"Far from just your Normandy trenches, Commandos Origins spans the globe."

Right off the bat, I was struck by how much biome diversity the team at Claymore managed to squeeze out of the tried and true World War II setting. 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 and 12 from Commandos 3. But it’s really the quality of said missions that really matters, and in this, Commandos Origins doesn’t disappoint. Each map provides numerous ways to accomplish your objectives. Want to go in guns blazing? Well, you can shoot up the place if you can manage to avoid alarms and reinforcements. It’s also possible to go the pacifist route and avoid conflict altogether, though this might be even more difficult than the Rambo method. Most players will find themselves somewhere in the middle between these two extremes, avoiding patrols that are out of the way and stealth killing soldiers one at a time to avoid setting off alarms.

The game’s wide map design accommodates either (and both) of these playstyles well, providing plenty of tools and equipment for commandos to take advantage of along the way. There’s even some incentive to explore and comb every inch of maps with the a handful of collectibles in each mission. Obtaining these collectibles provides a nice side challenge in itself due to their being tucked away in soldier’s bunkers and other heavily patrolled areas off-the-beaten-path. Managing to grab these secrets won’t grant any gameplay boons or anything, but they do provide some historic text and images of things like the Willy’s Jeep and its usage in WWII, for instance. Additionally, there’s side objectives which add even more replayability and challenge.

The nitty gritty of how you interact with these maps is quite another matter. As expected, the isometric camera from previous games returns, except it’s fully controllable this time around instead of the limited rotation controls from Commandos 3. You can zoom in and out and fully rotate the cam here. The UI on console is rather minimalistic. All your tools and weapons are found on a hotkey menu using RT, as are your units and orders using LT. The team did a fine job avoiding a clustered and overwhelming UI, just showing unit portraits and tool graphics in the upper corners, with a minimap chilling in the bottom right. Players will find console controls quite streamlined and intuitive for the most part, though toggling and interacting with viewcones is a tad bit clunky.

Since this is such a stealth-oriented game, knowing an enemy’s line of sight is crucial. That’s where viewcones come in. Unfortunately, you can’t just toggle all enemy viewcones in the immediate area on; you have to either set a viewcone marker or select enemy cones individually. I like the idea of setting a viewcone in a dedicated spot, but it’s too small to be useful. Also, enemies patrol and move in and out of zones often, invalidating the usefulness of most viewcone markers. Highlighting individual enemy viewcones isn’t much better since it can be finicky aiming at the individual you want when they’re in groups. The more imprecise nature of a control stick just doesn’t compare to the fine pinpoint accuracy of a mouse in this regard.

Another issue I had with viewcones is how inconsistent they are at times. There have been moments when I was clearly outside the viewcone when all a sudden the enemy starts gunning me down without warning. What’s the point of viewcones if they’re not 100% reliable? Yes, there are other variables at play that override viewcones. If you make noise or enemies see footprints, enemies will be alerted to your presence (and there’s even a visual indicator of noise made). As a result, I found myself mistrusting viewcones throughout my playthrough, which kinda defeats the purpose of such a mechanic.

"The meat and potatoes of the Commandos series lies in the tools each of your units wields."

Speaking of visual distinction, you can highlight interactable aspects of the environment and tell enemies from comrades with an ‘highlight mode’ toggle. I highly recommend turning manual toggle on, since the countdown duration options seems to be bugged at the moment, often leaving everything highlighted until a cutscene or combat occurs.

Of course, by now you may be asking yourselves why Commandos is labelled as a real-time-tactics game despite its actionable stealth gameplay. The answer lies with Command Mode. This tactical mode can be initiated at any time, and will pause all gameplay allowing you to set up movement and commands for your squad to perform. Command Mode isn’t forced upon the player, but it is often helpful when simultaneous control of units is needed. Another option is to play with another player via 2-player co-op. Co-op can be done online or split-screen.

The meat and potatoes of the Commandos series lies in the tools each of your units wields. You take control of six distinct commando units throughout the game, each with their own skillset and playstyle. While all commandos share certain abilities, like using medkits or knocking out opponents, certain abilities like setting bear traps are unique to a particular unit. I found the broad tookit to be satisfying and open-ended. Your Green Beret can set a sound decoy or you can just whistle with the Sapper to accomplish a similar, though slightly altered outcome.

