store users. Relic has kept on top of Company of Heroes 2 in the eight years since it came out. Harman returned in November 2014 to review Ardennes Assault, calling it "a worthwhile addition to the Company of Heroes war chest and one that rewards investment and exploration with a tactically satisfying campaign". "While Company of Heroes 2 sometimes makes you feel like you're fighting the game as well as the enemy, if you take time to understand the systems at work beneath the carnage and pick and choose your battles wisely, you will ultimately be rewarded by a deep and enjoyable RTS," wrote Stace Harman in Eurogamer's Company of Heroes 2 review. 2013's Company of Heroes 2 is widely regarded as one of the best RTS games around.
