Telling the tale once again of John Cooper, it follows his exploits before taking on the infamous train robber El Diablo in the first game. Which can, and will, happen as you try and cut your teeth.įans of the originals may be surprised to learn that this is actually a prequel to the first Desperados. It’s just nice to know it’s not a complete washout if things go pear-shaped. It’s not completely foolproof, as the emphasis is still towards the sneaky side of things. However, if you balls it up too much, the game does give you some leniency to escape. This, in turn, adds to the difficulty but at the same time, gives you more variety and skills to divide and conquer. Quickly switching between them on the fly is a welcome addition, rather than having to drag a cursor over to a team member.Īs you progress, you’ll encounter levels that have you play as more characters. This means that you have more control, rather than panic about cursor placement and where they are. Instead of point-and-click, you have independent control over your unit(s). The main gameplay style is simple enough, eschewing that hardcore, old school philosophy of tough-but-fair PC gaming. The movement controls take a bit of getting used to, especially for PC players adapting to console, but it’s nothing too mind-breaking. It doesn’t completely hold your hand, but rather encourages some lateral thinking as a prelude for things to come. Thankfully, you are given a tutorial mode that accommodates new players to the genre. The core principle is tactics: planning ahead, scouting enemy routes and generally trying to keep two steps ahead of what they’re doing. Rather, it’s a game that wants you to play by its rules and not try and deviate too much from it. When I say it’s not an easy game to get in to, I don’t mean it’s the kind of game that absolutely punishes you right from the go. But when it gets rolling, there’s definitely some fun to be had. Incorporating a more active, real time component, it’s still not an inherently easy game to get it into. It spawned two sequels before 2010, yet never made to consoles.įast-forward nearly fourteen years and Shadow Tactics developer Mimimi Games hav taken on the mantle. Still just as tactical, with the emphasis on stealth, gadgets and forward-thinking. You had to look after each member of your varied team, depending on the mission, making full use of their respective skills.ĭesperados: Wanted Dead or Alive followed suit in 2001, replacing the WWII theme with the Old West and cowboys. It was notoriously difficult (for young me, at least), that hadn’t really been done before. However, instead of being an all-out war sim, the focus instead was on a small team of units that favoured stealth. If you’re not familiar with your Commandos and Desperados, allow me to give you a quick history lesson on them:Ĭommandos: Behind Enemy Lines led the way in 1998, favouring a look not far off from Command & Conquer, in that it was top-down/somewhat isometric environments. What Brings You To These Parts, Stranger? Ergo, will it hold up in a time of readily accessible, hand-holding gaming? Saddle up, partner, as we mosey into review town… A hybrid of real time, micro-management and advanced lateral thinking, it’s high time to see John Cooper and crew return.īut in keeping true to form, it’s not as initially as approachable as some might like. One of the earliest of the “hard of nails” RTS games, alongside Commandos, it’s adapted to modern times whilst still retaining its difficult roots. It’s fitting to see Desperados return, after a hiatus of some fourteen years. Well, except for XCOM with its “98% chance to hit” nonsense. These have taken the mantle on, yet at the same time, made it more accessible to those that aren’t aware of the legendary/notorious status they bring. In recent years we’ve seen XCOM lead the new revolution, whilst hybrid games like John Wick Hex and Shadow Tactics have cropped up. Stories of the Wild West are somewhat analogous to point-and-click, real time strategy games: the legends of old, the notorious of difficulty, the tall tales of actually finishing one of these lengthy games.įortunately, there’s a new wave of RTS games keeping the genre alive. A hybrid of real time strategy and stealth-based gaming, will it hit the bullseye or be rode out of town? The Finger Guns review: The infamous outlaw series returns after a thirteen year absence with a bang.
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