Previewed: September 16, 2003
Previewed by: John Carswell

Publisher
Eidos Interactive

Developer
Pyro Studios

Release Date: Winter, 2003
Genre: Action/Strategy
Players: 8
ESRB: Pending

View Screenshots (25 Images)

Commandos 3 takes the stunningly detailed graphics and compelling gameplay of the series to a whole new level. The game features a new interior engine that enables you to rotate the detailed environments and zoom in and out. Prepare your Commandos as enemy bombing raids lay waste to environments, requiring you to change your tactics and approach.

The structure of the game has been completely revamped. Commandos 3: Destination Berlin features more detailed, smaller maps providing more action orientated missions that form part of an overall campaign. A strong narrative drives the story via cinematic briefing screens. The gameplay will also incorporate completely new gaming situations including ambushes, assaults, level bosses as well as classic Commandos gameplay. Commandos 3: Destination Berlin will be more accessible than previous games in the series.

Commandos 3 has three main campaigns: Stalingrad, Central Europe and Normandy. Each of the campaigns encompasses many different tactical situations and they can be played in any order. The game will feature scenarios unseen in previous Commandos games taking you to the Stalingrad battlefields of the Eastern Front, the heart of the Reich in the Gestapo headquarters in Berlin and the D-Day assault at Omaha Beach. For the first time ever in the series, there will be a deathmatch multiplayer mode for up to eight players where you can use your tactical skills to play online or across LAN.

I have never been a fan of Pyro Studios’ Commandos series. Its prosaic portrayal of WWII, hair-pulling difficulty, and puzzle-solving nature have never captured my interest. I mention this not only so that you know where I am coming from, but also because with Commandos 3, Pyro has set its sights on gamers who share my opinion of the series. Much to my pleasure, after having spent the past three days with a preview build of Commandos 3, I am inclined to say that Pyro’s efforts have been more than successful.

On the surface, little has changed in terms of Commandos’ gameplay. You take control of a small band of elite soldiers and perform covert operations for the Allied forces. Each commando has unique abilities and you must figure out how to best use these abilities to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. In many ways, the game plays out like a hugely complex puzzle. Each map presents the player with elaborate tasks and leaves the player to figure out how to make their “puzzle pieces” (Commandos, terrain, enemies, and timing) fit together in such a way as to complete their mission unscathed. This can be a very laborious process and the likelihood of completing a mission on the first try is virtually nonexistent. Each time you (the player) sees a possible solution, some small variable you failed to notice comes into play and its back to the drawing board.

So what is new? Firstly, Pyro Studios has clearly gone to great lengths in terms of crafting an absorbing atmosphere. While the Commandos series has always enjoyed stellar graphics, Commandos 3 has gone that extra step by providing the player with a “living, breathing” sand box in which to play. The maps in Commandos 3 boast a remarkable attention to detail, which gives them an air of realism. As with any new addition to a series, improved graphics are expected. However, for a title that wears its gameplay mechanics on its sleeves, this extra level of detail helps to hide Commandos 3 puzzle-solving core and make the player feel like he or she is part of the action.

In addition, the combat in Commandos 3 is more intense. Although you are commanding a team of covert operatives, a little head bashing here and there never hurt anyone (figuratively speaking, of course!). Perhaps it is the reworked graphics, but whenever the time to quit tiptoeing came around, Commandos 3 revealed a very satisfying combat engine. Don’t take this to mean that fighting has become the game’s focus—it hasn’t at all—just that the use of force has become a more useful tool at your disposal.

Another welcome addition is Commandos 3’s cinematic feel. Obviously, the enhanced graphics engine has allowed for some visually stunning cut scenes filled with plumes of fire and smoke and do a tremendous job at conveying the mayhem of War. More importantly, this cinematic quality caries over into the actual gameplay. The “Enemy at the Gates”-inspired, sniper vs. sniper scenario is an excellent example of this.

In this mission, the player’s sole objective is to take out an expert sniper before your allies fall prey to his deadly precision. As friendly soldiers scramble around you in an environment of heavy snowfall and sporadic gunfire, you must find a vantage point from which to dispatch this enemy sniper. This requires much stealth on your part, but since you are there to protect you comrades, taking it slow is not an option. Making quick dashes between whatever coverage you can find and taking out whatever Nazi foot soldiers may stand in your way.

When this enemy sniper has someone in his sights, a small window opens that lets you see through his eyes and which each allied death, the pressure on you increases. It’s also likely that you’ll find yourself in his crosshairs and all can do is run for cover and pray. When the final showdown does come around, it only lasts for a second but is very intense as it comes down to who can squeeze off their shot first.

Lastly, and the distinctly French thief commando will no doubt agree with me here, Commandos 3 has a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi. In actuality, it is most certainly the combination of Commandos 3’s enhanced visuals, increased action, and cinematic feel that give the game a highly polished, very solid feel. This is the game that I had been hoping to find in Commandoes 1 & 2.

Of course, the difficulty level may still be too high for some. There is virtually no chance that you’ll make it through a level on your first try. With each mission containing so many variables, the person who can finish a level without at least one “quick load” is rare indeed (and likely possess superpowers so be cautious). Ultimately, if you have a decent amount of patience and accept that Commandoes 3 is an action game, the difficulty level should prove to be a “pro” rather than a “con”.

Pyro Studios has already commented that Commandos 3 is the last in the series and it is not hard to understand why. If the preview code that I’ve been enjoying is indicative of the final product, Commandoes 3 represents the perfection of a series. Without a major overhaul of the game’s core gameplay mechanics, Commandoes’ unique blend of puzzle solving, stealth and strategy appears to have reached its pinnacle. Of course, my experience is limited to what was in the preview code, but as of right now, I have little doubt that fans of the series will be very pleased. For those like me who thought that part 1 & 2 were on the right track but were simply not fun, keep an open mind—Commandoes 3 takes everything good in the series and wraps it up in a very intense, extremely polished, and highly accessible package.

While we wait for more details on this amazing new game, check out our updated gallery of screenshots in our Preview Gallery.