Commandos: Strike Force

Format PlayStation 2

Developer Pyro

Publisher Eidos Interactive

Genre First Person Shooter

There are now so many WWII shooters fighting for space on the shelves that it's practically a genre in itself. Thankfully, Commandos Strike Force is striving to be a little bit different from all the others.

The ability to switch between two of the three commandos in certain missions already gives it the edge over the linear, one-man-army mentality of the Medal of Honor games. The Green Beret is the heavy weapons specialist and can wield dual weapons, the sniper is obviously an expert marksman, and the spy is good at sneaking in and out of enemy bases undetected.

And, unusually, it's the spy's missions that are the most intriguing. Once you kill an enemy, you steal their uniform. To avoid suspicion the spy must keep changing his disguises, targeting the higher ranked officers as he progresses. Bodies disappear as soon as you take the uniform, which is ridiculous yet somehow works in the context of keeping the stealth unfussy.

GOING UNDERGROUND
The open maps offer plenty of ways to complete objectives too. For example, in one mission you must destroy a set number of Panzer tanks rumbling across different parts of Stalingrad. By finding a path through the rubble that leads underground, you can stand beneath a hole in the road and attach sticks of dynamite to a tank's underbelly as it passes overhead. Occasional pop-up action windows showing the location of enemies or areas of interest also provide clues as to alternative approaches you can take.

It's all a bit more cerebral than most first-person shooters, but without getting bogged down in babysitting a squad. Entering the minefield of WWII shooters could be the smartest orders these three brave fellas have ever followed.

PSW Staff