Like most people, I read game reviews and get excited about games. Almost invariably I am disappointed - the game falls either short of my expectations or fails to really convey the attributes described in the review which switched you onto the game in the first place. Commandos surpassed all my expectations when I first played it and it is still fresh when I return to it now.This is as close to the perfect computer game as I have played. It is bug free*, its premise and its gameplay is very simple and yet in playing, offers almost limitless possibilities for achieving the solution via different paths.
It is very hard indeed - but fair - and, by virtue of its simplicity as a concept, very easy to get into. Solutions to problems are entirely logical. They require pixel-perfect timing and the odd dose of luck, but if you take your time, think and plan ahead, you will ultimately succeed in each mission and eventually complete the game. It will take you an enormous amount of time and patience to get there, but the journey will give you frustration and exquisite joy in beautifully proportionate measure.
But what about the game? Well it is historically well researched, covering some archetypical commando operations from several major phases of the European Theatre of WWII. You have at your disposal differing combinations from a team of commandos, each with their particular strengths and weaknesses. You dont get to choose which commandos you use for each mission, you have to succeed with the ones you are given. I wont go into each character, suffice it to say that by and large the Green Beret does most of the dirty work and the other characters play supporting roles when their special skills are needed. But there is no single route to achieving each mission and the other characters are vital.
The interface is clean and simple, giving you access to a map of the mission area, each member of your team, their kitbags and equipment and a summary of the mission briefing and objectives. There are keyboard shortcuts for your characters actions which are invaluable in instances where split second timing and switching between actions is crucial. The German soldiers come in several flavours - there are static sentries and roving patrols who respond to your actions in different ways - some are easier to divert from their post, or to dupe than others. All have a 2-tone arc of vision, they will detect standing or moving commandos in the large darker arc, but not prone commandos. They will see even prone commandos (or dead comrades for that matter) in the shorter lighter arc. This syetm works superbly.
The artwork in this game is absolutely second to none. The level of detail in the isometric game maps is just fantastic - buildings, landscapes, vehicles...its all rendered in stunning and accurate detail. You WILL find yourself just walking around the maps with your characters looking at little areas of detail.
I cant rate this game highly enough. Its gameplay is timeless and offers superb value for money at any price. Its graphics are still stunning even now (2003). Buy it.
*there is a small but annoying bug: lets say youve just silently bayonetted a standing sentry and have hidden his body behind a bush. The body is still tantalisingly within view of a roving patrol of Germans who pass by every couple of minutes following the same route. So you wait. The patrol passes by 4 or 5 times without seeing their unfortunate comrade. You conclude the body is safely dumped and go off to continue your grisly work. Half an hour later while youre off on some other side of the map trying to silently plant some explosive charge under the nose of a machine gun nest, suddenyl the whole area is lit up with alarms...and you learn that the roving patrol...the same one who passed by your hidden cadaver dozens of times without batting an eyelid have suddenly decided they can see him - this despipte still following their pre-determined route. To add to your annoyance...you find that you have saved the game in such a place as to make it impossible to go back and move the offending stiff in time to prevent the alarm being raised. Unless you have been savnig several versions of the game as a precaution...you find you have to start again...a mission thats already taken you 7 hours so far!
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