Review
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So you've played through Command & Conquer on the console
systems, and you need more. That's where the title's thematic
prequel, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, comes in. If you want a
fix of what you enjoyed in the original, Red Alert certainly has
it - though that's definitely a bit of a two-edged .
For the uninitiated, typical C&C gameplay finds you on a clouded
playing field - in which territories become visible with
exploration - with varying degrees of resources (such as money,
troops, and buildings). You command your forces to set up bases,
raise funds by harvesting minerals, build up manpower (tanks,
planes, missile carriers, and so on.), take on the minions of
your sition, and carry out your objectives, which vary
mission to mission from defending convoys to leveling enemy
bases. It's not uncommon to play the later levels more than five
or six times before accomplishing your goals, and since there are
two discs full of missions (one for each of the two sing
camps), there's an incredible a of gameplay time involved
here.
The drama of war plays out much the same as in the first Command
& Conquer, but the cast has changed a bit. Instead of GDI and the
Brotherhood of Nod, the two groups are made up of the Allies and
Soviets. It seems that some enterprising time-travelling soul
(oh, maybe that Albert Einstein guy) has gone back a few decades
to take Adolf Hitler out of the picture - for good. A bold move,
to be sure, but not one without repercussions. In this revised
timeline, the Germans now work along with the rest of Europe to
defend against the machinations of Stalin.
Since we're now about 50 years before the time of the original
C&C, some of the vehicles and weapons are a little less advanced
- although, since Einstein is involved, there's a sprinkling of
advanced technology to be found further along, as well. The
units, vehicles, weapons, and structures are now fairly different
and include MIGS, destroyers, submarines, attack dogs, medics,
Tesla Coils (poles that guard your base by lashing out bolts of
electricity at enemy troops), camoued pillboxes, the Iron
Curtain (this stuff is poison), and more. The two sides no longer
seem to be simple mirror images of each other, and they have
their own unique plusses and minuses. For instance, the Soviets
have attack dogs that can wipe out troops quickly, while the
Allies have medics that can heal all their soldiers. Similarly,
the Allies have vehicles that can move very fast but are short on
firepower, while the Sovs have slow, superstrong tanks and
missile carriers. Unfortunately, the balance of the two forces
isn't quite what it should be, so the Soviets have a clear
strength advantage early on in each round. This makes for a bit
more of a challenge when playing as the Allies in the
single-player game but takes away from a lot of the fun of taking
on a friend over the two-player link cable mode.
The game also seems to have lost a bit in its conversion from PC
to console. The graphics have taken a noticeable bite in quality,
though they're still decent and, admittedly, graphics were never
incredibly important in C&C to begin with. And, not surprisingly,
playing the game with a PlayStation controller instead of a mouse
takes away from the ease of play (it is compatible with the PS
mouse, but good luck finding one). However, the main frustration
is not being able to save at any point in the game. On the
slightly frustrating side, this makes it necessary for you to
ensure you have a few hours free before you take on an advanced
mission. On the very frustrating side, instances frequently occur
when you are an hour or so into a level and doing perfectly well,
then you just start dogging it and have to start all over from
scratch.
Otherwise, be warned that the difference between Command &
Conquer and Command & Conquer: Red Alert isn't incredibly major.
In fact, Westwood seems to have taken a leap similar to what id
took from Doom to Doom II, then Doom II to Quake. There are new
weapons, enemies, and levels, but the game engine and basic play
are essentially the same. That's not necessarily a bad thing
since it is still quite fun, but it's beginning to feel a bit
dated. If you're looking for a true sequel to Command & Conquer,
you're probably going to have to keep waiting a few more years
for the console version of Command & Conquer II: Tiberian Sun.
But if you just really want more of the same, with some nice
improvements to boot, you'd be well set getting Command &
Conquer: Red Alert. --Joe Fielder
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