Commandos 3: Destination Berlin

Commandos 3: Destination Berlin
Developer(s)	Pyro Studios Zonic Limited (Mac OS X)
Publisher(s)	Eidos Interactive Feral Interactive (Mac OS X)
Designer(s)	Ignacio Pérez Dolset
Series	Commandos series
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
Genre(s)	Real-time tactics
Mode(s)	Single player Multiplayer

Commandos 3: Destination Berlin is the fourth installment of the critically acclaimed Commandos series. It is developed by Pyro Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. Gonzo Suárez, who wrote the previous installments, was not involved in this project, having left Pyro Studios. The game is the first in the series to use a true 3D engine, and the last to use real-time tactics before being converted to a first-person shooter genre.

The Mac OS X version of the game was released in May 2005 by Feral Interactive along with Commandos 2: Men of Courage as part of the Commandos Battle Pack.

Gameplay

The game contains very similar gameplay to the previous games, with the similar 'point and click' approach. However, it has fewer hotkeys compared to the previous instalment, and the user has to press buttons at the bottom of the screen on the action bar.

As in Commandos 1 and 2, you are able to see all enemies on the map, follow their movements, and make attacks depending on their behavior. There are a few differences, such as the addition of an 'Assault Rifle' - a weapon less powerful than a rifle, but more powerful than a pistol. Also, all units are able to use weapons such as the grenade, rather than just the Sapper as in previous games. The previous "knapsack" setup, simply showing a picture of all the items the currently selected commando has in his possession, superimposed over a picture of a rucsac, has been abandoned in favor of a "box". When the inventory is selected, there are multiple blocks to put items in, such as grenades (1 block), pistols (1 block), rifles (4 blocks horizontal), enemy uniforms (4 blocks square), sub-machineguns (4 blocks square) and time-bombs (2 blocks horizontal).

When searching enemies bodies or supply crates, a similar, but smaller box is shown for their capacity. Commandos such as the green beret or spy, who in earlier games have only been armed with the regulation pistol, can now use almost all the small arms available, except for the sniper rifle. While adding realism (the commandos are no longer useless outside their area of expertise), some players complain that this robs the commandos of their individual roles within the group, making them more generic. This does however, make the missions less linear, because the same job can done by different commandos.

The new "cover mode" ability allows the player to leave commandos waiting at a door or behind cover (this mode was also available in Commandos 2-Men of Courage) ready to shoot at any enemy that comes within range, often with more accuracy than when controlled manually. This gives the option of ambushes, and more defensive tactics.

Instead of the previous, long, single campaign, this game is broken down into 3 campaigns: Central Europe, Normandy and Stalingrad; each containing a various amount of missions, some shorter than others. Each campaign has different players involved but not all.

Unlike the earlier instalments, Destination Berlin has a time limit on most missions.

Synopsis

Characters

There are only six commandos returning to this installment: The Green Beret (Jack O'Hara), The Sniper (Sir Francis T. Woolridge), The Marine (James Blackwood), The Sapper (Thomas Hancock), The Spy (René Duchamp), and The Thief (Paul Toledo).

Plot

The tutorial begins with Jack O'Hara clearing out a bunker, Sir Francis T. Woolridge killing a few German soldiers with his rifle and Thomas Hancock destroying a Panzer III with explosives. The game then shifts to February 21, 1939, where René Duchamp and Paul Toledo infiltrate the German Embassy in London and confiscate documents from a safe.

Stalingrad

In the Battle of Stalingrad, Woolridge kills an elite German sniper, lifting the siege of a Soviet command post at the Barmaley Fountain. A General Franklin O'Donnell then arrives for a meeting with Soviet personnel, accompanied by Hancock and O'Hara. A massive German airstrike ensues followed by airdrops of the Fallschirmjäger. In an effort to protect the General, the commandos repulse waves of patrols including a 7.5 cm Pak 40. When the meeting ends, O'Donnell crosses behind German lines and boards a Junkers Ju 52, much to the commandos' confusion. When they too enter the aircraft, O'Donnell orders the Germans to arrest them.

While in an underground prison cell, O'Hara subdues a jail guard and frees Woolridge and Hancock, telling them of O'Donnell's betrayal. When they make their way through the sewers, they run into René Duchamp, who informs them that O'Donnell plans to reveal top secret information to the Germans. Unknown to the three, Duchamp tells them they are in Berlin. The player is then given three tactical ways to kill O'Donnell before a timer initiates after which he would appear. After O'Donnell is assassinated, the four commandos enter a Kübelwagen and escape the capital.

Central Europe

René Duchamp and Paul Toledo board a train in Saint-Avold carrying stolen artwork but are discovered. The Germans warn the next station and they try to derail the train. Jack O'Hara discovers this and he single-handedly clears the area before boarding the train just as it passes. Together with Duchamp and Toledo, the three take control of the train. The Germans, however, destroy an incoming railroad bridge, forcing O'Hara to stop the locomotive. Duchamp and Toledo are captured, while O'Hara hides in the back of one of two trucks carrying the cargo.

With the German convoy scheduled to pass through a small town in Forbach, Sir Francis T. Woolridge and Thomas Hancock eliminate the town of all German resistance, allowing the arrival of American soldiers to fortify the area and prepare for their arrival. The convoy arrives escorted by Tiger I tanks, but are ambushed as they enter the town. The trucks carrying Duchamp and Toledo are freed and the artwork recovered.

Normandy

On June 6, 1944, the night before the Normandy landings, Hancock and Toledo infiltrate a German encampment serving as reinforcements near Caen. They destroy a fuel depot, munitions building and as many Tiger I tanks, Schwerer Panzerspähwagen armored cars and Sd.Kfz. 251 armoured fighting vehicles. At daybreak, James Blackwood infiltrates a port in Le Havre, disabling two Kriegsmarine torpedo boats using mines. As the landings commences, O'Hara joins the Americans as they converge on Omaha Beach. Together, they take out the coastal artillery and clear the bunkers of all German troops.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	74.74
Metacritic	72

Review scores

Publication	Score
1Up.com	C-
Eurogamer	8/10
IGN	8.9/10
PC Gamer (UK)	72%
GameZone	8.9/10
Actiontrip	9/10

Commandos 3 was relatively well received. However, it was also criticized for being difficult to play on account of having fewer hotkeys than its predecessors. The player has to control the commandos using the buttons in the pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen. Also, the game is locked at a 800x600 resolution which is relatively low as of released date.

External links

• Official Commandos 3: Destination Berlin website
• Commandos Battle Pack at Feral Interactive