However, despite shattering any illusions I had of actually being all right at Company Of Heroes' WW2 brand of real-time strategy, I came away from my preview session feeling cheerful and upbeat.

That, and I was also having to learn a brand-new faction at the same time. I later learned that the aptly named 'Gazala's Cauldron' mission was actually taken from the middle of Company Of Heroes 3's North African campaign, which would explain the sudden jump in difficulty (go figure). Why, hello, frantic pressure and torrents of death bullets from Company Of Heroes 2 again, it's been a while. Then I played a mission from its more linear North African campaign, and had a very rude awakening indeed. I was making excellent use of its reinforcement options, and heck, I was even remembering to tell units to retreat back to the nearest aid post so I didn’t lose the buffs they'd earned through their new EXP-driven promotions and veterancy bonuses. But during my four hours with it, I felt more in control of the battlefield than I've ever done while playing COH2. I was, admittedly, only playing the opening levels of this particular campaign, and I also had the aid of a handy M4A1 Sherman tank providing some welcome backup muscle. Imagine my surprise, then, when I came to preview the latest build of Company Of Heroes 3's dynamic, Total War-style Italian campaign and seemed to be, you know, actually making some pretty steady progress as I pushed up its mission maps. I keep making the mistake of thinking I can just push through with my remaining forces, but as any COH stalwart will know, that kind of road only ever leads to total disaster. I'm about halfway through its campaign at the moment, but the rhythm of calling up replacements and reinforcing my squads hasn't quite been engrained into my hotkey fingers yet. For the last six months, I've been slowly picking my way through Company Of Heroes 2 for the first time.

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