There is this quiet before the storm. The sound of crunching snow beneath the feet of cold soldiers. A cough here, the clicks and clacks of MG42s being checked there. More artillery settles into place behind the pillboxes. Engineers slowly stretch springing barbed wire into place over the bodies of the last wave.

Through the quiet squeaks a sound. It is at first indistinct, and then suddenly unmistakable: the squeaking of tank treads, and on the right flank. Suddenly a Russian T-60 heaves into sight down the long main street of Stalingrad, and the first shot from its cannon booms out across the winter silence.

German guns explode in chorus, but their chorus is overpowered by the thunderous scream of countless Russian soldiers sprinting across the cold square. The engineers run, barbed wire half finished. The mortars pop, the artillery pounds, the machine guns rattle.

This is the third wave. If they break the line, the battle is surely lost.

In the distance, that battle is small to but one crew.

“King Tiger Reporting In.”

The Eastern Front Mod is one of those rare mods that just seems to be able to get everything right. So many mods have minor inconveniences one must overlook. Odd art here, a strange menu system there. Not so with the Eastern Front. They set forth to add two distinct, vanilla-quality factions to an already stellar game. In every single way, they succeed.

The Opposing Front expansion added new factions, new maps, and new game modes. The new game modes were a fine novelty, but quickly put aside to return to the meat of this RTS. If those new game modes were removed from Opposing Front, there would be almost no way to distinguish it, quality and content wise, from the Eastern Front mod.

Admittedly, I am more of an Allies player in all World War 2 games. The original Company of Heroes being no exception. As such, I am far more familiar with the Soviets than the Ostheer, the Axis’ added faction. I have fought against the Ostheer on many occasions, however, and can attest to the quality of their presentation and AI.

In short, the Eastern Front mod adds the Soviet and Ostheer factions to the game, along with a host of maps set in snowy Russia and neighboring areas. The mod is more or less feature-complete.

There is thankfully little to say beyond that simple review. Everything is as it should be in a mod like this. The factions look and sound exactly like they belong with the vanilla factions. The original factions are untouched, allowing the British and Soviets to fight side-by-side if you desire. The balance is spot on, with no one faction or tactic rising above the others to become dominant. The new maps are of vanilla quality or better, with some unique terrain and layouts that encourage different strategies.

This is a mature mod which has been growing and improving for years, and the quality of every aspect is a testament to that. It is a mod that feels like an official expansion pack, allowing you to slide right back into the game unfazed. The Soviets rely on masses of cheap units early, followed by guerilla tactics or powerful tanks later on. The Ostheer, meanwhile, have access to unique units and defensive buildings that differentiate them significantly from the other two axis factions.

The AI of the original factions was given a boost to match that of the superior Soviet and Ostheer AIs. Being a comp-stomper myself, this is a greatly welcome addition that makes the AI much more challenging and interesting. I’ve noticed that all of the factions are more likely to build defensive structures now, which can make for exciting attack maneuvers. They still won’t lay barbed wire or tank traps or anything like that, but at least pillboxes, trenches, and artillery is a big improvement over vanilla, where all 3 of those were virtually unseen. They also don’t seem to spam single unit types, keeping a good mix into the late game. In case all the new content wasn’t enough for you, the Eastern Front breathes new life into the old factions and maps as well with this new AI.

10/10.