Commandos II
Commandos 2: Men of Courage is the sequel to the popular and best-selling Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and it’s expansion pack, Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty, developed by Spanish outfit, Pyro Studios.
If
you’ve played the original Commandos, then you should be familiar with its
top-down isometric view and its WWII-theme missions. The big difference now is that your commandos
can now take the fight indoors, allowing you to gain access to the interiors of
the enemy buildings and structures. This
plus other new features makes it an exciting and addictive game for your
collection.
Saving
Ryan’s Privates
All
your old favourite commandos (Green Beret, Spy, Sapper, Diver, Sniper &
Driver) are back, along with three new characters to help you take the fight to
the enemies. They are Natasha, the
seductress who can distract the enemy soldiers with her femme fatale charms and
is also a remarkable sniper to boot. Lupin,
the thief is the second new character who can pick locks and also pick the
pockets of soldiers with ease. He is the
smallest and fastest member, allowing him to enter through windows and climb up
walls. His pet rat, Spike is also useful
for diverting the attention of the enemies.
Whiskey the dog makes up the triumvirate of new members and is a handy
addition to the otherwise human commandos.
He can divert the enemies by barking and running around them and also
carry objects from one commando to another.
Each character is an expert specialist in their fields and can only do things
that other commandos can only dream about.
In
Commandos II, there are a number of tutorials designed to help the beginner get
a feel of how the game is played. It is
quite helpful to try these before playing the game.
The
game consists of ten very challenging & fun missions, plus ten bonus
missions for the diligent player. The
missions are based on real-life events that took place during WWII, giving a
kind of realistic gameplay. Some of the
objectives of the game include rescue, espionage, assault and defend. There are also sub-objectives and clues
presented that will help you to achieve your goals. If objectives aren’t met or your men dies,
then you’ll have to restart again.
The
view of the game is easy on the eye and you can rotate it by 90 degrees to gain
different perspective views. By pressing
the function keys at the top of the keyboard, you can access multiple views of
the map, allowing you to keep track of the movements of the enemies. The enemy’s field of view is dictated by a
green triangle, that your commandos must avoid.
Keeping out of sight and using stealth is a must for this game.
Your
commandos are able to swim, dive and surface but their oxygen bar must not be
totally depleted. The Diver can be
submerged for long period of times with his diving equipment, allowing him to
use his harpoon gun against enemy divers, sharks, walrus and crocodiles and
also disarm enemy mines. The environment
is quite interactive, letting your men enter/look through doors, windows, holes
and hiding places. They can also climb
ladders, posts, swing along wires and knock on walls.
Every
commando has a backpack that they can store essential items like weapons,
medical kits, uniforms and other equipments essential for surviving in a
battlefield. The weapons include
pistols, knives, sniper rifles, machine gun, rocket launchers and grenades. Whilst using these weapons are cool, it’s
essential to remember to use stealth when disposing of your enemies, so that
you don’t alert other enemies and completing your missions without killing too
many soldiers will greatly reward you in the end.
Your
men can use various land, sea and air vehicles to move around the map and to
infiltrate the enemy lines. These
vehicles are jeeps, tanks, trucks, planes, balloons, boats and submarines. You’ll be able to use any weapons that are a part
of these vehicles. Using these vehicles
will allow you to successfully meet your objectives.
The
battlegrounds are diverse and accurately reflect the nature and environment of
each individual country. From the
snow-swept whiteness of the
A
cool and unique aspect of the game is seen when your commandos are running
around the place. There is a sort of
‘sonic boom force-field’ surrounding your men when you run, which is
aesthetically appealing to the eye of the beholder, but is actually detrimental
to your men as enemy soldiers can detect them when they’re close by. Sneaking up on the enemies is actively
encouraged throughout the game.
You
are adolf (a dolt)
The
game is based on the latter years of WWII, allowing you to take on not only the
German war machines but also the Japanese Kamikaze soldiers. You will encounter US troops, French
Resistance, Ghurkhas, spiritual leaders, POWs and other remarkable characters
of that time, who will assist you in completing your objectives.
The
graphics are good, with fluid and smooth animations. The cut scène and movies are historically
detailed, giving you the sense of watching an actual WWII film clip. The sound effects are quite realistic,
allowing you to immerse yourself fully in the game. The commandos’ speech contains their
individual personality and attitude, and while good at first, it may become a
little repetitive.
Commandos
2 is like a game of chess, making you think, reflecting on all possible
outcomes, constantly saving and making you stay up all night just to complete
each mission. This strategy game is a
must for gamers who like to think and is a fresh break from all the other WWII
theme games.
If
you want to go commando, then Commandos 2 is definitely the game for you.
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