What’s more impressive is how each mission has unique abilities for each of the commandos based on the distinct properties of the environment. For example, the mission in the Arctic Circle has some communication lines with poles between them. The Green Beret can shimmy up and climb across the various poles, allowing quicker access without being seen. Just because you’ve seen all of one unit’s abilities doesn’t mean a mission won’t introduce a new way to interact with the environment.

For longtime Commandos fans, it’s worth pointing out that enemies don’t have inventory here. They drop single items, like medkits, if anything at all. This makes Commandos Origins more streamlined, eliminating some of the inventory management the classic games had. Something this does share with those classics is difficulty. Even on the easiest of the three difficulty settings, Commandos Origins has a steep learning curve that brutally punishes mistakes. You’ll find yourself getting caught and dying often. This brings up load times. The load times may not be egregious on PS5, but they do take a while compared to similar games on the console. I wish the load times were shorter, if not instantaneous, since they occur quite often considering the difficulty of the game.

This leads to several technical issues that I continue to encounter in the game. Some of the more egregious glitches were corrected with a patch. Unfortunately, persistent screen tearing continues to plague Commandos Origins. Whether your playing on graphics or performance mode, rotating the camera up and down results in noticeable screen tearing. And I wouldn’t recommend playing on graphics mode, by the way, the framerate and screen tearing issues are too persistent. Another issue I had occurred within the save menus. For example, looking through autosaves scrolls up and down wildly, at times leading to a softlock situation.

On the gameplay side of things, I’ve encountered a couple of invisible walls preventing me from hiding in time, leading to an early death or two. These invisible walls could have something to do with the vertical terrain they tried to implement, but with no way to measure terrain height with the isometric view, it’s too hard to tell what might just be a slight hill preventing interactivity (and the highlight mode doesn’t show anything).

"By far my favorite aspect of the visuals are the variety of biomes and doodads populating each of the maps."

While Commandos 2 felt ahead of its time with its detailed isometric graphics, Origins is average when compared with its peers. The fidelity of textures is nice and detailed and the lighting is indicative of the Unreal Engine 5 lumen tech it’s using, but it doesn’t do anything other games in the genre aren’t doing better. By far my favorite aspect of the visuals are the variety of biomes and doodads populating each of the maps.

One area that is found particularly lacking graphics-wise are the animations. Vehicles move about with no subtlety or finesse, looking like loosely animated cartoons in spots. Then there’s the absence of proper transition animations with certain character actions. The lack of animation finesse coupled with all the glitches I experienced made Commandos Origins a rather lukewarm experience on the graphical and technical end.

The soundscape is hit or miss, much like the graphics. Commandos has taken a live orchestra approach with its soundtrack, but the compositions themselves lack the punchiness and melodic strength of the original games. The soundtrack comes off as your expected military background music; nothing bad but not memorable either. It would’ve been nice to have the original soundtrack option via toggle, but I didn’t expect that kind of thing. The voices of all six commandos are serviceable, but didn’t particularly wow me. This reboot brings back those delightfully charming sound effects, thankfully. When zoomed-in, buzzing of telephone polls or the engine of vehicles is heard, which makes for some good atmosphere.

Overall, Commandos Origins packs a lot of strategic fun into a modern nostalgic package. The six commando units offer a lot of gameplay variety and the missions vary with distinct biomes and multiple ways to complete them. The game still has some bugs to iron out, but Commandos Origins comes recommended if you’re a fan of methodical stealth and real-time-tactics games.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Days Gone Remastered

After years of asking for a sequel, Days Gone fans have been rewarded with…a PS5 remaster. Thankfully, Days Gone Remastered, out on April 25th features some notable new content like Horde Assault, where Deacon must survive against larger, more challenging hordes. Enemies become more difficult as time passes, and you can even control brand-new characters to survive for as long as possible.

You also have Speedrun and Permadeath modes with graphical improvements, reduced loading times and DualSense support. PS4 owners can upgrade to the remaster for $10, and all content will be available for PC players via the Broken Roads DLC at launch.

