Based on the solid gameplay of Company of Heroes, this expansion can't possibly disappoint the fans, and is a must have for anyone who missed the chance of trying the original. With a few worthy additions regarding units and gameplay improvement, Tales of Valor fails to provide enough content to keep players connected for more than a couple of hours, which is of course disheartening. To cut to the chase, we've got just three chapters, each containing only three missions that can easily be completed in just over 9 hours.

While it might feel like and overstatement to call the few scenarios a campaign set, they provide enough variety to make the entire experience exciting and help the gamer getting accustomed with the new features before trying the multiplayer. You'll shift between commanding a small expeditionary force dispatched to secure key points following D-Day, to defending a small town in the Falaise Pocket in order to provide a corridor for the retreating German forces.

Perhaps the most exciting chapter is the Tiger Ace, a set of missions where you assume the position of a tank crew trying to assist the Wehrmacht in its attempt of conquering a small French town. It may seem like a trivial mission to control a single unit but in reality the opponents are using terrain and any obstacle with great efficiency, desperately trying to stop you in your tracks. Tension mounts after each mission and gets the player deeply immersed in the uptight atmosphere of urban warfare.

Speaking of troops , there are just a couple of new units introduced as replacements and they function pretty much the same as their counterparts with only a few improvements in terms of mobility and firepower. Tales of Valor has a solid tutorial that explains virtually everything , from basic moves and tactics to the most subtle details about the new additions, so I'd strongly recommend against skipping it.