The Commandos series has been around for a long time with its unique mix of real-time strategy and tactical gaming. Here at GiN, we have been reviewing different Commandos titles as far back as 2002. For the most part, all of the titles in this series have had a few things in common. They are set during World War II, have that unique mix of real-time and turn-based strategy and often experience many long years between new releases.
In fact, given that many gamers tend to enjoy the kind of challenging gameplay that the series offers, Commandos would probably be a lot more popular if the games in the series were released more often. When the first Commandos titles came out, they were really exciting and unique. However, many titles and even entire series of games have since mirrored that gameplay over the years to try and fill the Commandos void. Those include some pretty great ones too like Desperados III or Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, both of which were well-reviewed here at GiN. But even so, lots of players, especially those who enjoy World War II games, really missed what Commandos had to offer.
Now, after a decade without anything new, (Commandos 2 was at least remade for the Nintendo Switch in 2020) the series comes roaring back with a brand new adventure in Commandos: Origins. The title is available for the PC through Steam and also on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles. And it’s really a nearly perfect mix of old and new too. Many of the amazing hero characters from previous games in the series are back, but the 14 challenging missions they need to conquer are all brand new and pretty impressive too.
Of course, the graphics have been given a major upgrade using Unreal Engine 5, putting Commandos: Origins on the same footing as just about any other game with a top-down, overhead command interface like you would find in quite a few modern titles. Even Baldur’s Gate 3 uses something similar. The Commandos series was always pretty good when it comes to how it looks. Even the original Commandos titles had many of their terrain features, buildings, vehicles and other objects found in the various levels hand-drawn and lovingly placed by developers, and it’s the same now. Everything in Commandos: Origins is rendered in high-resolution with environmental effects like smoke or snow to add even more visual eye candy.
The gameplay for Commandos: Origins is pretty much the same as it was for the other titles in the series, which is a good thing given that a lot of those who buy it are likely going to be people who really enjoyed the originals or maybe even grew up playing them. And to reduce the really steep learning curve for new players, there are three difficulty levels which can be set. On easy mode, the enemy patrols walk a little bit slower and take a little longer to investigate strange things that they happen to see, which means that missions are going to be more forgiving if you accidentally send one of your commandos just a bit too far into an enemy vision cone, giving you a second chance to hop back into a bush before raised alarms make the mission so much more difficult. However, new players should know that even playing on easy mode, Commandos: Origins is much more challenging than most titles.
The really cool thing about Commandos: Origins, or the entire Commandos series, is that when you are first given a mission, you look out at the multilayered defenses, scores of enemy patrols, heavy weapons, guard towers and who knows what else, and it just seems like an impossible nut to crack. And if you try to go in guns blazing or something like that, it will be. Playing Commandos requires carefully watching your opponents, seeing how they move, where the look and even who they talk with. And then you need to find small openings in those defenses to try and exploit, or carefully make your own. While getting spotted or having an enemy find a dead body does not immediately end a mission, it kind of functionally does in many cases since everyone will become alert and those small defensive gaps will melt away fast. Enemies will also hunt you, and nobody on your team will survive a fair gun fight when they are so severely outnumbered.
Given that environment, Commandos: Origins could almost be looked at as a puzzle game. You eventually will recruit six team members for your squad, each with different skills. For example, Rene “Spooky” Duchamp can wear enemy uniforms and act as a spy behind the lines, making things a bit easier for the rest of the team to follow behind him in some cases. Then there is Samuel Brooklyn. He can drive vehicles and operate heavy weapons, perfect for both the quiet or loud parts of missions. And you also have the skills of Francis Woolridge, an Olympic shooter turned sniper who can take out enemies from a great distance, especially if you can get them alone. The key is using each of your team’s unique skills to defeat the enemy’s overwhelming strength and numbers, chipping away at their defenses and slowly creeping forward. It’s quite a challenge, especially given that some of the 14 new levels are downright huge, but also really satisfying when you finally succeed against all odds.
Sometimes getting everyone on your team to do everything right using split second timing is difficult. Thankfully, the interface for Commandos: Origins has also been brought up to modern standards. You can zoom in and out, scroll and pan the map and do whatever you need in order to come up with the perfect infiltration plan. You can also pause the real-time action at any time, which is really helpful when you need to issue a series of precise orders that your commandos must carry out very carefully or very quickly. Also, many of the classic control schemes from the older titles have been maintained, so you can go fully old school too if you want.
But your greatest weapon is going to be the ability to save the game whenever you want. I know some players resist save scumming, but here things will definitely go wrong, probably a lot. Being able to save the game, try something innovative or crazy and then reload if and when your great plan does not work out right (or even fails spectacularly) is really almost required if you don’t want to be replaying hours-long levels from the beginning each and every time something bad happens.
Also, for the very first time in a Commandos title, we now have the ability to take on missions with a friend. Commandos: Origins supports two player multiplayer. You can join up with a friend online, with each of you taking on a different commando or commandos during a mission, which really reduces some of the complexity of trying to manage everything at once. Local, split-screen multiplayer is also supported. On the PC, joining up with someone online is probably the best option for most people, but for console players, the split screen local couch co-op is pretty darn fun. No longer do we have to take on these deadly missions alone, and playing with a friend really enhances the experience in Commandos: Origins.
It’s been a long time since our small band of commandos have had to save the world and the war. While quite a few titles have released that mirror the gameplay of this series, Commandos was one of the originals in this genre and arguably the best. Commandos: Origins continues that fine tradition of presenting players with an impossible situation and then challenging them to quietly find all the holes that can be exploited by a small and very skilled team. Its extremely challenging, even on the easiest setting, but also incredibly rewarding when your heroic and innovative plans finally come together.
Developers: Claymore Game Studios
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series X