Commandos: Origins
Kalypso Media
ALARM! You have been selected for a mission which will shape the fate of the entire world. Witness the very beginning of the legendary elite WWII force in Commandos: Origins. The long-awaited sequel to the Commandos series brings you right back to the foundation of the real-time tactics genre.
Commandos: Origins is the long-awaited new game for the beloved isometric real-time strategy series Commandos. Playing from an old CD magazine demo in 1998 it quickly became one of my childhood favourite strategy games and was highly decorated by fans of the genre too. While an FPS for the series was released in 2006, the last RTS for the series was released in 2003. Since then, there have been a few remasters, but we finally have a new game based on that original 1998 release.
Origins is everything we expect and remember from the Commandos series with slow-paced but challenging gameplay that’s deeply satisfying. It holds true to the classic stealth-tactic games of the game while improving them with the more modern, streamlined ideas that we love.
Set in WWII, Commandos: Origins takes players to the days when the Commandos first formed the infamous unit the original games were about. Jack O’Hara and his five companions return to the start where they first began taking on missions no other units would even consider accepting. The group must devise a plan to deconstruct a Nazi war machine from the inside and make it out alive so they can keep on fighting.
The story isn’t too deep and is quite simple overall but, Origins really doesn’t need a super detailed story. The historical setting and locations add a lot to the game but, the gameplay is the star.
Pros
Very satisfying gameplay
Lots of strategic freedom
Quick save during missions
Unique characters
Fantastic level design
Great graphics
Cons
Pretty difficult
Lengthy missions
Poor controller support
Minor release bugs
Few gameplay crashes
Commandos: Origins is a difficult game and there’s no denying that things might not go as planned but, the game provides a lot of freedom. While there is a direct approach, the game may force you to change ideas on the fly and without much warning. There are many different ways to play this game and many paths to find victory. This game encourages you to adjust your strategies without much prior warning. It offers a similar amount of freedom to games like Hitman without losing the intense strategy focus.
While loud attacks are an option, it’s a lot more difficult. Stealth is the main focus of the combat to give your team the best chance possible. Each enemy has a field of vision to avoid and trying to get into position to quietly take them down also takes some strategy. Thankfully, there are sound devices you can use to draw enemies into easier take-down positions.
Each character in Commandos: Origins comes with different skills. As the game progresses, you can bring different allies with you on missions and utilise their unique abilities in different situations. To do this, you need to pause the game then issue the command and return to the action to see how it works out. Not everything will be successful and failure is pretty common in this game. However, saving the game often and going back to the previous save when there’s an issue is a great way to avoid restarting the mission.
Missions can take over an hour to complete due to the difficulty level. The high-risk, high-reward feeling from them fits the game story perfectly. The enemies are often unpredictable with their movement patterns, what hiding spaces they check and the order they check them. Having a backup plan is essential when reloading otherwise, you’ll probably need to reload again pretty fast.
During my playthroughs I found small minor bugs but nothing too deadly. The maps are larger with multi-staged layers and theres a optional side-quests for you too. The dialogue is incorporated well and super nostalgic. The new DLSS graphics are wonderful and is a breath of fresh air to the series. I had a few crashes but with the game constantly saving it wasn’t a big deal and lets face it… every new game has crashes these days. There are hundreds of different ways to complete every stage whether its with just The Green Beret or any of the other commandos. I love the new gadgets and tools or utility being added into the game. The sappers fart bomb caught me by surprise lol. If you’re a fan of real time tactical strategy games then you’ll love Commandos: Origins!
Overall Rating
