Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition brings the acclaimed blend of action, tactics and strategy to consoles for the ultimate WW2 experience on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, available now. Get your copy here.
The long-running and acclaimed Company of Heroes franchise has finally arrived on consoles, bringing the previously PC-centric WW2 action to the lounge room with Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition. It’s no mean feat translating the blend of fast-paced action and tactical strategy to a controller, but the folks at Relic Entertainment have pulled out all the stops to make the console Company of Heroes 3 experience a worthy rival to its PC iteration.
Whether you’re a PC player looking to take the fight from your desk to your couch, or you’re on console and hoping to dip your toes into the franchise for the first time, here’s how Relic has adapted the action to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The Command Wheel
Specially designed to give Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition players a fighting change sans the typical keyboard-and-mouse setup, the Command Wheel is a great tool to rapidly adapt and improvise your strategy to the ongoing action, giving you the ability to quickly issue orders to your units on the fly.
The controller’s face buttons are your most immediate tool, with the on-screen cursor surrounding by icons mapped to each, that contextually change depending on what units or objects you have selected and what the cursor is hovering over, naturally following the flow of your actions to ensure you have instant access to the commands you need at any given moment. Likewise, the Command Wheel will bring up what’s possible and useful in the moment so that you can quickly and easily issue commands that make the most sense to what you’re looking at and interacting with.
Effectively replacing dozens of keyboard and mouse inputs with a (literal) handful of controller buttons without sacrificing tactics or tactility is no mean feat, but Relic Entertainment has taken the challenge head-on with Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition.
Full Tactical Pause
Available in Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition’s single-player, Tactical Pause allows players to do just what it says on the box – pause the action at the press of a button to give them time to breath, consider their options and issue commands at their own pace.
It’s not just a change of speed to the on-the-fly strategising and urgency of real-time play but its a way for players to really feel like the commander they want to be, queueing up a series actions in an easy-to-read display before letting loose and watching all the chaos unfold to see if their strategic chops will have them live to fight another day.
Tactical Pause effectively raises the ceiling of how many actions a player can fire off in a given amount of time, by stopping time entirely. It’s not only a good fit for those wanting a slower-paced and more considered experience but also those hoping to kick back in front of the telly and enjoy a skirmish or two without having to hunch over, frantically bashing away at a keyboard to secure victory.
The Full Company Of Heroes 3 Experience
With two full single-player campaigns, there’s a lot for budding commanders to sink their teeth into in Company of Heroes 3 and console players are getting the full experience.
In the huge and replayable Italian campaign, players find themselves amongst not just outright war but inner turmoil as commanders from different regions clash and vie for their attention, with players deciding where to provide their efforts. Your choices will change both the campaign narrative outcomes and what gameplay features, like perks, you’ll have access to.
Also included is the North African campaign, a more traditional Company of Heroes single-player experience set in a part of WW2 that’s been less explored in video games and aims to offer a new and exciting story for fans.
Dynamic Campaign Map
The Italian campaign also introduces the Dynamic Campaign Map, a brand-new feature for Company of Heroes 3 that gives players full control over how they navigate the campaign.
Which points you choose to capture, who you engage and how are all up to you. Not only will your decisions have an effect on the RTS gameplay, changing up the field of battle and tactical options as well as affording you the opportunity to flank or soften up your targets ahead of time, but where you go and what you do will also impact your resources and future options, the campaign’s narrative and how your allies and enemies consider you.
For console players it adds what it says on the tin – a more dynamic and detailed way to play the game that’s going to look fantastic on a big screen, and all adapted to controller with the same considerations as the RTS gameplay.
Company of Heroes 3: Console Edition is available now on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Learn more here.
