Relic Entertainment has released a few screens showing off the ‘ColdTech System’ running on the new Essence Engine 3.0. The screens show a harsh and unforgiving wasteland, located in Mother Russia. 

 

According to Relic Games’ research on Russian weather patterns during WWII, the winter could reach “-40 degrees F in 1941″. Since the weather played such a crucial factor during the war, Relic wanted to simulate that enviroment in their upcoming game ‘Company of Heroes 2′.

 

Relic stated in a press-release that in those conditions “human skin will freeze in a matter of minutes, something that is portrayed in the game”. As ghastly as that sounds, it’s something that actually happened during the war.

 

In a prepared statement sent to the press, Relic talks about the ColdTech system and its effect on troops:

On winter maps, Infantry units exposed to the bitter cold will gradually freeze to death unless the player keeps them warm by building fires and garrisoning them in buildings. Dynamic blizzards will increase the effects of extreme cold making it even more hazardous to leave infantry in the open.

Snow will be “painted” by the ColdTech system, its features include; accumulating on buildings and vehicles, it can also be melted or removed from objects by the player and has a “realistic depth”.

 

Quinn Duffy, Game Director at Relic Entertainment commented, “Company of Heroes 2 is all about authenticity and no game based on the Eastern Front would be complete without extreme weather conditions. Thanks to the enhanced technology offered by the new Essence Engine we are able to accurately portray the bitter Soviet winter which crippled the German army.”