Commandos 2, the original 2001 title developed by Pyro Studios and published by Eidos Interactive, defined the real-time tactical strategy genre forever. Its innovative mechanics and the World War II setting made for an intriguing title. To pay homage to that legacy, the developers at Torus Games and publisher Kalypso Media revealed Commandos 2 HD Remaster last year, and reached the public earlier this month on January 24th.
However, everything didn't go as smoothly as planned. Considering Kalypso Media's German origin, it is a sensitive topic for them to touch upon. This can easily get bypassed with region-locked content, however, Torus Games doesn't want some players to experience a different playthrough than others.
The recent changes to German law in media and entertainment regarding Nazi imagery were relaxed, with Wolfenstein titles (including Wolfenstein 3D being removed from their ban list), for example, being able to finally use these assets freely and presented that as an option, albeit one with potentially more roadblocks and costs involved. Hearts of Iron IV were previously in the same situation and had to modify their content heavily to circumvent Germany's laws at the time.
One of the team's representative's answered a fan on Steam's community forums.
There will only be one version of Commandos 2 HD Remaster internationally, and it will not incorporate any symbols, portraits, speeches or other assets that could break the law in many countries.
As a company, we are obliged to adhere to the law, but we want our users to have the best experience with our games without causing potential delays or even being banned in certain countries.
This is not the only downfall of Commandos 2 HD Remaster, since players reported multiple bugs and performance issues since its release earlier this week. Not only that, the title currently sits at 45% positive reviews, compared to the original's 84%, with most of them citing the adjusted content as a prominent reason for leaving negative reviews.
The developer recently acknowledged the hiccups, and released a list of what the team's currently working. They even teased potential controller support with an update down the line.
Commandos 2 HD Remaster is already out on Steam. Let us know what you think of the modernized version of 2001's masterpiece? Are you enjoying it so far?
