You play Lieutenant Cooke of the International Space Defence Force (ISDF) and embark on an interplanetary crusade that’ll lead you down one of two branching paths dependant on a pivotal decision.
Set in the 1990s, the discovery of a hostile alien race dubbed Scions prompts the US and Russia to combine forces. On the solo front, Instant Action mode caters to an itchy trigger finger, while the lengthy campaign slowly introduces new concepts to players across 24 varied missions. Unfortunately, Combat Commander is less technically accommodating elsewhere, with alt + tabbing causing temporary choppiness, and badly implemented controller support. Its range of graphics options ensured we had no problem maintaining 1080p/60FPS on a GTX 1060, though it’s possible to reach the heights of 4K resolution and a higher unlocked frame rate with a more powerful rig. Having largely remained true to the original means that the remaster isn’t too taxing to run. Old school wonk like shooting a chain link fence with a standard round causing it to explode, or hilariously bad walking and on-foot death animations, don’t translate quite so well.
The game simultaneously looks sharp and slightly retro, clearly being a modernisation of aged assets in place of genuine current design, which there’s a certain charm to. While very subtle tweaks help the gameplay to endure, changes on the visual front are a little more drastic. Obviously you can’t just jump back to your base of operations or an outpost that’s under attack in Combat Commander, upping tension and encouraging a careful approach. Not all of the changes are to your advantage, though. Utilising cover and terrain to your advantage comes naturally, whilst the ability to seamlessly hop out of your craft and use a sniper rifle to pick off enemy pilots and instantly disable their turret/vehicle is an absolute blessing!Ĭombat Commander ’s remaster shows a few cracks, but an intriguing blend of RTS and FPS mechanics still make for some uniquely exciting skirmishes. Though we’re definitely undignified enough to suggest that an increased level of violence would improve a game of chess, getting your boots on the ground - often literally - actually poses new strategic opportunities for the opposing purist. While unit management isn’t quite as elegant as in a dedicated RTS, due to the fact your mouse is otherwise occupied with shooting, it’s a worthy trade-off when the ability to actively engage in battles serves to make the core experience so much more compelling. So far so familiar, but it’s in rolling out into the field that Combat Commander comes into its own. Once you have and utilise the means at your disposal to establish a defensive perimeter, select a player loadout and amass a small fighting force, the race is on to find and destroy your opponent’s base before they can do the same to yours. Hotkey shortcuts make management relatively simple as you establish a base and expand outwards by building structures, along with nodes to power them, at the cost of Biometal, a gradually mined resource. This results in a frantic workflow that takes time to master, but is constantly satisfying. From the cockpit you’ll spearhead assaults whilst issuing commands to a range of defensive, utility and offensive units to achieve the tactical advantage. Rather than playing from an aloof position, as is the norm in an RTS, Combat Commander fittingly places you in the thick of the fight.
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