The North African Campaign and the Italian Theater of World War II are often overlooked by popular media these days, but are just as important to the war's outcome. The Allied invasion of North Africa turned the inexperienced U.S. Army into professional soldiers. Invading Italy knocked an Axis Pact member out of the war while drawing German manpower away from France and the Soviet Union.
The latest installment of Sega and Relic Entertainment's "Company of Heroes" series of games not only sets the game in these theaters, but makes a compelling effort to preserve the history and teach players about these vital fronts of World War II.
"Company of Heroes 3" brings the same real-time strategy gameplay players love about the series to the North African and Italian campaigns. The gamer becomes both Gen. George S. Patton and Gen. Mark W. Clark, devising the way to push through Sicily and onto Rome.
Not only does the gameplay require mastering infantry, artillery and airpower, it requires the player to consider populations, ports and ships and developing relationships with the personalities of Allied commanders.
As individual units gain more experience, they become more effective against the enemy. Eventually, they become adept at crushing the enemy. Beautifully rendered graphics depict the destruction of World War II combat as Allied armies and Italian partisans liberate cities and villages in incredible tactical gameplay.
This game, however, brings more than play to these historical theaters of war. Some of the game's developers are related to World War II veterans, some of whom served in the Mediterranean area during the war. The result is a uniquely built, painstakingly researched game.
This kind of research led Relic Entertainment to create "The Briefing Room," an online, interactive hub for players to learn about the real history of this theater of the war. An interactive map guides readers through detailed articles covering the history, vehicles and weapons used in the North African and Italian campaigns, all of which can be seen in "Company of Heroes 3."
The Briefing Room's informative content includes insight from World War II experts and historians on everything from the North Africa exploits of the British Army's "Desert Rats" to the impregnable fortress of Italy's Monte Cassino.
Even the most well-versed student of World War II history can find some interesting facts and stories they might never have heard before, including the Polish troops who escaped the Eastern Front to attack Monte Cassino or the Australians who fought at Tobruk.
"Company of Heroes 3" is available now on PC and will be released for consoles on May 30, 2023. To learn more about the game, visit the Sega and Relic Entertainment website. To learn more about World War II in North Africa and Italy, visit the "Company of Heroes" Briefing Room.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on LinkedIn.
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