Let's get WWII up in this bitch

Well as I mentioned I haven't been around much and my video game playing was not very frequent, so I felt like I couldn't really write anything of substance to annoy you all with. Yet in the last month or so, I have grabbed three games that are worthy of mention and can spark something here. Think of this as a 3 part mini series of rehab posts, hooray.

The first game I downloaded and play on occasion is Company of Heroes. Although this game isn't new by any stretch, it is certainly fun and worthy of looking into. If you have a crush on anything World War II like I do, it is hard to pass by this sweet little thang. (I also love Relic/THQ as I mentioned here.) I grabbed the original game plus an expansion for about 30 dollars off Steam, and have enjoyed it since. If you are patient and look around the interwebs, you can find this game along with some of the expansions for a cheap price. As a matter of fact, the day after I bought the game, it seemed like a dam of deals was shattered and I found a flood of deals sweeping over my frustrated self.
Anyway, the game is an RTS and you can play as the Axis (Wehrmacht or Panzer Elite) or the Allies (Americans or British). The armies are distinct and play fairly differently, which allows for some diversity and ways to break the monotony. Artillery and tanks seem to rule the day, but well used (and massed) infantry can be equally destructive. Visually, this game is very impressive. The characters interact with the levels in an awesome way that is cool to watch but also fantastic to play. (If you have a computer with a nice video card, you will enjoy watching battles). The voice acting is also entertaining (copious amounts of ethnic slurs from the 40s), which makes any game better.
The general physics and engine used in CoH is something that adds a nice twist to the regular "mass and attack" style of RTS that frequently happens. The game follows the standard Relic/THQ style of squad based games, but also throws in a strong use of terrain in order to play. Every time you move squads around the map, you are trying to utilize terrain in order to gain (or force enemies to lose) defensive statistics/benefits. Light brush, small fences, etc. will provide small benefits to your defense and allow your armies to crouch and hide behind them. Stone walls, tank traps, sandbags, etc. can offer huge benefits to a squad's defense, and really cause problems for an enemy. (Being on an open road causes defense to go down.) So not only are you trying to beat your enemy by grabbing land (which contains resources), but you must use the land in order to effectively defend and attack.
I haven't touched the online/competitive gaming aspect of this game, so I really can't talk about the way it is played at a "higher level". But I can say that comp stomping is entertaining for me, so that is pretty much what I have stuck to.

This is all for now.
-SC