Deal | This World War II RTS is free to try on Steam right now

Company of Heroes 3 takes players back to the battlefields of World War II. This time, however, the fighting takes place in Italy and North Africa rather than on the Western or Eastern Front. Players command Allied or German forces across two campaigns, each taking a different approach. While the Italian campaign involves planning entire military operations on a dynamic strategic map, the North African campaign offers a more straightforward experience with a series of traditional missions.

In terms of gameplay, Company of Heroes 3 stays true to the series' roots. Instead of commanding enormous armies, players control relatively small groups of units that need to be deployed tactically. Infantry takes cover, tanks support the advance and artillery bombards enemy positions. Flanking maneuvers are particularly important, as tanks are more vulnerable from the sides and rear. The environment can also be used to gain a tactical advantage. Buildings and obstacles can be destroyed, opening up new opportunities in the middle of a battle. Alongside the two campaigns, the game offers traditional skirmishes against AI opponents, a co-op mode and online battles for up to eight players.

Company of Heroes 3 received largely positive reviews from professional critics. GameStar (in German) awarded it 90 out of 100 points and even described it as an "almost perfect strategy game." PC Gamer was also satisfied with a score of 82, although it criticized the weak Italian campaign. On Metacritic, the game holds a solid Metascore of 81, while the user score is considerably more reserved at 6.0.

Steam reviews paint a similar picture, with just 56% of more than 41,000 player reviews being positive. Many players actually enjoy the core gameplay, but criticism primarily focuses on unbalanced multiplayer and expensive DLCs, some of which unlock additional tactical options. Many fans also expected more from the campaigns, especially compared to previous entries in the series.

Free weekend on Steam

Despite the mixed player reviews, Company of Heroes 3 might still be worth checking out, especially since the RTS is completely free to try until November 16. The promotion celebrates the series' 20th anniversary, which Relic Entertainment has also marked with the release of the substantial Update 3.0. Anyone who wants to keep playing afterward can take advantage of a 67% discount until November 19, bringing the price down to just $19.79 from nearly $60. According to SteamDB, the previous maximum discount was 60%, meaning the strategy game has never been this cheap before.

Company of Heroes 3 is officially rated "Unsupported" on the Steam Deck. However, ProtonDB gives it a "Gold" rating, suggesting that the strategy game should generally be playable on the handheld with a few adjustments.

The following trailer offers a taste of the tactical battles:

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