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Commandos: Behind EnemyLines(by GamesSpot)

Okay, so the Second World War was no picnic, not even a hootenanny for those in the front line, but the ones who took an    even greater risk were the insanely brave individuals which made up Britain's OAS: the original Commandos. Their actions, deep in Nazi-occupied territory, to disrupt, destroy and dismember the  enemy, have since become the stuff of legend ­ as well as several films ­ and it is from this that the latest Eidos release,       Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (BEL)draws its inspiration (The OAS that is, not Hollywood). Set after the fall of France and the Allied retreat from Dunkirk, BEL lets you take command of a small but specialised force of  killers, spies and explosives experts on 24 deadly ­ yet vital ­  missions against the Axis powers. Your chances of success are slim: the odds against you are overwhelming and there is no margin for error. One mistake and it's goodbye freedom, hello firing squad'. Vital to your success is getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of your men, each is as individualistic as their  abilities. The Green Beret can climb and carry, whereas the Spy, though weaker and less agile, has the ability to disguise himself and mix with the enemy without any fear of discovery. A tutorial allows you to work with all of the seven characters at your disposal: first with a short demonstration and then with you
taking the reigns. The quicker you understand how each member of your squad is gifted, the less likely you are to lose a vital member. And in this game you need all the help you can get. Your first mission has you directing a Green Beret, Marine and Driver as you attempt to destroy a relay station in Sola, Norway
and from the first moment you realise that your campaign is going to be no walk in the park.

From the start you can see the entire area of operation, either by scrolling your field of view or using the slide-out mini-map and from this you quickly see that, not only are you heavily outnumbered, but that the enemy is alert, deadly, and not simply
there to give you target practice. This is Nazi territory and they have every intention of keeping it that way.

As an aid to your efforts the top of the screen has an eye icon, which soon becomes your most important asset. Clicking on it, and then on any German sentry or patrol will show you his field
of view. If you are caught in it, even if for a second, you will be discovered and shot. What's more, if you decide to fight it out
and make too much noise killing your adversary, the alarm will be raised and the guard houses in the area will discharge
square-heads by the dozen. You quickly come to appreciate the need for ultimate discretion and your team will spend its inactive moments lying on their bellies, awaiting the moment to silently dispatch their next target.

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is not a fast game in this respect as a lot of your time is spent waiting for a chink in the
enemy defences or considering the exact place to strike the first blow. It's an exacting strategy game and plays like a tense and deadly game of chess. But don't think that because of this there is not a lot of fun to be had in whittling down the enemy without being noticed and achieving your objective to maximum effect.

Using your sniper to eliminate strolling sentries just as his partner turns his back, and then having the Green Beret hide the
corpse before he returns is always immensely satisfying. As is machine gunning patrols or laying bear traps for unsuspecting guards. More fun can be had in multi-player, where you co-operate with up to seven friends to control your squad.

Using the various skills at your disposal and coordinating the order in which your men can reach their target takes a little
planning, as does watching the interaction of the enemy, but that only makes the successful kill all the sweeter.

Game wise, the only similar title I can think of to compare C:BEL to is Sensible Software's old Amiga classic Cannon Fodder. Though that is a little like comparing a Rolls-Royce to a
Volkswagen (irony). The isometric game screens are not only accurately realised but also a visual treat and the character
control ­ once the hot keys have been mastered ­ is both complementary and intuitive. If you are looking for a gung-ho blast fest, go and rent a John Wayne movie; if, on the other hand, you want to engross yourself and sample just a fraction of the tension and elation that was felt by our commandos in their WWII missions: buy this game. You won't get a medal, but you'll feel like you've been in the wars.

            Score: 8/10

                          Gordon Barrick
 
 
 
 

Commandos:Behind Enemy Lines(by Gamescenter)

 
I freely admit that when I was assigned this review I groaned out loud: "Another real-time strategy game? Was I born under a bad sign, or is the gaming industry
just trying to kill me?" I also wasn't terribly encouraged when I received the game. Looking at the screen shots on the back of the box, there didn't seem to be any
difference between Eidos's Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and every RTS in the world. Once I loaded it and started playing, though, I was never so glad to be wrong, because Commandos is a great  game.

First things first. Commandos is not a real-time strategy game in the Command & Conquer sense. Although it might look like an RTS on the surface, Commandos mixes action- and puzzle-game elements with fascinating tactical challenges, thus distinguishing it from the scores of Red Alert rip-offs.

Each mission begins with six commandos; each commando has a unique set of skills and talents. For example, the Green Beret can scale walls, camouflage himself by digging into the ground, and distract enemy troops by utilizing a noisemaker. There's also a spy who can put on a German officer's uniform and stroll around enemy camps; a sapper who can use explosives on structures; a sniper; a driver; and a Marine with scuba gear. The object is to use each commando's talent to achieve a strategic objective on the map--blowing up a dam, for example, or rescuing a valuable prisoner.

Fulfilling these objectives is no easy matter. As in real life, it doesn't take much to kill one of your commandos (three shots from an enemy will do it), and unless all of your men survive, you can't complete a mission and move forward. That makes the stealth feature extremely important. Enemy troopers have sight and hearing and will intelligently investigate odd occurrences, such as the sound of gunfire, footprints in the snow, or the dead bodies of their comrades. Discovering definite signs of your presence will cause them to sound the alarm, which usually leads to the arrival of hordes of reinforcements. Therefore, each mission becomes a test: you must figure out the best way to take out enemy soldiers and make sure their bodies are never found. This is where Commandos will immediately lose players who love shooting their way into and out of trouble. A heavy firefight usually means you've messed up and are about to lose the mission. However, players who relish heavy thinking and planning are going to love this game.

by Allen Rausch
                    (9/8/98)   SCORE:4/5