TheCommand & Conquer(C&C)series is one of the most successful RTS franchises in the history of gaming. Based on Westwood Studios’ RTS-defining releaseDune II: The Building of a Dynastyfrom 1992,Command & Conquertook the RTS genre by storm in 1995 with its fast-paced combat and high-octane cut scenes, all set against an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack laden with intense rock music. The game was such a success that the series has since seen 13C&Ctitles released.
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Split into three ‘universes’, the games follow either theTiberiumseries, theRed Alertseries or theGeneralsseries.Command & Conquer’s subsequent titles have prompted a variety of reactions from critics and gamers alike, and not all of them positive. For example,Command & Conquer: Renegade,a non-RTS spin-off, was not particularly well received. In this article, we look atsome of the games which hold up the best.
5Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Warstakes places in the year 2047, during the Third Tiberium War, following almost two decades of peace between The Brotherhood of Nod and the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) forces. The much-awaited sequel toCommand & Conquer: Tiberian Sun,released in 1999,C&C3sticks closely to the fundamentals of theCommand & Conquerseries with little in the way of new game mechanics.
EA has upped the pace of the game a little, with the most significant change from the previous games being the introduction of a new faction, an alien race called the Scrin. Aside from the third faction, which doesn’t quite carry the character of the well-established Nod and GDI factions, the game stays true to the things we loved about the previous incarnations, including theslightly cheesy live action cut scenes(starring proper movie actors such as Michael Ironside) but updated with crisp and beautifully upgraded graphics.
4Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
While not a giant leap ahead in the RTS genre,Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2cranked up the fun to 100. Catching up with whereCommand and Conquer: Red Alertfinished,C&C2sees General Romanov rebuild the Soviet forces and unleash hell on the Allies, who are lulled into a false sense of security following Stalin’s defeat in the first game.
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The game feels similar to its predecessor in terms of mechanics, but the wide variety of units, as well as a focus on combat in more urbanized areas, makes the game very different in terms of strategy, particularly thanks to a much welcome progression in naval combat, which was absent from its predecessor. The type of units available often borders on obscene; from giant sea squids to trained dolphins, long-range missiles, and extremely powerful (albeit slow) Soviet dirigibles. But among these crazy and creative units lies a brilliant and well-balanced system of combat, which offers multiple routes to success. And all this is not even countingthe multitude of expansion packs available.
3Command & Conquer
The originalCommand & Conquerrevolutionized the RTS genre. By simplifying the build interface, the player could focus on the action. This really sucked the user onto the battlefield and allowed the game to be played at a never-before-experienced tempo. It was also one of the first games to utilize proper actors in the cut scenes, which it did to dramatic effect, laying down the background for our previously mentioned warring factions, The Brotherhood of Nod and GDI.
This is not merely a nostalgic pick for an old but iconic game; the simplified interface and well-balanced gameplay really hold this game up well, almost three decades on. Modern gamers may be put off by the graphics, but this has been resolved following the release of theCommand & Conquer Remastered Collection,which has all the much-loved gameplay with refreshed audio and graphics, now in 4K resolution.
2Command & Conquer: Red Alert
A year after the tremendous success ofCommand & Conquer,Westwood Studios re-imagined the project and transported it back to the Cold War era, imagining an all-out war between the Soviet Union and the United States.
The interface was given a bit more spit and polish than the original but remained largely the same, maintaining the focus on the real time action. This did not detract at all from the game. In fact, it built on a tried and tested foundation and took it to new levels, offering a wide variety of new and powerful units, which forced the player into adaptive tactics.
Almost the reverse of the Nod/GDI dynamic, here the Allies were the ones who relied on speed and surprise, with the Soviets representing brute strength and power. As with the originalCommand & Conquer, Red Alert(and all its expansions) have been revamped with theCommand & Conquer Remastered Collection.Hopefully, we will see thesubsequent games remastered in the same way.
1Command & Conquer: Generals
The feel ofCommand & Conquer: Generalsis very standalone when compared to the other iterations in the franchise, but in terms of playability, it remains one of the bestC&Cgames out there. Firstly, the graphics were full-3D, which gives the game a very different visual dynamic. That coupled with EA’s decision to move the interface from a right-hand sidebar to one at the bottom, sets the tone for the game’s departure from its predecessors.
Second, the game delves into a more modern setting, pitting the USA and China, and a 3rd terrorist organization call the Global Liberation Army (GLA), against one another. These three factions offer vastly different units, advantages and drawbacks; one of things thatC&CGeneralspulls off so well is the power balance between the play styles.
