The Zone

The expansion pack adds new DX 10 effects like rain which will affect gameplay

Relic has been really on a roll innovating real-time strategy (RTS) computer games, beginning with Dawn of War (DoW) and its usage of securing strategic points on the game map to gain resources - instead of the typical approach of harvesting them.

They brought this over in CoH, and now for the expansion pack, they're doing another innovation to the way expansions are made.

Typically, when it comes to playing online, gamers can't join other players who have expansion packs, since they lack the extra data. Relic found a way around it by also releasing the expansion pack as a game update - but the expansion pack will be not available to you unless you buy the expansion pack DVD.  This means you will only be able to see the expansion pack in use when you go online with other players who have bought the expansion pack DVD. Makes sense?

Other than allowing you to play with expansion pack players, this method also gives you a chance to take a look at the expansion pack and decide if you want to buy the DVD as well. This is much better than a typical demo as it's not scripted, or played with the computer - so you can see it being used by real players.

The only downside?

The update is nearly 2GB!