Commandos
| Commandos | |
|---|---|
| developer |
 Pyro Studios (until 2006)
|
| Publisher |
 Eidos Interactive Kalypso Media (since 2018)
|
| Designer | Gonzo Suarez |
| First title | Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998) |
| Last title | Commandos: Strike Force (2006) |
| Platform (s) | Windows , macOS , PlayStation 2 , Xbox |
| Genre (s) | Real-time tactics , stealth , first-person shooter (Commandos: Strike Force) |
Commandos is a computer game series consisting mainly of real-time tactical games , the story of which is set in the Second World War .
Gameplay
While tactical games were mainly turn-based until 1998 ( e.g. Jagged Alliance ), the Pyro Studios brought with Commandos: Behind enemy lines a tactical game in real time .
The player has to play through various missions, the locations of which are modeled on the actual locations of the Allied commandos of the Second World War. These missions lead the Commandos to Norway , North Africa , Burma ( Myanmar ), France , Germany or the Soviet Union, for example . The Commandos consist of various specialists such as the Green Beret , snipers , marine , pioneer , driver or spy . All of them have certain skills that the player must use and combine in order to get to their target points. Objectives are, for example, the destruction of certain buildings or the rescue of prisoners.
The playing field is viewed from a bird's eye view. The commandos are at the beginning of each mission at a fixed point. The opposing soldiers are on patrol or stand in a permanent place. An enemy's field of vision can be displayed; it is divided into a close area, in which the player will definitely be seen, and a distant area, in which the commandos can crawl around without being spotted.
The Commandos series was best known for its high level of difficulty .
The games in the series
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998)
The first part of the series was released in August 1998 and created a new genre of real-time tactics. In 20 missions, the six commandos fought behind enemy lines and sabotaged various targets of the German Reich . A year later, Commandos: In Order of Honor was released, a stand-alone addon that brought new missions and some new skills with it.
Commandos 2: Men of Courage (2001)
With the success of Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, it wasn't long before the first official sequel was released. In 2001 Commandos 2: Men of Courage was released , which brought a completely modernized graphics with it, but stuck to the calm tactical game concept. The commando squad was expanded by two members and the specialists were equipped with various new skills.
Commandos 3: Destination Berlin (2003)
The third part of the Commandos series contributed for the first time a coherent plot to tactical missions. The look and the abilities were changed slightly again, but the game remained true to its well-known gameplay.
Commandos: Strike Force (2006)
Commandos: Strike Force brought a radical change with it. The commandos were reduced to three members and the tactical genre with a top view became a stealth and action game with a first person perspective.
Censorship in Germany
In the German versions of all Commandos games, the Nazi symbols were replaced in order to avoid a ban on the game. In addition to the removal of the Nazi symbolism, Commandos: Behind enemy lines and Commandos 2: Men of Courage were also defused in the representation of violence in the German version . Killed soldiers are depicted as soldiers' graves with a wooden cross or as sandbags.
Trivia
In 2001, Desperados from Spellbound Entertainment was released, a real-time tactical game with clear parallels to Commandos . However, the game was relocated to the Wild West . In the same year, Star Trek: Away Team , the well-known game principle in a science fiction setting, appeared. The Commandos series is considered the father of these games. In 2016, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun was also released , which mentions Commandos and Desperados as inspiration and is set in feudal Japan.
In July 2018, the German publisher Kalypso Media acquired the trademark rights to the Commandos series.
Web links
- Commandos series at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Schnittberichte.com Commandos - accessed on January 17, 2015
- ↑ Schnittberichte.com Commandos 2 - accessed on January 17, 2015
- ↑ Schnittberichte.com Commandos 3 - accessed on January 17, 2015
- ↑ Schnittberichte.com Commandos 4 - accessed on January 17, 2015
- ↑ I'm Johannes. I run Mimimi Productions, developer of Shadow Tactics, a “Commandos with Ninjas” - released right now. AMA! • r / Games. Retrieved August 17, 2017 .
- ↑ Commandos returns! Kalypso Media takes over all brands and assets of the legendary Pyro Studios on kalypsomedia.com (accessed July 12, 2018)