Forza Horizon 5 (PS5)

For a long time (over three years, in fact), the de facto racing experience on PS5 has been Gran Turismo 7. However, it’s finally getting some real competition when Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 5 launches on April 25th. It’s the first title in the franchise to debut on a Sony console and, more importantly, one of the very best with its incredible open world, stunning visuals, hundreds of cars, and a litany of features.

Best of all, a new update, Horizon Realms, goes live the same day, offering up 11 returning tracks, the new Stadium Track, over 60 Accolades, new cars, and much more.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered (PC)

Just when you thought it was over, somehow, The Last of Us returns, right on time for season 2 of the TV series. It’s the PS5 remaster debuting for PC on April 3rd, and alongside all the platform-specific features like support for Ultrawide displays, DLSS and FSR, there’s some brand new content in No Return. The rogue-like mode will receive two new characters and four new maps to go with the previously included Lost Levels, developer commentary, Guitar Free Play and more.

South of Midnight

With a story seeped in Deep South mythology and stop-motion-like visuals for its cutscenes, South of Midnight is an unexpectedly endearing new title from Compulsion Games. Launching on April 8th for Xbox Series X/S and PC, it’s about Hazel who becomes a Weaver after her hometown is wrecked by a hurricane. From interacting with giant fish and crocodiles to mending spiritual bonds, she seeks her own place in the universe while dealing with tragedy. With about 15 to 25 hours of gameplay, South of Midnight could be one of the more underrated titles of the year.

Commandos: Origins

Jack O’Hara and his legendary Commandos return, albeit in a prequel that explores their origins. Launching on April 9th for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, players will embark on over ten missions throughout World War 2, combining their squad’s strengths to succeed. Go alone or with a friend in split-screen or online co-op, and experiment with different approaches to succeed, be it stealth, subterfuge or chaos.

Descenders Next

An extreme-sports-meets-rogue-like title is already fairly unorthodox, but RageSquid is taking the formula even further with Descenders Next. You can still play solo or with up to other players and find the best way to reach the bottom of the mountain as quickly as possible. It’s an instinctual joy, and there are new clothes and boards to unlock, a new soundtrack, and much more to dive into when it launches on April 9th.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Sandfall Interactive’s homage to real-time parrying and dodging and an imaginative fantasy world. Suffice it to say that it looks like a winner ahead of its launch on April 24th with its 30+ hour main story, gorgeous visuals and an all-star cast.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

A sequel to Garou: Mark of the Wolves wasn’t on every fighting game fan’s wishlist for 2025, but here we are. Launching on April 24th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC, City of the Wolves sees several returning fighters, some newcomers, and even a few debuts by Fatal Fury legends. With rollback netcode, cross-play, a new RPG-like single-player mode and the REV System for new tactics, it could take the community by storm.

MotoGP 25

As little as the franchise evolves year after year, you have to give credit to Milestone’s MotoGP franchise for its consistency. The latest title, MotoGP 25, launches on April 30th and offers new Race Off Disciplines for its modes, a new Arcade Experience, improved adaptive difficulty, and cross-play. It’s coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Steel Seed

Close to the Sun developer, Storm in a Teacup is going in a completely different direction with its next title, Steel Seed. As Zoe, players traverse a mysterious facility in a post-apocalyptic world, dealing with hordes of unwelcoming machines. Mixing platforming and puzzles with combat and light stealth, Steel Seed launches on April 10th for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.

Bionic Bay

Speaking of platformers, Bionic Bay, slated for last month, arrives on April 17th for PS5 and PC. The biomechanical setting and premise are still intriguing, however, and having the ability to flip environments, and manipulate physics to traverse obstacles looks cool. And for those who really want to test their platforming skills, an Online Mode with events and leaderboards is also included.

Tempest Rising

If you’ve been feeling the lack of any Command and Conquer-like titles over the past several years, Slipgate Ironworks’ Tempest Rising may help. It’s out on April 24th for PC, offering two playable factions with unique units, two campaigns, online multiplayer, custom games, and the base-building real-time strategy you know and love.

Forever Skies

A survival crafting game in a post-apocalyptic setting may not inspire the most interest, but Forever Skies offers some intriguing spins on the formula. Instead of exploring the dust-covered Earth on foot, you’re venturing through the skies on an airship, gathering resources to upgrade it from various skyscrapers and structures. What awaits on the surface? You’ll have to find out when Forever Skies exits early access and launches on April 14th for PS5 and PC.

