Commandos 2: Men of Courage

The direct approach isn't always the best approach--this concept lies
at the heart of Commandos 2 just as it did with its predecessor, the
innovative 1998 real-time tactical combat game that mixed elements of
stealth, action, and even puzzle-solving in a World War II setting.
Spanish developer Pyro Studios' visually stunning sequel takes the core
gameplay of the original, adds some of the features from the 1999
stand-alone expansion pack along with plenty of great new ideas, and
ultimately provides a highly challenging, sophisticated experience
that's even better than the first. But be warned--Commandos 2 can be as
intimidating as its premise makes it sound: You'll command a small
group of elite Allied operatives deep behind enemy lines to perform a
series of important clandestine missions. At every turn, your commandos
will be avoiding the patrols of German or Japanese forces. It can be a
difficult game, especially at first, but Commandos 2 truly evokes the
intensity of the harrowing depictions of World War II that you've
probably seen in film or on television.



Actually, the game clearly alludes to the movies that inspired it--even
the manual admits that the game has more in common with fictional
accounts of the war than with factual ones. If you're familiar with
classic World War II movies such as The Guns of Navarone, Bridge on the River Kwai, or even the more recent Saving Private Ryan,
then you'll easily catch the references to these films in the game's
various missions. As in these and other epic World War II movies, in
Commandos 2 you'll have to do such things as rescue Allied soldiers,
sabotage powerful sea vessels, assassinate key enemy officials, get
your hands on important documents, and much more.



Make no mistake, though--by any standards, all these missions are huge,
and you'll typically spend many hours trying to accomplish the laundry
list of objectives in each one. There's also good incentive to replay
each mission, since a number of smaller bonus levels can be unlocked if
you thoroughly explore the main missions. And the game's two higher
difficulty settings noticeably affect the way enemy guards react,
requiring you to take different paths to success.



The colorful, memorable cast of characters at your disposal comes
mostly from the previous Commandos games and includes a powerful Green
Beret; a deadly marine; a spy capable of disguising himself as the
enemy; a sapper, your demolitions expert; a mechanic who can commandeer
enemy vehicles; a master sniper; and even a seductive secret agent.