Commandos Origins, A Simple Review

Imagine a Nazi base infiltrated by a Green Beret, a sniper, a driver, and a spy. This is not the setup for a joke, but the unique premise of Commandos Origins. These special commandos of the Western Allies are tasked with causing chaos behind enemy lines. The Commandos series, a blazing success under Pyro Studios' whip during the late '90s and early 2000s, is back with a new instalment,  Commandos Origins. This game stands out in the tactical strategy genre with its isometric perspective and the challenge of controlling a small group of operatives vastly outnumbered by the enemy.

In 2022, the second and third instalments received remastered editions, and a new team, Claymore Game Studios, was assigned the development of a new entry (actually a prequel).

Once again, this is a tactical strategy game with an isometric perspective, where you control a small group of operatives vastly outnumbered by the enemy. You aim to sabotage enemy bases in various ways in each mission while ensuring all your commandos survive. Each has unique skills that set them apart, and you can only succeed through careful combinations of their abilities.

The thrill of the gameplay, the heart-pounding moments when you're just outside an enemy's sightline, and the relief when you finally solve a situation you initially swore was impossible are all part of the experience. Along the way, you'll become intimately familiar with the F5 and F8 keys for quick saving and reloading, as it's incredibly easy to make a wrong move.

Are you in the mood for something completely different? Check out our South of Midnight Review!

The Story Of Commandos Origins

This time, the game is a prequel, set in 1940 and 1941, at the peak of the Axis powers' strength. The first team member is Jack O'Hara (aka Green Beret), a hulking brute recruited by the unofficial leader Thomas Hancock (Sapper) into a special unit dedicated to wreaking havoc behind enemy lines. Unfortunately, I'm not particularly thrilled with the narrative aspect of the game. While there is some dialogue between characters, it's all superficial and lacks the narrative depth seen in Desperados 3 (also a prequel).

But that's not the biggest issue with this instalment's story. Chronologically, the game is limited to the first half of World War II. The commandos were active early on, as the match crams 14 missions into those two years. The developers had to develop plausible objectives, whereas earlier games tied missions to major WWII events, immersing players in the war's unfolding drama. Here, it feels more like a random set of missions you complete and immediately forget.

The Gameplay

On the other hand—and probably more importantly—the gameplay mostly doesn't disappoint. However, it's worth noting that this is an attempt to blend modern mechanics with the old. Specifically, I felt like I was playing a new Mimimi Games title disguised as a Commandos game. The modernization of the gameplay, the new mechanics that add depth and complexity, and the familiar yet fresh feel of the game will surely intrigue you. 

The inventory system from the old titles has been removed, and each operative's equipment is now always displayed at the bottom of the screen, mapped to number keys. This generally makes the game more accessible to a broader audience, as does the inclusion of a tutorial at the start and a choice between three difficulty levels.

Each commando has options for close-quarters and silent takedowns (lethal or non-lethal), loud firearm attacks, and ways to distract enemies. To remain undetected, you must stay outside enemy sightlines—about two-thirds of their vision range if you're crawling and the last third if you're walking. These mechanics were perfected and modernized by the now-defunct Mimimi Games, the sole torchbearers of this genre, and something feels lost in translation here.

What's New in Commandos Origins?

Many fans will dislike removing the inventory system, just one of several differences from the old Commandos. You can no longer pick up and use enemy weapons after neutralizing them. In the old games, not every commando was strong enough to drag bodies into bushes, and not all could incapacitate enemies barehanded. Here, everyone can do everything.

But here's the catch—bushes have a maximum capacity. If you drag a second stunned enemy into the same bush, the first one will wake up. It feels like the developers wanted to make the game harder, but then you realize you can stuff ten dead enemies into the same bush without issue. Or, if you dump corpses into a bush where a stunned enemy is sleeping, the unconscious one won't wake up and will keep snoozing… Interesting!

Fans of the series might be shocked by these changes, which don't follow the logic of the older games. Still, the good news is that the core Commandos experience remains intact, and the thrill of meticulously clearing enemy bases is still present. The relief when you finally solve a situation you initially swore was impossible is palpable.

The main new feature in this Commandos is the simultaneous action mechanic borrowed from Desperados and Shadow Tactics. Now, you can assign individual actions to each commando, which they'll execute simultaneously with their teammates. This lets you, for example, stab two guards at once while a sniper silently takes out a third who was watching them. The possibilities are vast, and creativity is key. There's also some environmental interactivity—like pushing a boulder onto a group of enemies in classic fashion.

What About the Campaign?

The campaign offers 14 missions with varying combinations of commandos—sometimes two, sometimes three (but not the same three each time). Mission conditions vary, requiring you to watch for footprints in snow or sand, avoid puddles on wet streets or account for reduced enemy vision at night. 

Each mission becomes progressively harder and longer, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to over two hours to complete. This is worth noting because, while the UI is more intuitive, the game isn't necessarily easier. Later missions are genuinely challenging, pushing you to your limits and testing your tactical skills. Each mission has secondary objectives, but I didn't notice any meaningful impact from completing them—a missed opportunity.

In today's gaming landscape, few titles launch in a fully polished state, and this one is no exception. Technical hiccups like failed mission starts, camera issues, and bugged post-mission stats occur more often than we'd like. Thankfully, none of these prevented me from continuing.

The Look and Feel of Commandos Origins

Another downside is that I hummed the excellent tunes from the older games, as this one mostly lacks music. Presumably, they didn't want to distract you. When music does appear, it's the same generic WWII fare heard in every other media product about the era. On the flip side, Commandos Origins is visually stunning with a slightly artistic flair, though the lack of detail on character models is noticeable only in rare, short cutscenes.

While the game lacks intricate facial animations, and some textures appear simple up close, its overall aesthetic is vibrant and functional, ensuring clarity during tense tactical gameplay. The lighting and weather effects add immersion, like snow footprints or night time visibility. However, the absence of a strong musical presence leaves the atmosphere somewhat subdued compared to its predecessors.

In Conclusion

When the older Commandos games were remastered, there was controversy over the censorship of Nazi iconography, which was present in the originals. Here, the game asks upfront whether you want historically accurate or censored symbols, so everyone should be happy.

But will everyone be satisfied with the final product? That's a more complex question. We've got new commandos with modern controls and mechanics, necessitating the removal of some old ones.

As a series veteran, my main gripe is that I replayed Commandos 2 last year before this game's planned initial release and was reminded of what a masterpiece it was—how much attention was paid to detail. Some of that has been lost in modernization, but that doesn't mean this game isn't fun. If Commandos Origins is your first encounter with the series, technical issues might bother you initially. If you overlook those, the core gameplay will hook you and keep you glued to the screen.

Rating: 7.8/10

It is a solid modernization with streamlined mechanics and substantial tactical depth, but technical issues, narrative shallowness, and some divisive changes for series veterans hold it back.

Recommended Age:

14+ – Due to strategic complexity, wartime violence (though non-graphic), and the need for patience and critical thinking. Commandos Origins has an official ESRB rating of M and is not intended for audiences under 17.