Crashlands 2

The sequel to Butterscotch Shenanigans’ survival crafting classic finally arrives on April 10th and sees Flux Dabes returning to Woanope to reunite with her buddies. Things quickly go wrong though, and after yet another crash landing, she embarks on a journey to find out what’s happening while combating dangerous creatures, unlocking upgrades, and more. With vastly improved visuals, new recipes, and more, Crashlands 2 could be the perfect cozy crafting sim for fans when it launches on PC, iOS, and Android.

Monaco 2

Speaking of a long-awaited sequel to a classic title, Monaco 2 also launches on April 10th for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Much like the original, you’re still conducting heists alone or with up to three other players but there are new characters and playstyles and Blueprint Mode for finer planning. Whether you’re in it for the zany yet stylish campaign or the long haul with its procedurally generated levels, Monaco 2 should be a worthy follow-up.

What is it?

Commandos: Origins is a long-in-the-making revival of the legendary real-time tactics-come-stealth series, this being the first entry since 2003’s Commandos 3: Destination Berlin (ignoring 2006 first-person departure Commandos: Strike Force). In prequel Origins, you’ll undertake covert operations, daring raids, and heroic rescues; seminal missions integral to changing the course of World War II, their significance forging the elite espionage unit’s legacy.

Origins differs from previous Commandos games

The complex, isometric gameplay championed by Commandos games of old is present here, but Origins provides even larger maps, real-time environments with zoom in and perspective rotation capability, multi-storey buildings integrated into the map, and more widespread opportunity to interact with the environment and to utilize the surroundings to stay hidden.

How stealth works

Success in Commandos: Origins is all about tactics. Combining your squad’s abilities to coordinate complex actions and execute in real-time is the game’s bread and butter. Flavour though comes in its stealth mechanics and there’re numerous approaches to consider to best the unit’s Nazi foe. Guns blazing is an option, but loud noises will of course attract attention. Instead, tried and true bush hiding, patrol route study, and utilising environmental objects such as radios to create audible diversions mix with enemy fields of vision; ostensibly, eye-line cones which you can’t enter, with a section farthest from enemy’s eyes where detection is evaded by crawling through. Failing to observe surroundings, not hiding bodies, leaving footprints, these are swift ways to raise alarms too.

Six playable commandos

Poster boy for the series, the ‘Green Beret’ Jack O’Hara is the first soldier you’ll command. Under his leadership, also comprising the elite unit are Thomas ‘The Engineer’ Hancock, Francis T ‘The Sniper’ Woolridge, Samuel ‘The Driver’ Brooklyn, James ‘The Marine’ Blackwood, and Rene ‘The Spy’ Duchamp. Each playable commando shares numerous skills, but their nicknames should clue you in to their specialty. The Spy, for example, can don Nazi uniforms to infiltrate camps, whilst The Driver is, of course, a dab hand at manoeuvring vehicles.

Missions at launch

Commandos: Origins has fourteen missions, each with at least one unique objective but, moreover, numerous objectives to complete. Assignments will take the squad to all corners of the war in Europe, with the harsh inclemency of the Eastern Front, Arctic frozen tundra, rugged Western coastlines, and historically authentic locales our team will operate.

Multiple paths to victory

The levels in Commandos: Origins are diverse environments, stuffed with detail and interactivity. As a result of their design, mission victory is achievable via multiple means. Stealthy versus non-stealthy approaches aside, numerous paths are possible, and elevation is achievable. Hiding, climbing, and even driving vehicles are viable options to completing each level’s objectives.

Enemy types

Throughout each mission in Commandos: Origins you squad will encounter various enemy types. Guards, for instance, are usually stationed watching the approach to locations of high tactical value. Furthermore, guards tend to holster formidable weaponry such as the fearsome German submachine gun the MP40. Unlike guards who won’t abandon their post, officers will float between patrols. Snipers hide in eagle’s nests, ready to kill the squad from afar. Sappers, combat engineers, and regular solders, the latter of whom are more easily lured, round out the enemies O’Hara and his team will encounter.

