14 DAY TRIAL // In the marketing material for the standalone The Western Front Armies expansion for Company of Heroes 2, the development team at Relic and publisher SEGA are emphasizing that this is just the first major content pack that will be launched for their strategy title.
This means that the two companies have plans to further expand the number of factions that players will be able to control, enhancing the variety, offering more tactical challenges and satisfying more World War II history lovers.
United Kingdom and Commonwealth forces should probably be the next ones in line, especially given that they had just as much impact on the landings in Normandy and the battle to reconquer France as the Americans had.
An English faction could include more light artillery than any other and front line infantry that performs best when it has adequate support, either from other forces or from specialized officers.
Its commanders could rely more on bombing runs than already existing armies and they might offer defensive bonuses and enhancements for light and fast tanks in big groups.
The Axis would also need a new faction to balance the United Kingdom, which might be a problem for the development team at Relic given that Germany bore the brunt of the combat and has the best performing forces.
A case could be made to add the Italians, who could sport a more infantry focused line-up, with lower prices and the ability to win by using specialized troops, like Bersaglieri.
The studio could also try to introduce a Japanese faction, with a focus on human waves and improved morale in combat and with limited tank support.
Adding the UK and the Italians could also lead to more interesting maps, with hillier terrain, that would focus more on the use of infantry and careful tactical movement.
Of course, the sales success of The Western Front Armies for Company of Heroes 2 will play a major role when it comes to decisions about the future of the franchise.
The package that Relic and SEGA have delivered is solid when it comes to content and adds much needed variety to the core game.
At the same time, it’s unclear whether the community will adopt it in huge numbers, considering that many are disappointed with the War Spoils system and with the fact that the main mechanics are not changed in significant ways.
I plan to continue playing Company of Heroes 2 multiplayer for a while, even if I tend to lose most of my matches.