WithCommandos 3 HD Remasterproviding fans with a recreation of the 2003 Eidos title, fans of the stealth genre have yet another title to sink their teeth into. InCommandos 3 HD Remaster, players join the Commandos led by Green Beret as they participate in some of the most complex missions that may very well turn the tide for World War 2. However, unlike other stealth games, not only isCommandos 3team-based but also real-time, meaning everything players do with their characters happens at the same time as enemy movement.
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One wrong move can cost the team’s life, and this caveat has transformedCommandos 3into one of the most complex yet engrossing stealth titles of its time. However, for both newcomers and savants to the stealth genre, just what aged well inCommandos 3 HD Remaster?
10Relentless Difficulty Challenges Players
One of the most sought-out features in any game is the ability to adjust difficulty settings, especially forthose with story-rich narratives. And whileCommandos 3 Remasterdifficulty settings do make it much easier for players to switch to whatever playing style they like, gearing it up a few notches brings players as close as possible to the experience of the original release.
Fans ofCommandoswill remember how brutally-difficult certain missions are in previous games, especially since back then being caught meant a game over screen. It was inCommandos 3that the game felt becoming a bit more lenient towards players, but those who want an “authentic”Commandosexperience could very well
9Historical Backdrop Doesn’t Ruin Experience
The premise of theCommandosseries has always been about an elite group of soldiers, infiltrating enemy lines in order to give the Allied Powers the advantage during World War II. However, unlike other games and first person shooters that explore grand theaters of war,Commandos 3and other series entries have the Commandos get their own take of what happens behind the scenes.
This level of immersion adds a fresh lens to the “little things” that may have had a huge impact in one of the largest conflicts in human history, making each mission have immense stakes - even if they’re not immediately specified. The World War 2-based stealth is definitely a fresh take on the era, and it remains largely unexplored by modern titles, makingCommandos 3a worthwhile try.
8Classes In World War 2 Offer A Fresh Genre Take
Isometricgames likeDiabloandPath of Exileare not able to have players select classes with unique play styles in order to create vastly different playthroughs whenever gamers start their titles. A class system of sorts also appears inCommandos 3, only this time featuring specialization often reserved for the military. Players control various Commandos in the game, such as Green Beret, Sniper, Spy, and Thief.
While these characters have unique abilities for specific situations, players also use some of them at the same time in missions. Players no longer need to invite friends or grab fresh playthroughs to try a class’s skill set against enemies. InCommandos, it is imperative that players understand how each character or class works, especially since their abilities are almost always integral to the level they are involved in.
7Teamwork Is A Necessity
Similar toclasses inCall of Duty: Vanguardand other modern FPS titles, the fact thatCommandos 3features missions with multiple characters doesn’t mean players can still clear a level with their favorite character. Not only doesCommandos 3restrict specific “class” functions to certain characters, there are certain activities in a level that only certain characters can perform. For instance, Sniper can quite literally take out foes at a distance with one hit, which is a useful way of clearing the path for Green Beret, who excels in melee combat.
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This is quite unlike other games that cater to a player’s preferred character. In turn, players are forced to find synergies surrounding their characters, which truly embodies an experience of having an elite team with specific tasks and duties. This is quite a refreshing return to form for fans of real-time tactical games, especially for players who want to fully utilize what their characters could offer.
6No Fog Of War Is Illuminating
One of the most noticeable features ofCommandos 3is the lack of a fog of war, despite the fact that it is an isometric experience. This is quite unlike other isometric games likeDiablothat often hide the rest of the map so players don’t know what they’re getting into. InCommandos 3,the game continues the premise that players are commandos sent to the battlefield with sata beforehand, making it plausible for the players to have an immediate lay of the land as soon as the level begins - makingCommandosakin toa tactical shooteror RPG.
Aside from being a refreshing feature to this day, this also adds an extra layer of challenge to players. After all, since players can see the rest of them up without exploring it beforehand, then players cannot blame lack of information as to why their Commandos are caught and killed in action.
5Real-Time Gameplay Demands Strategy
When one thinks of tactical gameplay featuring soldiers, one might think of action involving alien fighters inXCOM. And whileCommandos 3shares a similar attention to tactics withXCOM, its real-time strategy element adds a whole level of suspense to players. After all, this real-time movement is akin to an RTS likeStarcraftwhere enemies move at the same rate as players, only this time players are immediately outnumbered on the get-go.
This is a feature that isn’t always encountered in games. Oftentimes, stealth games give players ample options and ways to pause the game to issue commands. This time around, players notice enemy reactions immediately, demanding players do something on the fly to survive or cope with situations. Compared to more planning-intensive stealth actions today,Commandos 3and its focus on adrenaline-based stealthis a welcome change of pace.
4Majorly Stealth, Minimal Action Without Macros
One of the biggest similarities ofCommandos 3with other stealth titles is its real-time gameplay element. This means players can make their characters sneak around while at the same time have enemy guards and soldiers room the entire game map, and do their tasks. In most real-time tactical games, players ordinarily have a pause option to select various actions and trigger them to do complex tasks. Some games even offer playersturn-based RPG optionsto ease them on difficult encounters.
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This isn’t the case withCommandos 3, which has an extremely straightforward interface to work with its real-time gameplay. Instead of having complex controls,Commandos 3features a simplified point and click system that can have characters do actions on the fly with no macros and without complex button-pressing that can cost players the match.
3Missions Have A Sequence Like A Puzzle
Players of stealth games know that these titles often demand patience, especially when difficult levels in games likeHitmanneed players to either kill a lot of armed guards or orchestrate the “perfect” kill without being spotted. In turn, certain levels become puzzles once players understand the routines of NPCs and how to trigger events in the environment. This is a feature that aged well inCommandos 3, especially in tougher missions with a little margin of error, similar to difficult missions ofgames likeGhost Recon.
At its core, the game gives players a lot of liberty with the maps precisely so gamers can study routines and reactions of enemies around them. Due to the merciless nature ofCommandos 3where alarms become the equivalent of death wishes, the exhilaration of knowing exactly where to move next without being caught is one of the biggest appeals of the game. Cracking a mission’s “puzzle” path can make it much easier.
2Grid Inventories Add Resource Management
Similar to games likeDiablowhere items have to fit a certain grid inventory space,Commandos 3also challenges players to solve their predicament with limited inventory to store the clothings of guards, their weapons, and even their paraphernalia. In prolonged levels, players need to choose which items to keep and which items to let go while ensuring they survive without such tools. This is quite unlike other militarygames likeCounter-Strikewhere players could just as easily grab any weapon.
In that way,Commandos 3gives players a resource management element that keeps them on their toes and thinking twice whether certain tools are worth keeping or if these would burden certain characters down the line. This feature aged quite well, especially since tools aren’t always treated as resources to be managed in other games and rather expected to be easy acquisitions.
1Short Runtime Leaves Timeline Open For Replays
One of the biggest complaints players have forCommandos 3in the series is having a short runtime. With only 12 stealth-oriented missions, fans with a lot of time on their hands could easily finish the game and its campaign in just a few hours - similar to the single-player stories ofsome difficult FPS titles likeCall of Duty. This is quite unlike most modern titles that have at least 30 hours worth of a campaign to fully immerse players in the single player mode.
However, the feature of a short campaign might be the game’s saving grace as it opens more room for replayability. Players who already finished the games story can play some chapters in harder difficulty in order to test out their wit and capabilities, something that can entertain the stealth savat.
While originally released in 2003 for the PC,Commandos 3 HD Remasterwas released in 2022 and made available for the PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.
