Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor

[h1]Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor[/h1] [h3]Immediate Action DLC [/h3] [h3]Worth getting with the full game bundle[/h3] Tales of Valor is the second and final expansion for the original Company of Heroes. This expansion introduces three short campaigns, each featuring a series of connected missions that share the same scenarios, with each mission focusing on a different section with its own objectives. This level design is overall enjoyable and creative. However, the connected missions have a major issue in terms of gameplay. In the case of the Falaise Pocket campaign, if you didn’t establish a good defense or preserve enough troops in the previous mission, it can be difficult to get through the next scenario due to the lack of strategic resources. As for the other two campaigns, they are so easy even on the highest difficulty, as the game practically does not allow you to lose. You can recover your troops almost instantly or repair your vehicle at any time without any drawback. Unlike the first expansion, this one doesn’t introduce any new armies or game mechanics. Instead, it uses the Panzer Elite and the British Commonwealth as supporting factions throughout its missions, with the exception of the Causeway campaign. [h3]Tiger Ace[/h3] In this campaign, we control a Panzer VI Tiger and are free to tear through the buildings and environment of Villers-Bocage, taking advantage of the game's destruction physics to destroy everything in our path while fighting against British and American armored vehicles. Overall, it is a genuinely enjoyable campaign, despite being somewhat short and quirky. [h3]Causeway[/h3] It is the most cinematic and unrealistic campaign of the three, thanks to its dramatic cutscenes and its highly exaggerated gameplay. During this story we mostly control two squads of paratroopers against an overwhelming German regiment. As with the Tiger Ace campaign, this one also focuses on seek-and-destroy scenarios, where we are given only a small number of troops, no economy to manage, and straightforward objectives built around destroying specific targets. [h3]Falaise Pocket[/h3] This campaign follows the defense of the town of Trun by the Wehrmacht. The difficulty of its missions is really high, even on the lower difficulties. From the very beginning, we are almost immediately attacked by paratroopers and armored vehicles. The first mission gives us very little time to establish our defenses, so if you fail to build them properly, it can be almost impossible to complete the mission. Honestly, it is a very challenging campaign, but it can also feel quite unfair and sometimes it’s really frustrating to play through. Overall, it is a decent DLC that adds a couple more hours of content to the game, with campaigns that are unique and fun to play.