By Eric T. Baker

World War II continues to be very hot on the video game front. Commandos 3: Destination Berlin puts the player in command of an elite unit of Special Forces behind enemy lines in Europe. This is a “tactical” game, which means players control the characters from a top-down view, issue them orders, and watch as they are carried out.

Scenarios take the unit across Europe, from the Eastern Front at Stalingrad, to Gestapo Headquarters in Berlin, to the D-day assault on Omaha Beach. Every scenario presents different problems that require mixing and matching the unit’s special skills.

There are several ways to complete each scenario, which is handy because the setting and circumstances are dynamic. No plan survives engagement with the enemy in this game, particularly in its portrayal of guerrilla warfare. The unit fights using ambushes, stealth, sabotage, and demolitions to disrupt the Nazi advance. All of the action is portrayed on smaller, more detailed maps than those in Commando 2, which results in more action-oriented missions.

A more traditional method of combat can be found in Medal of Honor Allied Assault: Breakthrough, the new expansion pack for the award-winning Medal of Honor Allied Assault. This game is also set in Europe during the years 1943-1944. The game delivers 11 new single-player levels with nine new multiplayer maps. It also has new locations, new weapons, and new soldiers.

The player takes the role of U.S. Army Sergeant John Baker, and through his eyes the player experiences the battle at Kasserine Pass in North Africa, races to capture Messina in Sicily, and finally repels the German Army at the historic Battl.

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