Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines
| Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Pyro Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Designer(s) |
Gonzalo Suárez Ignacio Pérez Dolset |
| Artist(s) | Jorge Blanco |
| Series | Commandos |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Real-time tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is a single-player real-time tactics video game developed by Spanish company Pyro Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. The first installment in the Commandos series, the game was released in 1998[1] and is set in wartime Europe and Africa where a group of six Allied Commandos performs missions using small unit tactics. Each Commando has a unique set of skills and tools determined by his class which forces the player to establish cooperation among them so that further progress can be made. The objectives vary from sabotages to rescuing allied informants and assassinations.
Commandos employs an isometric view with a whole map visible, thus allowing player to think out a strategy and its execution in advance. The same system was later used in the expansion pack Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty released in 1999 as well as in two installments Commandos 2: Men of Courage and Commandos 3: Destination Berlin released in 2001 and 2003 respectively.
Gameplay
In the game, the player represents the role of an officer who has been entrusted with the command of a group of six Commandos, a subset of which are available for each mission. In order to complete a mission, all various objectives must be completed and all the commandos must survive. The mission fails if any of the commandos die.
Throughout the game, the enemies are German soldiers. They vary from low-ranking soldiers (armed with either Karabiner Rifles or MP40 machine guns), to sergeants (armed with service pistols or manning fixed machine-gun nests, and usually do not leave their posts), to higher-ranking officers. In one mission, there are also attack dogs in the vicinity of a German base. The enemy soldiers are always on alert, always watching over each other and will always do their best to track down the Commandos. Enemy soldiers have a line of sight, that can be viewed. It is typically a cone (coloured green) of vision that extends from the soldier. This lets the player know what an enemy soldier can see and what he is looking at. The field of vision is broken into two sections; close range (light green) and long range (dark green). In the long range view, the enemy will not see any Commandos if they are crawling. If they stand up, the enemy will see them and order them to halt or possibly shoot. In the close range view, the enemy will always see the Commandos, even if they are crawling. Enemy soldiers can be alone on solitary patrol or in groups ranging from two soldiers to seven or even enemy garrisons. In certain missions, there are also German tanks and armoured cars on patrol. Under normal circumstances, if they spot one of the Commandos, they will simply shout at him to halt and aim their weapon at him. They will not fire unless he fails to comply. However, if they witness any hostile action, they will shoot immediately; since the Commandos are only armed with handguns and no body armour, avoiding firefights is necessary for success. Enemy soldiers are alerted by spotting or hearing anything suspicious. Dead bodies, footprints in snow/sand, gunshots, explosions, etc. All will alert the enemy and they will investigate and attempt to discover what the cause is. Enemy soldiers can also shout for the alarm to be sounded. When this happens, all soldiers in the base are alerted and become more aware. Soldiers will also deploy from garrisons and begin patrolling. If an alarm sounds or if a suspicious sound alerts them, they will emerge and begin hunting and patrolling, making completion of the mission more difficult. In certain missions, the sounding of an alarm can cause the mission to fail.
Expansion
Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty is a stand-alone expansion pack released in March 31, 1999. It is developed by Pyro Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. The original game is not needed to play. The game features new skills and equipment, such as the ability to throw rocks and knock out enemy soldiers. Also two new allies are present with the game, a Yugoslavian military commander and a member of the Dutch Resistance. New enemies in the game include Gestapo agents and wild animals (including lions and ostriches).
The game also features a higher resolution.
References
- ↑ "Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines at IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on November 8, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2008.
External links
- Official Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines website (archived page)
- Official Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty website (archived page)