One of the most fun and challenging games of all time gets a sequel, and it manages to be even better!
Commandos II manages to improve the original's formula with much better graphics, controls and features. And it has a great challenge to boot.
First of all, the graphic engine has been revamped. Gone are the pseudo 3-D backgrounds and characters. The game is in full 3-D, everything is animated, from the birds flying in the skies to the trees smooth motion with the wind. The game just looks beautiful. The character models look really sharp and crisp. You can even zoom in on the action, but doing so will make the game pixelate and it's not even such a good idea doing that, since you'll be distracted from the overall situation.
All the old main characters return to the war in this game, taking out the poor pilot from the list, but he was almost a NPC, anyway. A new nimble agent has been added, he can sneak by guards and steal stuff from right under their noses. And boy can he crawl fast! He's ideal for ambushes, for attracting enemies to the awesome power of Tiny, the green beret.
Now, if you run while sneaking, the guards will hear, since the enemy has been upgraded. In addition to seeing, the guards will be able to hear you if you make too much noise. Stab a guard too close to the others and they'll come to check it out. It is always better to knock out the enemies and tie them. All of the characters have the ability to tie enemies this time around. The spy can't hit them, but he can render them unconscious with two does of his poison, and the driver in addition to punching can throw gas grenades which are really useful with big groups. It's ideal to sometimes make duos in the game: one hits while the other takes out the backup, if that's needed.
The levels in this game range from all corners of the war, from Kwai to Shangai and Paris. Also, some classic movie settings are available here, like the afformentioned Bridge Over River Kwai and Guns of Navarone. Yep, you'll have to blow up the bridge while saving the hostages/prisoners and yes, you'll have to destroy the mounted cannons in an isle. All is done with cinematic briefings and an overall look at the action.
The controls have really improved this time around, now everything is nicely layed about, you can control almost everything from the keyboard and managing units will be a piece of cake once you figure out all of the buttons for the characters. You'll just love using Tiny and Sapper! Also, vehicles have become more specialized. What I mean is that you'll need the Driver to drive a tank and you'll need the Sapper to fire its guns. One character does one thing and the other, the other. Something like this has been kind of revamped in Soldiers, released sometime ago.
I'm a huge fan of strategy games, and Commandos just kicks butt for me since it brings a huge challenge to the table, something that most people will just give up and go play FPSs... I insisted and I finished all of the Commandos series, and it gave me a lot of satisfaction in doing so. You'll enjoy it if you have real determination.
Thanks for reading!