Command & Conquer : Red Alert 3
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Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command and Conquer Red Alert 3 is a game which breaks new real time strategy ground by offering an innovative co-operative campaign, which can be played with a friend or an AI controlled opponent. Red Alert 3 also continues the series use of humorous and cheesy full motion videos for cut-scenes which add to the charm of playing what is one of the pinnacle real time strategy games this year. But does it do enough for the most picky RTS gamers out there? Yes it does.
Gameplay
If you have played a real time strategy game in the last few years, you can quickly and easily pick up Red Alert 3, but for those who are new to the genre the tutorial will quickly show them how to play the game. But playing the tutorial might be a good idea for even experienced players, since the game has added some new gameplay elements to mix and learning these is a very good idea if you want to have an easy time with the gameplay mechanics.
Red Alert 3 has some fun and innovative new gameplay features which include vehicles which can crush other vehicles in a very satisfying manner and adds a new concept for the tank rush and of course they can still crush infantry. Units can also use stances for holding ground or following the enemy around, also the “retreat while firing” action is a great feature, which keeps your heavy armored fronts towards the enemy while you reverse out of danger. Great way to soften up the enemy while you retreat them into an ambush and this is a great tactic to use when playing against aggressive human players.
Multiplayer wise, Red Alert 3 is very well done with up to six players or artificial intelligent controlled opponents can battle it out for supremacy. The artificial intelligence is actually very aggressive and smart in the battles and if you up the difficulty the game will challenge you from start to finish. I would have enjoyed some more complex multiplayer such as what the PC version of Kane’s Wrath offered with Global Conquest. That gameplay mode alone has extended the life of Kane’s Wrath by years instead of months.
You can play the single player campaign with a Co-Op friend or AI helper who controls another team of buildings, units, etc. and you can control how the AI. You can issue the orders called “Plan Attack”, “Strike Target”, “Take Position”, and “Keep Command”, and these orders are very important in their overall use by assisting you in destroying the enemy when you use these as advanced tactics. Such as using “Strike Target” to immediately send your AI Co-Commanders to attack the target will allow for an overwhelming force to crush the unit and anything else in the area which can change the tide of the conflict.
Graphics
Kanes Wrath (the last Command and Conquer game) was a great looking title and while Red Alert 3 has a different overall look to it, I would say Red Alert 3 is the best looking Real Time Strategy game to come out of Electronic Arts. But the quality of the graphics is not the only good thing, but the overall design and animation of all of the units is great, such as a giant gun coming out of Teddy Roosevelt’s head and vehicles which launch their units like circus cannons across the battlefield. It is all conceived and designed in a smart and fun manner, which is something the series is known for.
If you kept up on the development, or even just watched a few of the videos for Red Alert 3 you must have seen the in game water and as you play the game the water is even better then you expected. It is beautifully rendered and animated as your fleets travel through it. It is possibly the best water we have seen in a game since BioShock, at least that is the only game with great water I can think of to compare it too for over all quality.
It can not be a Command and Conquer game with out some full motion video, and it can not be a Red Alert game with out some large breasted women filling in some of the major roles of the characters. Red Alert 3 has all of this and more as a very large cast of characters with Gemma Atkinson (the UK’s Hollyoaks), Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October), Andrew Divoff (LOST), Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King), Jenny McCarthy (Scream 3, former Playboy Playmate of the Year), Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale), Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno), Autumn Reeser (The OC), Peter Stormare (Prison Break, Armageddon), George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes), and two of the most recognizable names in competitive mixed martial arts Randy "The Natural" Couture (former UFC Heavyweight champion) and Gina "Conviction" Carano (Undefeated Elite XC fighter, American Gladiators). Every actor and actress plays their role very well and I have admit watching the videos never gets old and I never fail to enjoy the game because of them.
Audio
The last two Command and Conquer titles (Tiberium Wars and Kanes Wrath) had excellent audio in almost every way, but Red Alert 3 has even surpassed those two stellar titles. The music for Red Alert 3 is stunning mixing several music genres from a hard rock mixture to a rock orchestral version of the Soviet national anthem. The in mission music is just as well done and is thankfully subtle as audio wise there is much going on with voice overs, in game video, and of course the massive amount of warfare.
The voice acting is excellent from everyone in the game, even if it is a bit over the top most of the time. Most of the actors in game are people you will recognize from your favorite movies or TV shows or swim suit editions and seeing them play these over the top roles and speak their parts make the voice over work very enjoyable.
Value
With the single player and co-op campaign modes as well as the multiplayer side of things this is one Real Time Strategy game with a ton of value, making it one of the best long valued real time strategy titles for the PC this year.
Bottom Line
If you like the Command and Conquer series Red Alert 3 is a must buy. If you are new to real time strategy games this one might be a bit more daunting for some player then they may like, but the tutorial and the rest of the game make it a must buy as well.Pros
+ Full motion video is perfectly cheesy as always
Graphics are excellent, especially the unit and level design and water
+ Great gameplay as always for a C&C game (just not innovative)
+ Co-op campaign is brilliant
+ Audio work is excellent
+ Three good campaigns (The Soviet Union, Allies, Empire of the Rising Sun)
Cons
- No real innovation in gameplay beyond the coop gameplay
- No Global Conquest like Kane’s Wrath
- Couple of system crashes
Final Verdict
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
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