I have bought several games from GOG. A few I enjoyed but didn't finish either because I got stuck or because, um, well, I don't know why, exactly. Others I just didn't enjoy very much. However, I not only finished this game, but I also think it is one of the best games ever created. The first thing you will notice is how many frikkin options their are. You can be a human, a dwarf, an elf, and many others. But that's not all. Each race, along with their respective genders, comes with some boosts or detriments to their attributes. But maybe you want to boost something else, or maybe you want to make the game harder for you in some regards. Well, you can do that too. You can pick a background which affects you stats either positively or negatively, though usually both. And then you get to the game itself. It starts off fairly slow; it never throws you into something you can't handle. The early part of the game is somewhat confined, probably to help you get a grasp of how the game works. But once you leave the first town, the game opens up. And that is when it gets five times more awesome. The setting is incredibly unique. It is a fantasy realm going through an Industrial Revolution of sorts, bringing a steampunk feel to the game. But the two opposites of magic and technology are not just there to be there. The game uses these to create an even more unique setting that offers even more replays. You see, the two things clash. Magick doesn't really operate that well around a heavy presence of technology, and vice versa. But what is awesome is the fact that effects how you play. For example, say you are a magic man, and you want to heal someone in your party that is heavily technological. You find that, unfortunately, heals don't always work. Sometimes, it just kind of fizzles above the character but doesn't do anything. As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when playing this game. When considering if I should get this game, I read one review that said the combat was terrible. I completely disagree. Mostly. The default setting is real-time combat. However, hearing that it was only good for some things, I switched to turn-based. Turn-based works somewhat similarly to Fallout. If you get near someone or something that wants to fight you, you enter into combat. You have a certain number of action points. Once you run out, your turn ends. If you score a critical hit, you do more damage, or perhaps damage their armor, or both. However, you can also critically miss. How bad the result is seems somewhat random on critical misses. Sometimes you drop your weapon. Other times you hit yourself and damage you armor or yourself. Other times you damage you weapon. This things never get annoying, however. The plot is another great thing about the game. When it begins, it seems like a cliche fantasy story. But as the game progresses, it becomes evident that it is not completely cliche. So overall, this is a really great game. The myriad of options allow for numerous playthroughs, and the fun combat and good story keep you going throughout the game.
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is an excellent game. It starts off with small missions and simple objectives. The missions still require thought and planning, but they are not overly challenging. However, once you begin to get farther into the game, the difficulty slowly rises, until finally, well-thought out tactics and a smidgen of luck are your best friends. "Luck?" you say. "But I thought this game was all about tactics and perfect planning?" It is, for the most part. But sometimes, you may have to resort to trial and error when you are working out a plan, trying to figure out the best way to go about it. And sometimes, you get lucky, taking out not only the enemy soldiers you were trying to get, but also successfully luring others into a trap that you never had any intention on making. That is when luck comes into play. The game itself is long, both because there are a lot of missions and because each one requires a good amount of time dedicating to watching your opponents before you strike. It is also deeply satisfying, as pulling off a perfectly (or even a not-so-perfectly) planned move can be very rewarding, giving you a sense of satisfaction. "What of Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty?" you ask. And a good question it is. Personally, I hate it. It is not that it is bad. However, there is, right from the get-go, a ridiculous increase in difficulty over that of the game for which it is an expansion. Behind Enemy Lines grew increasingly more difficult, but never in a way that made you want to scream and throw yourself through a window. In fact, the slow increase in difficulty helped you build yourself up to the strong, tactical-minded person you needed to be when the game became extremely difficult. Unfortunately, with Beyond the Call of Duty, there is no build up; instead, you are thrown right into a frying pan of difficulty, and the only way out is to jump out of the frying pan... And right into a fire of frustrating difficulty. Take the first mission, for example. You start off in a boat, and the only way to get to dry land is to pass through the watchful gaze of a German guard. Easy, right? Just time it perfectly, and you'll be good to go. Oh, wait. He just saw me. And he killed one of my guys. And now I can't finish the level. Ah, no matter. I'll just start the level over, use my sniper, and off the stinkin' guard. So that works, and you go on. But then another situation arises in which it would seem that your sniper is the only option you have. So you use him. Several more of these situations later, you are finally able to get through the mission using your other guys. You may have run out of bullets for your sniper rifle, but no sweat. Right? You may think that, until you complete all your objectives and pile into your raft once more to head to the extraction point. Because you will then find that the only path to your destination is blocked by water mines (aren't those supposed to be underwater?), and the only way to get rid of them without killing yourself is to shoot them. But because of their position, they are too far away from land to be shot with a pistol, and remember, you used up all of your sniper rifle rounds. The only solution? Either find a cheat that will skip you to the next level (which is never fun; it is, after all, cheating) or restart the whole level. There is, of course, a way around it. It just requires more patience and persistence than even the first game asked of you at any time. But the point is that Beyond the Call of Duty is unnecessarily difficult, and it takes away from the experience. So, overall? It is a pack with a great game and, to me at least, a less-than-fun expansion. But really, how can one complain? Six bucks? Behind Enemy Lines is worth that, at least.
