Hidden & Dangerous series on GoG.com

[outdated_gamer]

Heads up - the most merciless WW2 tactical shooters ever made (essentially "Commandos 3D") are now on GoG. For a long time, these were not possible to buy in digital form but this has changed now, so for those who'd like to get legit copies (although the first one was released for free in the "Deluxe" version, so download that too from Gamer's Hell), now's your chance. Unlike the main-stream popular WW2 shooters like Medal of Honour and Call of Duty, these games were not designed so every kid could rush thru them, but instead rewarded the patient, cautious, tactical player instead, and they generally feel like games from another era, a era in which not every game tried to appeal to the broadest possible audience by toning-down the gameplay mechanics and strategic aspects. So for first timers, these games could prove to be quite a shock and a cold shower, but they still go down as pretty much pairless tactical WW2 shooters (although the team AI can be pretty problematic and there are some annoying bugs).

The SWAT games are on GoG now too btw. I warmly recommend SWAT 3, but SWAT 4 is nice too.

[The Beans]

Heads up - the most merciless WW2 tactical shooters ever made (essentially "Commandos 3D") are now on GoG. For a long time, these were not possible to buy in digital form but this has changed now, so for those who'd like to get legit copies (although the first one was released for free in the "Deluxe" version, so download that too from Gamer's Hell), now's your chance. Unlike the main-stream popular WW2 shooters like Medal of Honour and Call of Duty, these games were not designed so every kid could rush thru them, but instead rewarded the patient, cautious, tactical player instead, and they generally feel like games from another era, a era in which not every game tried to appeal to the broadest possible audience by toning-down the gameplay mechanics and strategic aspects. So for first timers, these games could prove to be quite a shock and a cold shower, but they still go down as pretty much pairless tactical WW2 shooters (although the team AI can be pretty problematic and there are some annoying bugs).

I know you like to big yourself up as some sort of hardcore "grown up" uber gamer of l33tness and suchlike but your exaggeration of the difficulty of the Hidden & Dangerous games does them a real disservice.

They're good games but they're not that hard to complete. People who like modern shooters can check these out without fear, your only enemies are the slow pace and the truly abysmal AI. Expect a less streamlined game than you're used to (there's plenty of in-game stuff you'll never use) and more than a few elements of bad game design that will make you appreciate the unpadded nature of modern games all the more, but at the same time you can enjoy the tense atmosphere and an experience that's less hand holdy than the mainstream norm these days without being a constant exercise in player frustration.

[JamesC]

AAAArh - my leg!

[RodimusPrime]

You would think that these were some sort of super regarded highly anticipated by gamers waiting for a digital release type series the way the OP is going on.

They are pretty average and I never even enjoyed them back in the day, never mind now.

[Treguard]

So the moral of the story of this thread is 'don't be excited about being able to legitimately play games you loved in the past'. That kind of thing does not belong on the Retro Gamer forums.

[outdated_gamer]

They're good games but they're not that hard to complete.

Sure, on lower or normal difficulty they're not that hard, but play on veteran mode without any helpers like cross hairs and such and they can be absurdly hard at times, making the game feel like "the Dark Souls of WW2 shooters" for a better picture. There's a heavy element of strategy, tactics and stealth in there and that alone can be celebrated, although I did mention difficulties with the team AI.

You would think that these were some sort of super regarded highly anticipated by gamers waiting for a digital release type series the way the OP is going on.

I never said they were popular games (the opposite is more likely), but they stand in isolation as two overlooked tactical gems of the past and those who did play them back then usually had positive memories about them, as it's a rare case that a shooter game pushes you to be genuinely cautious and calculating while playing it.

For those interested, I suggest the second part over the first one as the first one feels a bit more dated and clunky nowadays, but they both are good and worth checking out if that's the type of game you'd like to mess with.

[necronom]

I used to play the free first game with someone at work at dinner times over the network. It was okay, but from what I remember the controls were a bit clunky.

I've never played the others.