Commandos: Origins revives the WW2 real-time stealth-tactics classic next year
On PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Classic WW2 real-time stealth-tactics series Commandos is being revived for a sixth entry, Commandos: Origins, and it's coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S sometime next year.
Commandos, if you're unfamiliar, first made a splash back in 1998 with launch of developer Pyro Studios' first series entry, Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines - which challenged players to guide a six-strong team of commandos, each with their own distinct abilities, behind enemy lines (the clue was very much in the title), to undertake the likes of sabotage and assassination missions while staying as sneaky as possible.
It's very good, if notoriously tough, and was followed by four more games: 1999's standalone expansion Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty, 2001's Commandos 2: Men of Courage (which introduced a 3D engine), 2003's Commandos 3: Destination Berlin, and 2006's Commandos: Strike Force - which re-imagined the series' formula in first-person.
Next year's Commandos: Origins - which is being developed by Tropico publisher Kalypso Media's Claymore Game Studios - will see the series return to its classic isometric perspective for an adventure set before the events of the first game. Here, players will embark on missions taking them from European coastlines to icy Arctic plains and African deserts as they experience the story behind the founding of the titular squad.
"In the hushed shadows of history's most pivotal moments, where heroes are born and legends are forged, a new chapter awaits," explains Kalypso. "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 and the smart combination of stealth and destruction that come with the unique skillsets of this elite troop."
Kalypso is promising "more than 10" missions featuring both core and optional objectives - each completable in multiple different ways - with two-player co-op support, either locally or online, avaiable for anyone wanting to get stuck into Origins' real-time tactical-stealth with a friend. All of which will be presented via a "modern user experience with precise and intuitive controls".
Commandos: Origins releases for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam, Epic, and the Microsoft Store) next year, and will be the first new entry in the series following Kalypso Media's acquisition of the franchise rights back in 2018. Since then, the publisher has released HD remasters of Commandos 2 and Commandos 3, but a litany of issues at launch - including the removal of Nazi imagery in Commandos 2 - meant neither was particularly well-received.