You can try the new Commandos game right now, as an RTS legend returns

Long-form, grand strategy games like Civilization and Stellaris lend you enormous power over entire societies, but they’re sometimes lacking in urgency. Planning, scheming, gradually accruing resources and soldiers – the complexity is enjoyable, but I like a bit of pressure, the immediacy and chaos that comes from Command and Conquer, XCOM, and the other RTS stalwarts. It’s been 18 years since the last Commandos game, but now the classic stealth tactics series is making a valiant and much-needed return. Seemingly ignoring the experiment that was Strike Force, the new Commandos feels much closer to Men of Courage and Destination Berlin. I’ve been looking forward to this one for months, and now it’s finally playable, right now.

Commandos Origins revives the RTS game series in all its isometric, period-accurate glory. From the hardened Green Beret to the reliable ol’ Marine, the entire squad is back, and you can combine their unique abilities to either infiltrate enemy compounds under cover of stealth or stage intelligent, devastating ambushes and sabotage missions.

A prequel to the rest of the series, Origins takes place across the entire frontier of World War 2, including the blazing deserts of the African campaign and the blistering tundra of the German naval bases in the Arctic. Like the classic games, it’s all about identifying, planning, and executing your own approach. Maps are full of potential routes of ingress and egress, and almost everything is interactive.

The interface and controls have been honed and streamlined to make everything that much more accessible – if you ever tried to play the older Commandos games and found them a little fussy, Origins should serve as the perfect entry point. And now you can try it for yourself. The first Commandos Origins demo is finally here, and gives you access to one complete mission.

Deployed to the Channel Islands, your job is to destroy a German radar installation. Scout the area, learn the map, and then experiment with different tactics – if you want to try the new Commandos game for yourself, you can get the demo for free right here.

Otherwise, try some of the other best strategy games, or maybe think bigger with the very best 4X games available on PC right now.

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