Commandos: Origins Review – A Tactical Revival That Almost Hits the Mark
6 min read
After a staggering 19-year hiatus, the legendary Commandos franchise has returned with Commandos: Origins, launching on April 9, 2025. This isn’t just another remaster of classic titles – it’s a completely new entry that serves as both a prequel and a modern revival of the tactical stealth formula that made the series famous. With IGN giving it an 8/10 and Shacknews awarding it a 9/10, expectations were high. But does this origin story live up to the legacy, or does it stumble under the weight of nostalgia?
The Return of Real-Time Tactical Excellence
Commandos is a stealth based real-time-tactics series with the last entry, Commandos: Strike Force, hailing from 2006, making this resurrection particularly significant for fans who’ve been waiting over two decades for a true successor. As the title of the game implies, this is an origin story for the Commandos games that came before, exploring the early days of World War II and how the famous unit came together.
The core gameplay remains faithful to what made the series special: real-time tactical stealth we’ve come to expect. Everything from the makeup of your team to the environments themselves makes for a handful of ways to go about each mission. It’s the early days of World War 2 and the famous Commandos unit is not yet fully assembled. You begin the with only the Green Beret and, throughout the campaign, gradually recruit the full team.
Meet the Squad: Six Specialists, Infinite Possibilities
The game introduces six core characters: the methodical Sapper, the agile Green Beret, the sharpshooting Sniper, the versatile Marine, the stealthy Spy, and the resourceful Driver. Each of these commandos brings a unique set of tools and tactics to the table, creating the tactical depth that defines the series.
Whether it is a daring raid, a covert sabotage, or a courageous rescue mission – the Green Beret, the Sapper, the Sniper, the Driver, the Marine and the Spy will need to combine their skills to meet the most challenging tasks. Your mission can only be achieved through well-thought planning, emphasizing the strategic thinking that separates Commandos from action-heavy alternatives.
Visual Splendor Meets Modern Design
One area where Origins truly shines is its presentation. Commandos: Origins offers a visual upgrade over its predecessors, with more detailed environments that capture the charm of WWII settings. The game’s biomes are beautifully rendered too with realistic lighting, shadows, and explosions. Character models stand out with unique animations, bringing the classic isometric perspective into the modern era without losing its distinctive charm.
Far from just your Normandy trenches, Commandos Origins spans the globe. The visual distinction from mission to mission is stark and appreciated. And there’s a lot of missions to chew through here: 14 to be exact. This is a notable jump up in content from the 10 missions from Commandos 2, providing substantial content for tactical enthusiasts.
Balancing Old-School Challenge with Modern Accessibility
The game attempts to walk a tightrope between nostalgic difficulty and contemporary design philosophy. Commandos: Origins strikes a great balance between the classic stealth tactics games and modern streamlined ideas, creating tons of potential for finding creative solutions to problems like “too many living fascists.” Pruning out elements like inventory management may not be to every older fan’s liking, but it does streamline the experience for newcomers.
With a difficulty that’ll challenge even the most tactical minds, combined with refreshing visuals and characters that are fun to play, what you get is a satisfying, rewarding experience that has you reloading save after save, believing the next strategy you try will be the winning one.
The Critical Consensus: Mixed but Hopeful
The reception has been decidedly mixed, with Commandos: Origins rated ‘Fair’ after being reviewed by 43 critics, with an overall average score of 72. It’s ranked in the bottom 48% of games and recommended by 51% of critics. This lukewarm response reveals a game that succeeds in some areas while struggling in others.
What Works
Tactical Depth: Commandos: Origins is a great game in a genre that sorely needs one. With a difficulty that’ll challenge even the most tactical minds, combined with refreshing visuals and characters that are fun to control, the core gameplay loop remains engaging.
Mission Variety: The 14 missions provide diverse scenarios and environments, each requiring different approaches and tactical solutions.
Visual Presentation: The modernized graphics successfully update the classic isometric style without losing its distinctive character.
Technical Troubles and Design Concerns
However, the game faces significant challenges. Fans of stealth tactics games will get a kick out of Commandos Origins, but their patience might run thin due to the firing squad of problems that trouble its initial release.
Bringing back the classic Commandos franchise, Commandos: Origins looks great and has tons of tactical potential, but it’s let down by console controls. www.thesixthaxis.com 4/10 from our reviewer due to the poor performance on console, highlighting significant technical issues that impact the overall experience.
Narrative and Structure Issues
Commando: Origins was meant to revive the franchise after years of silence, but it falls short. There is no cohesive story and the missions feel quite random. However, the missions are varied and the commandos offer different strategies. Don’t expect a lot of freedom or creativity, suggesting that while individual missions succeed, the overall campaign structure feels disjointed.
Platform Considerations and Performance
It was released for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S on April 9, 2025, with the PC version generally performing better than console iterations. The control scheme, designed primarily for mouse and keyboard, struggles on console platforms, impacting the precision required for tactical gameplay.
The Verdict: A Flawed but Promising Return
Commandos: Origins is a worthy return to the legendary series. It leaves a strong impression, forcing the player to think, plan, and act in cold blood again. This is the case when old heroes return at the right time — and we are happy to accept this challenge!
Despite its flaws, Origins succeeds in its most important mission: proving that there’s still an audience for methodical, brain-bending tactical gameplay in 2025. Commandos: Origins is a welcome return for the series, one to please long time fans and newcomers alike, providing they are up to the challenge.
Final Score: 7/10 – Good with Reservations
Strengths:
- Faithful recreation of classic Commandos tactical gameplay
- Beautiful visual upgrade that honors the original style
- 14 varied missions across diverse global locations
- Each character feels unique and essential
- Challenging difficulty that rewards strategic thinking
Weaknesses:
- Technical issues, especially on console versions
- Disjointed narrative structure
- Control scheme better suited for PC
- Some design choices may alienate series veterans
- Performance problems at launch
Recommendation: Commandos: Origins is best experienced on PC by players who appreciate methodical, challenging tactical gameplay. While it doesn’t fully recapture the magic of the original series, it provides enough strategic depth and visual polish to satisfy both nostalgic veterans and curious newcomers. Just be prepared for some technical rough edges and a learning curve that demands patience and persistence.
Commandos: Origins is a faithful prequel feels like a fitting return full of challenging missions that will exercise the trial-and-error gameplay that feels like a modern classic. In an era dominated by fast-paced action games, there’s something refreshing about a title that demands you slow down, observe, and think several moves ahead.
For tactical gaming enthusiasts willing to overlook its flaws, Commandos: Origins offers a rare opportunity to engage with a genre that’s increasingly scarce in modern gaming. It may not be perfect, but it’s a promising foundation for the franchise’s future.
Have you tried Commandos: Origins? How does it compare to the classic entries? Share your tactical triumphs and failures in the comments below!
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