Which kind of RTS do you prefer? Do you like the huge-scale, battle-wide epic, like Command and Conquer and Age of Empires, or the low-key, squad-driven tactics shooter, like Company of Heroes and XCOM 2? A mix is certainly good, but personally, I prefer the latter. You take a small number of maneuverable troops, send them on dangerous missions behind enemy lines, and up the gameplay stakes so that every single decision can mean the difference between life and death. I’d love to see a new Command and Conquer, especially in the retro style of Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert, but one tactics-driven RTS is already making its PC comeback, and now you can own its original, classic outing for less than the price of a sandwich.
Commandos Behind Enemy Lines is an RTS game where tiny decisions have huge consequences. Originally launched back in 1998, it took the formula of XCOM UFO Defence and refined it for a detailed, in-depth World War 2 setting. Each of the six eponymous commandos has different strengths and abilities, and you control them all individually. You’re not moving a giant army, conquering huge swathes of enemy land. You’re carefully infiltrating bases, bunkers, and research facilities, doing hit-and-run sabotage operations with a minimum of fuss.
If you like Company of Heroes 3, or the white-knuckle tension of XCOM 2, Commandos Behind Enemy Lines is essential. There are 20 missions, that classic and always pretty isometric viewpoint, and even a co-op multiplayer mode. Also, if you haven’t played the strategy game before, this is the perfect time, as Commandos is making a comeback thanks to the upcoming Commandos Origins, which is due out in 2024.
You can get Commandos Behind Enemy Lines for just $2.49 / £2.24 right now. Smart, intricate, and the perfect mix of style and strategy, it’s one of the best games of the PC’s golden era. If you want to pick it up, just go right here.
Alternatively, you might want to go a bit bigger with the best grand strategy games, or maybe the best 4X games ever to grace PC.
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