Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor Critic Reviews

It’s a great experience, needs more maps to expand the new multiplayer modes and give it some variety.

If you enjoyed Company of Heroes, there’s little doubt you’ll want to pick up Tales of Valor. Just keep in mind that this is an expansion, meant to keep you satisfied until a true sequel arrives.

Tales of Valor may not be what longtime Company of Heroes fans were expecting from Relic's expansion, but the game still delivers a great experience from start to finish.

It is a well-rounded title and a safe bet for any PC Gamer as mild amusement if nothing else.

Certainly it isn't with regards to single player content that just doesn't really justify the added expense when there are already plenty more varied single player missions available to you in the cheaper main game and its first expansion, but if your focus is multiplayer then the choice is a little clearer - and with three new game modes generously included, anyone with more interest in the online aspect will surely find Tales of Valor a lot more tempting.

Tales of Valor does something new for the CoH Veteran. But it's over in a blink of an eye. Thankfully, the game has some very interesting new multiplayer modes and gameplay tweaks that shouldn't be missed. And the same goes for the greenhorn that will have no problem in liking the old and the new content. But, for next time, please make a Company of Heroes that will last a little bit longer.

Overall though Tales of Valour was a fun experience, I would have liked a single player that was more like the first game, but I still had fun with the content that I was given.

Altogether Tales of Valor is an adequate package of upgrades with a few surprises in the multiplayer and single player.

Pleasingly varied new multiplayer modes for an excellent game, hampered by a paucity of maps

If you are looking for a good strategy game, you've found it. And if you are looking for a good WW2 game, you've found it too.

Ultimately, Tales of Valor is worth buying only as long as you’re going to make use of the multiplayer component. A few of the new units need some exploit fixes, and the direct fire system feels more like a gimmick than anything that is really going to add a lot to the game. Let’s hope that Tales of Valor is a stop-gap release to tide the fans over, before Relic announces that Eastern Front expansion we’ve all been waiting for.

These tales are not traditional Company of Heroes stories, but they can make for some fun stories while they last.

Multiplayer modes are very original.

Gamers who spend the majority of their time in single-player modes should pass this one by. If you’re an online-focused player, though, Tales of Valor provides hours of amusement, especially if the community takes advantage of the excellent mod tools to flesh out the map selection.

Oh dear, Relic. Handful of short, small and laughably easy scenarios really was not what I waited for or wanted. Relic’s new obsession for ”accessibility” is ruining its games.

Although the strongest part of an strategy game is usually the campaign mode, this is precisely the weakest side in Tales of Valor. It’s low cost should not distract us from the fact that this package is repetitive and certainly short, but the talent of Relic is present, and this is enough reason to pay attention to its proposal.

Tales of Valor falls short in terms of the volume of new content most players will expect in a standalone expansion priced at $30. What's there is great, but it's just not enough.

The second add-on to Company of Heroes offers new campaigns, new multi-play modes and new units - but not enough of anything: only one small episode instead of a new campaign, only one map for each multi-player mode and just a few alternative units instead of new factions.

As enjoyable as each of the single and multiplayer additions are (and they're quite good), the whole package comes off like a collection of mods the developers were tooling around with in their spare time. The original game is as great as it ever was and Tales of Valor certainly doesn't take away from that, but ultimately this "expansion" pack comes off as a modestly enjoyable diversion.

It is war on a personal level - instead of entire units, battles are fought by carefully selected small groups of individuals. It would be possible to come to know each of them, were it not for the short span of this standalone expansion.