Vehicles

There are numerous vehicles dotted throughout the environments of Commandos: Origins that can be commandeered by the squad. The standard military truck Opel Blitz can be found in four variants alongside the Volkswagen Kübelwagen and American made Jeep Willys, providing options to transport the unit. More hardcore is the Panzerkampfwagen 3 – or Panzer – an infamous German tank that’ll be well-known to anyone who’s played or watched anything to do with World War II. Mission specific Zodiac boats for aquatic infiltration will also be controllable. Worth pointing out at this juncture as, whilst not vehicles, anti-tank guns like the PAK 38, anti-aircraft guns such as the Flakvierling and Flak 88, and station mounted MG34 machine gun will be controllable too.

Loot

Loot in Commandos: Origins comes in the form of collectibles dropped from slain enemies like first aid kits and ammunition, plus items found out in the wilds. In a system described as modernised by the developer, loot acquired here supports Origins’ stealth rather than promote a guns-blazing approach, with collectibles like enemy uniforms discoverable.

Difficulty levels

There’re three difficulty levels to choose from in Commandos: Origins. Beginner gives players room for tactical error, with slow reacting enemies and increased commando health. Normal is more fitting for those with combat experience, with strategic knowledge and combat skill already at their disposal. Here, enemies will react faster whilst commandos, still able to withstand moderate amounts of damage, aren’t as resilient as they are at beginner difficulty. The third tier – hard – is for veterans. Actions must be planned and executed perfectly as enemies react immediately and commando health is at a premium.

Command Mode

To execute your plans to pinpoint perfection, Commandos: Origins includes a new-to-the-series Command Mode. Entering the mode is as simple as pausing the game before issuing orders to each of your squad. Orders can then be executed individually or together simultaneously. The example given in a demonstration video sees the Engineer lay a trap for a patrolling guard before both the Green Beret and the Marine are instructed to take down two stationary guards.

Multiplayer modes

All missions in Commandos: Origins – the first mission aside – are playable in two player co-op either online or via local split-screen.

Platforms, release date, and price

Commandos: Origins releases April 9^th to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S – with day one access via game pass – and PC via Steam. Priced at $49.99, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are coming later in the year. A retail edition has been confirmed for current-gen consoles and PC, although exact details are yet to be shared.

Deluxe edition

In addition to the standard digital version, Commandos: Origins will also come in a deluxe edition available on the same April 9^th date. Included in the deluxe edition are legacy skins which each commando can adorn to reflect their classic appearance in Commandos 2: Men of Courage, a digital calendar with twelve unique motifs from the game, a digital copy of the original 15-track soundtrack, and a unique 3D print template allowing you to print your own 3D Green Beret bust. The deluxe edition will also be available as a physical version on May 22^nd.

PC requirements

Minimum specs to run Commandos: Origins on your PC include an i5-4690K or Ryzen 7 2700 processor, GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 580 GPU, and 8GB RAM. Recommended specs demand an i7-9700 or Ryzen 7 3700X processor, GeForce RTX 3060 or Radeon RX 6600 XT GPU, and 16GB RAM. Upscaling via FSR or DLSS is available depending on your PC hardware. 31GB of storage space is required.

Split Fiction

From the team which created A Way Out and It Takes Two, co-op specialists Hazelight Studios are set to deliver another boundary smashing co-op-only experience with Split Fiction, a shared odyssey through colliding sci-fi and fantasy worlds as authored by our two protagonists Mio and Zoe. Exploring chaotic, imaginative scenery together, the two novelists discover the value of companionship, forging unique skills and abilities to escape a wide variety of fantastical situations.

As a prequel to the series, the real-time tactics title follows the beginnings of the World War 2 squad. Jack O’Hara returns as a Green Beret, and with his companions, players can utilize their skill sets – from the explosive Sapper to the elusive Spy – to conduct rescue missions and raids. Stealth and sabotage are your main objectives instead of straight-up gun fights.

There are over ten missions based on authentic World War 2 environments, from the Arctic to the African desert, with two-player co-op support (both online and via split-screen). You can simultaneously execute commands across your squad, drive vehicles, and more. Stay tuned for more details ahead of the game’s release.