Kalypso Media launches a double pack with Commandos 2 and Praetorians in their HD versions, a remastering work that comes with the hallmark of Pyro Studios’ glorious era.
There was a time when everything Pyro Studios touched or did turned to gold. The alchemy of the Spanish studio gave it a lot of international fame, all before the twilight period and the problems that have engulfed the brand in recent years.
Beyond this maelstrom of events each worse, we will always have the times of Commandos and Praetorians, those sagas that are now owned by Kalypso Media and that come to life in their HD versions; and on this occasion, in a double pack to satisfy the nostalgic.
Move centurion
This Commandos 2 & Praetorians HD Remaster Double Pack is nothing more than the two games that were released at the beginning of the year, but together in one package. Why do we say this? Because our colleague Cristian Ciuraneta already made the Reviews of Commandos 2 HD on February 27, a text that can be consulted here. For this reason, in this review we are going to focus on Praetorians HD and then its assessment as a package.
As soon as some history is known, surely the figure of Julius Caesar is more than known. The famous military and political strategist, one of the most influential in Ancient Rome, has dominated history books, as well as television series, movies and, of course, video games. In the latter case, Praetorians kept Julius Caesar’s military plot, and that is exactly what we are going to experience in the game’s campaign mode (including tutorial).
Praetorians was not a great revolution for the time, since many of the things that he put on screen could be seen in franchises such as Age of Empires or Total War. Was this a problem? Not at all, since Pyro Studios was smarter and focused on the military plane more than ever, that is, it put aside the construction of buildings from scratch, collecting materials, etc., to offer us a real-time strategy game whose priority was to fight as such.
At Praetorians we move our units from the second one. There are no doubts, no hesitations. This does not mean that we cannot “create” more units, but rather that the game alternates the usual factors in real-time strategy: combat prevails over construction or collection of materials (which is also done, of course). In addition, in departure times that are less than what we are used to.
In the HD version that we have received from Kalypso, the hallmarks remain intact. The change comes at the visual level, above all. This remastered edition modified textures of all the figures that appear on screen, from our Roman legionnaires to the troops that we will face in the missions of Egypt, Gaul and Italy itself. A small resolution boost.
The work done is correct, but does not stand out. A facelift has been applied that modifies the visual style with respect to the original, although it gives the feeling that much more could have been achieved. For example, the HUD items are very archaic and could have evolved further. The good thing here is that being a strategy game, where so many units appear on the screen, the graphic section suffers less and the seams are more respected. In addition, the control remains the classic of almost any RTS, so no matter how the years go by, the title remains just as fun to control (although it would not have been bad to be able to better map the controls and keys to make them more “ modern ”).
And if that wasn’t enough, Praetorians also respects many of the inclusions from the base game. In this way, skirmish missions are once again present to get a little more out of the different factions that populate the virtual world, as well as a classic multiplayer mode so as not to change customs.
The pack
Although Praetorians is not a technical prodigy when it comes to remastering and Commandos 2 does not do the same as our colleague already commented in his Reviews, the reality is that this pack is more appealing than acquiring each game individually as it happened. at the beginning of years.
Each product has its flaws, such as that it evolves little compared to the original versions and even that it has its own bugs, but it is a way of returning to two of Pyro Studios’ most iconic games with a revamped style.
CONCLUSION
If neither of these two titles has ever been played, Commandos 2 & Praetorians HD Remaster Double Pack is a pretty optimal way to go. They visually polish those small asperities that original games can awaken for the most neophytes, although on the other hand it will not satisfy the purists beyond nostalgia (since the change is not great either). The good thing is that now the two come in a joint pack, and that is always appreciated when taking the wallet out for a walk.
THE BEST
- Pack with the two classics from Pyro Studios.
- Signs of identity that remain intact and for which they stood out.
- Praetorians is just as fun as ever.
WORST
- There is graphic change, yes, but it is not capitalized …
- Small bugs that can be found in the course.
- There are no large inclusions compared to the original.
Okay
It meets the expectations of what a good game is, has quality and does not present serious flaws, although it is missing elements that could have taken it to higher heights.
