This week brings a breath of fresh air to real-time tactics and many exciting new releases on Steam. What can you expect?
This week is all about tactical nostalgia: Commandos: Origins marks the return of one of the greatest real-time tactics classics in a modernized form.
In addition, there are all sorts of other new releases on Steam – from quirky simulations and World War II strategy to dark survival trips and hidden-gem role-playing games. As always, we give you an overview of what should be on your wish list this week!
Table of Contents
Highlight of the week: Commandos: Origins
The Commandos are back! With Commandos: Origins, the cult series of the late 90s gets a fresh start and tells the story of the legendary tactical team in World War II.
In over ten missions at authentic locations – from the icy Norwegian Sea to the scorching desert of North Africa – you take control of six elite soldiers. Each commando has specialized abilities: the Green Beret can take out tough opponents in close combat, the sniper takes out distant targets, the spy sneaks into enemy ranks, and so on.
Just like in the original, you have to plan carefully in real-time gameplay, scout out patrols and then strike without raising the alarm. New to the series is a two-player co-op mode (both online and locally in split-screen), so you can tackle the missions together with a friend.
Thanks to modern 3D graphics and contemporary controls, Origins looks significantly more stylish than its pixelated predecessors, but aims to maintain the same tough demands. Whether the comeback will fulfill the high expectations of fans remains to be seen – but in our first play sessions, the new Commandos did well. Game Pass customers will get this game as soon as it releases as part of their subscription.
More exciting Steam releases
Monday, April 7
- Inspector Schmidt – The Ebbing: In the sequel to the adventure RPG A Bavarian Tale: Totgeschwiegen, you play Inspector Schmidt in a remote moor village in the 1860s. There you investigate a mysterious death and encounter a dense web of intrigue, lies and superstition. You must collect clues, question witnesses and decipher strange symbols, while unexplainable telegraph signals keep you on your toes.
- Battlefield Commander WWII (Early Access): This tactical game lets you relive the battles of World War II in real-time skirmishes. In an isometric 3D perspective, you command dozens of units – infantry squads, tanks, artillery – in historical scenarios around the globe.
Tuesday, April 8
- South of Midnight: Dark action-adventure in the deep south of the USA, characterized by folklore, voodoo and a good portion of mystery. As Hazel, you fight mythical creatures and uncover dark secrets. Visually unique, atmospherically strong – and available in Game Pass right at release.
- Armored Brigade 2: Supply for hardcore strategists! Armored Brigade 2 is a realistic wargame set during the Cold War, which is now also available on Steam after its Matrix Store launch at the end of 2024. In extensive battles from 1955 to 1991, you command NATO or Warsaw Pact troops on huge maps. The focus is on armored warfare: tank wedges, mechanized infantry, artillery strikes, and air support need to be coordinated. Nothing works here without practice, but if you dream of meticulous sandbox simulations à la Combat Mission, you should take a look.
Wednesday, April 9
- Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days (Early Access): In 1980 Texas, a zombie apocalypse breaks out and you lead a group of survivors through the ruins of the city of Walton. The gameplay combines side-scrolling exploration with base management: during the day, you move through abandoned houses, schools or police stations in 2D levels, collecting resources, weapons and food. At night, you barricade yourself in your shelter, manage supplies and take care of the needs and fears of your people. Think of it as a mix of This War of Mine and Fallout Shelter with zombies.
Used Cars Simulator (Early Access): Do you have what it takes to be a used car mogul? In this quirky simulation game, you start your own used car business in an old shack on the outskirts of town. Your tasks: Find cheap scrap cars (if necessary, a stolen car from the shady buddy around the corner), fix the cars and polish them up with fresh paint and tuning, and then sell them at a healthy profit.
- Asgard’s Fall – Viking Survivors (Early Access): This game transfers the gameplay of Vampire Survivors into the world of Norse mythology. You choose one of several Viking heroes (such as an axe-wielding warrior or a huntress with a bow) and slaughter your way through endless waves of enemies in a top-down view. Experience points and upgrades rain down with every monster you kill.
- Gedonia 2 (Early Access): The first part of Gedonia became a little open-world insider tip on Steam in 2020. You create your own customizable hero without a fixed class and set out in search of adventure. Along the way, you loot better equipment, master challenging boss fights, and even expand your own settlement to permanently settle in Gedonia. The graphics are kept colorful and simple for the sake of function, but the scope and freedom that Gedonia 2 offers could once again provide many hours of role-playing fun.
Thursday, April 10
- Blue Prince: Welcome to Mount Holly – a mansion full of rooms that are constantly changing! Blue Prince is a game that defies easy categorization, combining puzzle-solving, strategy, and roguelite elements. Each time you play the first-person perspective of the mansion, you get to decide which room opens behind each locked door. This way, you essentially design your own path through the mansion. However, every night at midnight sharp, the chambers reset, and the next day the house has a new layout ready. You can only make lasting progress if you find special blueprints. The game will not only be released on Steam, but also directly in the Game Pass and in the PlayStation Plus catalog on day one.
- Monaco 2: Master thieves take note – Monaco 2 lets you plan and execute heists with up to three other players. The game features snazzy new 3D graphics, but the perspective remains top-down. Eight quirky characters with unique abilities are available to choose from, from hackers to explosives experts, and you can now even change roles mid-burglary to react to unforeseen obstacles.
- The Talos Principle: Reawakened: The Talos Principle is considered one of the best puzzle games of the last decade – now the philosophical adventure returns in a remastered form. This definitive edition offers polished UE5 graphics and expands the story with additional content. For those who don’t know the original: You are thrown into a mysterious world full of increasingly tricky puzzles as an artificial intelligence, while a divine voice guides you through trials – and you gradually find out the truth about this world and yourself.
- Hollywood Animal (Early Access): A management game from Weappy Studio (This Is the Police) in which you run a movie studio through the golden era of cinema – from the late 1920s to the 1940s. What initially sounds like glamorous tycoon fun quickly turns out to be a cutthroat business with moral gray areas: you write scripts, hire actors and directors, manage budgets, and decide which films to produce. At the same time, however, you have to deal with the challenges of the time – censorship, the vanity of the stars, the power of the press and perhaps even cover up a scandal or two. You can burn out your actors to shoot faster, or pay your writers ridiculous salaries – but everything has consequences for your reputation and success.
- Crashlands 2: Once again, the intrepid intergalactic deliverywoman Flux Dabes finds herself stranded on a strange planet, and once again she has to build a new home out of nothing. That means collecting resources, beating up critters, cooking, forging weapons, building a base – and all while the local aliens are out to get you. Part 2 promises an even bigger open world with different biomes, tons of new creatures (some of which can be tamed and used as battle pets) and an expansion of the base-building feature – now you can construct real buildings with high walls and roofs.
Friday, April 11
- Wild Assault (Early Access): In this 20-vs-20 PvP shooter, anthropomorphic fighters face off against each other in huge arenas. Think a bit of Battlefield meets Overwatch: two teams with different hero classes wage war on expansive maps, capturing objectives and using vehicles, while each character has unique abilities that can turn the tide at any time.
Which of these releases will you be adding to your wishlist this week? Are you more excited about the Commandos’ comeback or are you tempted by the mysterious adventure in South of Midnight – or something completely different, such as a cinematic tycoon challenge? As always, let us know in the comments!
