They take all the fun out of killing nazis.

Cencorship alone is a no-go, but not even a decent discount for owners of the original Commandos 2 (or Praetorians)?
This is how to not do it, Kalypso.

Is it just a reskin job or has there also been fixes/improvements or changes to the underlying game?

Turns out they simply are oblivious to recent happenings in Germany effectively permitting such symbolism to be used in games (see post #11, from a dev): https://steamcommunity.com/app/1100410/discussions/0/1745643248319995764/#c1745643424481097275

https://mobile.twitter.com/kalypsomedia/status/1162356674469998592

Translated from German via Google Translate:

We do not 'censor' insofar as no version internationally will contain these symbols. Not because we have to, but because we want to. But also a thank you from us for the nice answer.

https://mobile.twitter.com/kalypsomedia/status/1162362331516604421

Translated from German via Google Translate:

Nothing has changed in the game itself. Ultimately, it's about an attitude - and the moral responsibility that we as a German publisher see with us. In our eyes, it does not detract from the fun to use alternative symbols such as the Iron Cross

Moral responsibility is to hide the truth, not to show and educate why a certain thing is bad, makes perfect sense (not) !

TBH they are fools but what can we expect from a world that has gone mad.

IMHO, the attitude of -as it turns out Kalypso's community manager- on silencing on discussions truly sucks. One on the Japanese red circle that also was scrapped from the game (and which still used to this day on the national flag and air force plan got locked). Seems truly bent on not deviating one iota from the attitude of 'that's how it is and will remain, tough'.

Honestly this remake is more than a step down from the original, and not just because of removing stuff. Hell, even the HD mod is way better than that thing Yippee came up with.

The horrible truth is that what they did and still do is open to different interpretations.

Unless I'm proven wrong, I will use the interpretation that they removed the Nazi symbols because they don't want to display Nazis in a bad light. Now the game isn't about a group of heros sabotaging something evil, it's about a group of maniacs murdering random people.

The other removal to not forget is also the Japanese red circle (again I stress still in use in Japan today). So yeah now in effect, you just go after a random and unknown enemy. Why not equip Green Berets with water pistols while they were at it. Okay that's an exaggeration but given the state of the game as it stands....

Ok when a developrer/publisher wants to remove the symbols ok, there wouldn't be the first one.
But this lying in your face and shite boast with "moral responsibility"...this is a comparison between the
original international and german version of Commandos 2.
https://www.schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=4652
Back then they put efford into the censoring and it looks not nearly as horrible as this new "thing".
They censored a already censored version with was sold back then in germany.

Indeed.

Nowadays tough just for Germany alone, chances are that the USK would have given that 'remaster' green lights to leave all symbols as they were -correct me if I'm wrong of course. I think you have to pay to have the game reviewed by the USK so that's probably was not to Kalypso's taste, but what we basically have here I suspect is laziness on top of costs cutting when it comes to have a 'one size fits all', as opposed to having 2 version if absolutely necessary.

I cannot believe they couldn't have the base game as well as the 'touched up' one for release, and if they'd invoked added workload in that, then I'd be curious to know the amount work involved in getting rid of all they did. And given the bugs in that game so far, looks like their priority got kinda messed up.

Well the game doesn't feature the glorification of nazis so it should be ok.
And yeah you have to pay them, an example is Wolfenstein and Bethesda in that regards.
They paid 25000€ and since the game was for 25 years on the list it could be reviewed and got clearance.
It got a lot better with the rating of the games in general in recend years so this HD release is mindboggling.

They removed features in order to work with the HD and their "improvements" were to make it more buggy. Honestly that is my main reason for not buying it that after the work for the hack and slash it's still not the quality of the original.

Given what has been happening over the past few days with some of the Kalypso staff on the Steam forum, I can give you a clearer definitive answer.

Yes you can take it higher up, and that's what has been happening with the aforementioned staff who were given mod access: some users have reported them for abuse in that respect and they sure had grounds to do so. It was not that pleasant to begin with, but it got worse, with one in particular: a trigger itchy and happy in deleting posts and waving the threat of ban card, when in fact none of the Steam forum's rules were breached when it came to those posts.

I think today was the cherry on top day; trigger itchy happy one marked one of her post as an answer -getting rid of the previous marked one- to the OP discussions when it is up to the OP to decide which answer is the one that should be marked. A veteran Mod -non Steam- actually had a nice say to her about that. As for the answer she gave and marked as answr, oh boy, perhaps she really ought to have remained quiet.

Overall, given that they will not budge no matter what in why they TRULY made the decisions they did, how dismissive they are of what I would call the top dogs: gamers who in the end can make or break a game -sales reviews etc, why on earth would you buy their product, a buggy one on top of the rest?

I'd sooner buy the originals here on GOG even though I'm annoyed there is -still I believe- some original contents missing, than give a penny to that arrogant bunch of developers (who didn't develop the original game but only that fiasco), although it p.....s me off that Kalypso may get pennies on those originals sold here as well given they're listed on he games' page.

In fact, perhaps that's what people should do: buy the originals then apply the mods -true labor of love- available for them so they can play it on their modern system and as it was made and intended.

In the end to each their own and choice regarding that 'remaster', as long as one knows what is getting.