After 133 hours of gameplay, I can confidently say I've gotten my money's worth and experienced most of what the game has to offer as a casual RTS player. I generally only play one to two hours a day. While I've enjoyed many aspects of the game, I wouldn't recommend it to most of my friends in its current state.
Pros:
- The graphics are fantastic. Watching infantry engage each other, artillery land, and tanks roll onto the battlefield feels immersive and cinematic.
- The sound design is one of the game's strongest points. Voice acting, explosions, weapon sounds, and ambient battlefield audio do a great job of making engagements feel impactful.
- I really like the concept of Battle Groups and how they can change your playstyle depending on the situation.
- The campaign progression system felt rewarding. Unlocking unique perks for each Battle Group gave me a sense of growth and experimentation.
- 4v4 multiplayer is surprisingly fun as a casual player. Holding a lane, assisting teammates, and disrupting enemy resource points creates some memorable moments.
Cons:
- After 133 hours, I've only accumulated roughly 8,000 Merit, while unlocking a single Battle Group requires 15,000. For casual players, that's an enormous time investment unless you're willing to spend an additional $20-40 on DLC. I personally feel there should be more opportunities to earn Merit or alternative ways to unlock Battle Groups through gameplay.
- Light tanks, particularly the Stuart, take a long time to clear infantry garrisoned inside buildings. In several matches, I felt punished for making what I thought was the correct counterplay because of the amount of time and resources required to remove a single defensive position. Personally, I would like to see the time required reduced so that light tanks feel like a more reliable answer to entrenched infantry.
- Some of the larger maps feel like they take 3-5 business days for my units to get back into the fight. Losing an engagement often means spending a significant amount of time simply repositioning your army before you can make meaningful decisions again.
- Infantry blobbing isn't enjoyable for me personally. One of the reasons I enjoy RTS games is positioning, cover usage, and tactical decision-making. When large infantry blobs become the most effective strategy, the gameplay starts to feel more like a MOBA than a traditional RTS experience.
How it affected my Experience
- I feel discouraged from experimenting with new Battle Groups because of the time investment required to unlock them.
- I feel limited to playing the same three Battle Groups repeatedly because unlocking additional content takes such a long time.
- Multiplayer progression feels lacking for me personally. Outside of improving my own skill level, there isn't much that keeps me feeling rewarded or working toward something meaningful as a casual player.
- I feel that some multiplayer matches gradually shift away from the tactical RTS experience I enjoy and become more focused on infantry blobs and meta strategies, which makes the game feel more MOBA-like to me.
Who Might Enjoy this game:
- Players who enjoy investing hundreds of hours into mastering a single RTS.
- Players who enjoy long-term progression and grinding unlocks.
- Players who like learning and adapting to the current multiplayer meta.
- Competitive RTS players who don't mind spending additional money on DLC Battle Groups.
Overall, Company of Heroes 3 has a lot going for it. The visuals, sound design, campaign progression, and large-scale 4v4 battles are genuinely enjoyable. I don't regret the 133 hours I've put into the game, and I've certainly gotten my money's worth. However, as a casual RTS player, the grind for unlockables, pacing issues on larger maps, and multiplayer gameplay trends make it difficult for me to recommend to most of my friends.
If you're a hardcore RTS fan who enjoys investing significant time into mastering the game and its meta, you'll probably have a great time. If you're a more casual player looking for steady progression and gameplay variety, your experience may be very different.
