Company of Heroes 2 Standalone Multiplayer Expansion Revealed

Sega has announced Company of Heroes 2: The British Forces, a new standalone multiplayer expansion for Relic Entertainment's PC real-time strategy title.

The expansion will be released on September 3 priced at $12.99 (£9.99). To incentivise preorders, Sega is offering 10% off to orders it on Steam. Those that already own any product from the Company of Heroes franchise on Steam will be given 20% off.

The British Forces features a "new set of distinctive tactical gameplay options articulated around a new tech tree including new infantry, team weapons, vehicles, upgrades, commanders with unique abilities, and a total of eight new multiplayer maps."

"Play as the unconquerable Britons and their motley-crew of soldiers! A force remarkable for its diversity, including Englishmen, Scotsmen, Welshmen, Irishmen – representing everyone from the working classes to the upper class elite of the United Kingdom," reads the official description.

"Under the leadership of the fiery Sir Winston Churchill, this assorted mix put aside their differences and became the only remaining Western European nation to escape the grip of Axis-dominated Europe, before leading the final offensive with the other Allied Forces."

According to Relic, the new tech-tree "challenges the player to balance the constant trade-off between mobility and defense." Unique new abilities, meanwhile, are oriented around "staged events making the most of air raids and artillery."

The expansion also features improved motion capture "for the most common animation set, that will also update all of the previous armies' animation systems."

In GameSpot's Company of Heroes 2 review, we awarded the game a 7.5, saying the "multiplayer mayhem recalls the original Company of Heroes' best moments."

"You couldn't accuse this sequel of reaching the heights of the classic that spawned it," the review continues. "This familiarity is unlikely to breed much contempt, however, given Company of Heroes 2's consistent level of enjoyment. Its barrage of online and offline skirmishes doesn't always hit its mark. But when it finds its target, Company of Heroes 2 delivers a loud and mighty payload."

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