Despite a hideously generic name, Company of Heroes boasts some of the most inventive, exciting real-time strategy gameplay the genre has yet seen. It comes as no surprise that an expansion would build upon that success, extending its formula with new strategies and scenarios. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts largely succeeds in that endeavor. A couple small issues prevent it from being more groundbreaking than just another stand-alone expansion pack, but that doesn't prevent it from being highly enjoyable.
Opposing Fronts features two playable factions: British Second Army and German Panzer Elite--each with their own campaign. British forces deploy in the liberation of Caen, whereas the Panzer Elite are tasked with defending German-occupied territory in Operation Market Garden. Combined, the two campaigns roughly equal the length of the original game's sole campaign, which makes it a good deal in that regard. Multiplayer joins the pair of campaigns with both LAN and online options; in fact you're free to play with those owning copies of the first game, although access is granted only to content attached to the expansion if you don't own the base game as well.
Were it not for the two new factions, Opposing Fronts would essentially stand as a remixed version of the original game; instead, introducing new units and strategic play styles reinvigorates the experience. The campaigns are exciting not so much because of extraordinary scripting, but rather the fresh feel of the new factions. Defense meets offense in the juxtaposed relationship between the British Second Army and German Panzer Elite. The British focus on defensive tactics, whereas the new German faction deploys tanks with which to blitz opposing forces. It's a rather cursory description of the distinctions between the two sides, yet the game certainly encourages you to play each faction accordingly.
Both factions are significantly more mobile than the original American and German forces featured in the first game. British troops specialize in rapidly deploying defensive infrastructure to reply German offensives. A command truck serves as the headquarters for the British, which can be moved at your will to any controlled area on the map. That mobility comes at a price: having your command center close to the battlefront ensures quick resupply and reinforcement, although it also makes you move vulnerable to attack. It's possible to bulk up defenses using trenches and emplacements. Command hierarchy also plays a role in the efficiency of British troops, so pairing commandos with infantry boosts their power.
While not quite as mobile as the British, the Panzer Elite definitely encourage movement by means of various tanks exclusive to the faction. The methodical cautious tactics of the British are a far cry from the blitzes of the Germans. Tanks, as well as limited infantry, spew from a central camp; unlike the wealth of defensive measures available to the British, there are few emplacements to be accessed. Making up for a lacking defense means a healthy offense; as such, playing as the Panzer Elite means zipping about the map destroying units. They're certainly the easier of the two factions to play.
Balance is of the utmost importance in any strategy game, particularly for an expansion pack introducing new factions. Single player campaigns can mask poor balancing by means of scripted sequences, but multiplayer falls apart when attention isn't paid to maintaining a careful balance between factions and units. Opposing Fronts marginally succeeds with the addition of British and German factions, despite some imbalance in the overt strength of German tanks. This is intended to counter the shortcomings of German defenses, as well as partly reflect their real attack power. Nevertheless, blazing a trail as the Panzer Elite is just a touch too easy. While the balance in relation to the British is far from destroyed, it is noticeable and needs to be addressed in future patching.
Hardware requirements are an issue inherited from the first game, a direct consequence of utilizing impressive cutting edge visual and physics technology. Company of Heroes boasted an unquestionable brilliant presentation and this only builds upon that; as such, the hardware necessary to keep things running is skewed high. Loading times--even with plenty of memory--are lengthy and the framerate nose dives whenever a glut of units crowd the screen. A system meeting the minimum specifications certainly runs the game, but a consistently smooth performance is only achieved with a higher-end machine. Reviewed on a GeForce 8800 GTX, the game ran beautifully with all settings at maximum. Of course, a solid CPU and plenty of RAM greatly influence performance so be considerate of your machine specs before buying. Also beware of potential compatibility issues with Windows Vista that are still being worked on in patches.
