A Long-Awaited Return to Tactical Espionage
It’s here. A sequel 20 years in the making. Not just a modernised re-release (as seems to be the style these days) but a fully blown follow-up to a classic isometric real-time tactics series. You guessed it. The Commandos are back in Commandos: Origins.
It’s war. The world is in turmoil. The Nazis are on the march. Only the legendary Commandos can pull off the dangerous missions needed to defeat the enemy. Jack O’Hara and his five allies step up to the plate, each bringing their own set of skills.
Assembling the Squad
Accompanying Jack we have Thomas “the Sapper” Hancock, Francis T. “the Sniper” Woolridge, Samuel “the Driver” Brooklyn, James “the Marine” Blackwood and Rene “the Spy” Duchamp. Depending on the task at hand, you’ll assume control of a combination of these operatives.
A World of Peril: Missions, Environments, and Enemy Encounters
There are 14 missions in total set across a variety of settings such as snowy tundras, barren deserts and lush forests. Although the maps don’t look huge at first glance, there’s plenty of hours of gameplay here as progress is slow and hard earned. There are also side tasks to complete if you are feeling brave enough to risk it. Enemies have clearly defined cones of vision which when solid means you’ll be spotted for certain. If they are striped, you are able to crawl through unnoticed. Slow and steady wins the race and all that.
Each environment is a mixture of outdoor and indoor space which plays out across multiple levels. As you approach a door leading inside a building you’ll get a peep so you can plan your entry carefully to avoid detection. This approach is needed throughout, studying enemy patrols and choosing the right time to strike is crucially important.
Each character has their own unique abilities and gear they can use in the field which will, of course, influence how you approach your mission. For example, the Green Beret himself can lure guards towards him with a noise gadget and hide under soft surfaces, before emerging and striking before the Nazi is any the wiser. He is also the chap who can scale rock faces.
The Sapper can lay a trap and blow the whistle to the same effect. Whereas the Sniper can take a high position and provide covering fire, picking off enemies from a safe distance. He can even kill multiple at the same time if they are standing in a row. It’s worth noting guards of a higher rank won’t be distracted or drawn from their post, making them even trickier to get rid of.
Commandos can use lethal and non-lethal force, but it’s important to hide the bodies afterwards in cover to prevent any unwanted alarms. There are also opportunities to use environmental hazards to your advantage, such as electrical cables that are lying next to a pool of water, which provide a less risky way to dispatch enemies. If you’re feeling especially bullish, you can use firearms and grenades to progress but you’ll quickly get swarmed if nearby guards hear what’s going down.
Tactical Triumph: A Game of Patience and Planning
For the avoidance of doubt, Commandos: Origins is not an easy game. Even on the default difficulty (you can dial it up or down if you wish), you’ll die. A lot. It’s especially important to remember to save your progress, because there’s no autosave even when you complete a mission. A quick press of the view button will sort it, but don’t hold it down or you’ll load your previous save.
The secret to success is patience. Trying to rush or attack your objective headfirst will almost certainly end in failure. Each mission is designed to give you different options in how you wish to tackle them, but forward planning is essential. Simply sneaking through is sometimes an option, but it won’t be long before you’re forced to take out some guards as there is simply no way through otherwise.
Commandos: Origins is a game all about marginal gains, taking things one step at a time. You’ll slowly unlock the route forward like a complex puzzle, gradually removing enemies as you chip away a path to your objective. It means there are plenty of tactical decisions to make, but the pace is slow which may not appeal to everyone.
If you do get discovered (and trust me you will), it’s very difficult to escape alive once the alarm goes off. Often you’ll want to start over anyway, as it will leave your carefully laid plan in tatters. I must admit, there were certain situations where this got quite frustrating as the margin of error is so slight, but perseverance and plenty of deep breaths got me through. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Controlling the Chaos
When it comes to controlling your squad, Commandos: Origins works a little differently to your traditional real time strategy game as you freely control each person rather than issuing commands to them. You can move individually, or as a one complete squad.
The now console staple command wheels make this easy to manage, as well as using your gear for each character. The shoulder buttons are used to quickly switch between characters and items too. There’s also the ability to plan moves ahead in “Command Mode” meaning your commandos will execute them simultaneously, which is handy for eliminating two or more guards who are close by without setting off the alarm.
Despite getting a little tied up when needing to react quickly, overall the control setup in Commandos: Origins works well on Xbox. There was the odd niggle where gear was greyed out when I had a commando selected, but when I cycled through them again I was able to use it.
A Welcome Return to Tactical Stealth
Commandos: Origins looks great, clearly following the style of the original series but with a substantial glow up which fits the genre well. The varying environments all feel distinctly different from each other showcasing their unique elements, for example footsteps getting left in the snow.
However, I found the performance to be a little hit and miss. Occasional lag would creep in when a lot was happening on screen, and the game even crashed on me a couple of times. A constant niggle was how choppy my screen was, especially when scanning over the environment. It was like something was flowing under the picture, with a hard line break being visible a lot of the time travelling to the top of the screen.
I’m delighted to say that Commandos: Origins brings co-op play to the party, locally and online too. Launching on Xbox Game Pass should help players find a match quickly if their friends list is looking a little empty.
Commandos: Origins is a welcome return for the series after a lengthy absence, and it should please long time fans and newcomers alike, providing they are up to the challenge.
Important Links
Commandos: Origins Reports for Duty – Available Day One on Game Pass, Xbox, PS5, PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/commandos-origins-reports-for-duty-available-day-one-on-game-pass-xbox-ps5-pc/
Download Commandos: Origins on Xbox (and Game Pass) – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/commandos-origins/9nnrcr6mbndr
There’s a Deluxe Edition too – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/commandos-origins-deluxe-edition/9N37RMLXBH85/0010
