Comandos Strike Force E3 2005 Preshow Report

Pyro Studios' popular Commandos series is going to get a pretty major face-lift this year as the series transitions from a traditional strategy game into a more action-oriented first-person game. Even though it's going to be taking a more straightforward approach this time around, it appears that the game will still have at least some of its tactical roots.

At the core, you'll find three different playable characters. The spy is used when your operation calls for a stealthy approach. The sniper likes to reach out and touch someone with his high firing accuracy. The Green Beret is the one that packs the heavy weapons. You'll be able to employ the commandos' tactics as you see fit, and nonlinearity appears to be one of the game's design goals, so there should be multiple ways to solve at least some of your problems.

Like the other Commandos games, Strike Force takes place during World War II, and you'll have three campaigns to play through in Norway, France, and Russia. In addition to the single-player game, you'll also have some online multiplayer options. Sixteen players will be able to play at once on the PC, while the Xbox and PS2 versions will be limited to eight.

Commandos Strike Force is currently scheduled to be released in 2005.