If you don’t own Company of Heroes then the British Army and the Panzer Elite
will be the only factions available to you for multiplayer, while those lucky
enough to own both games can choose between all four. The new factions work well
together in multiplayer battles especially in the hands of good players. British
artillery can soften up enemy defenses and pave the way for the superior
firepower of the American tanks and infantry to push their way through the enemy
defenses. The Panzer Elite can harass the enemy and look for holes in their
defenses while the German Army exploits the weak points in the distracted
enemy’s lines.
Each faction has access to three doctrines, which determine which special
units and availabilities are made available it. For the British the three are:
- Royal Artillery: Adds additional attacks for artillery units such as the
creeping barrage, a devastating line of artillery strikes that can blow a
corridor straight through enemy lines.
- Royal Commandos: Gives the British some mobility in the form of commando
units and gliders that can drop reinforcements into the battle.
- Royal Engineers: Allows for deployment of a mobile HQ, improves
entrenchments, and gives access to variants of the Churchill tank such as the
flame-spitting Crocodile.
For the Panzer Elite:
- Scorched Earth: Gives the player the ability to create roadblocks and
booby traps, as well as the ability to disable resource control points.
- Tank Hunters: Gives access to the Jagdpanther and Hetzer and gives troops
additional Panzerschrecks.
- Luftwaffe: Adds Wirbelwinds and FlaK 88s to the arsenal, and paratroopers
and the Henschel Hs 129 tank-busting aircraft.
If you’ve played Company of Heroes then you know how amazing the game’s
graphics are. Everything in the battlefield is destructible from high church
steeples down to garden walls. Furthermore, the rubble becomes part of the
battlefield – infantry can even hunker down in an artillery shell crater for
cover. The explosion effects are incredible, so much so that you may find
yourself making excuses to launch another artillery barrage just so you can
watch the show. The sound is outstanding as well. It seems that every weapon in
the game has its own distinct sound and among the cacophony of weapons fire
you’ll hear the shouts of men and feel the emotion behind their voices.
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts does what every expansion pack should do:
take a great game and make it even better. If you enjoyed Company of Heroes,
then you’ll love the expanded gameplay that comes with Opposing Fronts. And even
though the game is a standalone expansion, gamers new to Company of Heroes
should also buy the original game along with Opposing Fronts. Together they make
for some of the best strategy gameplay available.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
94%. 
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