Confessions II: Men Who Kept Me Awake All Night

Before GPUs, before complete 3D and before Havoc Engine or Bink Engine, life was difficult for the gaming companies. Come to think of it, they did not have anything cosmetic to beautify their final product. Why, prior to magic of 3D Max and then Maya, most of the characters were simply some basic shapes put together.

So, it goes without saying that games of yore should have had everything that is ignored today for the sake of breathtaking graphics, amazing effects and mind-blowing sequences – solid game play, exceptional repeat value and a clear, believable and fast moving storyline.

The Commandos series of games was one such. As far as I can think, it was one of those few games during those times that actually had a crisp storyline supported by good graphics, gameplay and logic.

The game was about six covert operatives who were sent into Nazi occupied Germany during the World War. The five or six operatives had to complete various assignments and cover levels to ensure that the good won over the bad.

Doesn’t it seem to be a stupid, pulp fiction game with six people ramming into buildings and shooting the heads off their enemies? Doesn’t the storyline seem similar to million other shoot and loot games that were released during the time?

Wrong – So Very Wrong.

As far as I can remember, Commandos was one of the first games to introduce or reintroduce the concept of limited ammunition for their weapons. And believe me, the weapons, especially the sniper was so heavenly effective that once you used through the given six bullets, you really missed this weapon.

Another beautiful concept of the game was the cigarette packet. The cigarette packet was one of the most important weapons in this game. How you would kill a soldier with a cigarette packet, you’d ask. Well, simple for anyone who read the ’40 Tips For Killing A Enemy Soldier’:

Throw a cigarette packet and go down on your belly out of sight. Wait for the enemy to spot the cigarette packet. When the enemy bends down to take the packet, quickly slide over to them and slice their throats. Oh, and yes, I will never forget the sound effect of the commando knife slicing through a enemy throat.

I think this very concept would be the USP of the entire game. Of course, there were many other concepts. Like clearing off the trail of soldiers you have killed. You actually had to lift all the soldiers you killed and hide them out of sight. Of course, when you were half through the game, the pile of dead soldiers did give you a sense of accomplishment.

The game was ultra successful, with at least two add ons being released for Commandos, Commandos: Beyond The Call of Duty and Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines. The game has also been released in a complete 3D avatar. Commandos: Strike Force.

So, this was a very different age of computer games, where the boundaries of the resources forced the gaming companies to achieve their true potential.

However, availability of a good gaming engine today does not mean that all companies do slack on the actual gaming part. There are games which successfully marry good graphics with good gameplay.