Its that time again people! The Charger Bulletin’s Gaming Guru himself has found a game worthy of his attention! For those who are dedicated readers (I hope you are), you know that I am a big fan of the RTS (Real Time Strategy) genre, and especially the Command and Conquer franchise. With that said, I have been generally disappointed with Electronic Arts since they took over the series in 1999. The major exception to the rule being Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, which showed great attention to detail, despite the obvious flaw of a seriously overpowered third faction. I had high hopes for the next installment of Red Alert, the second of Westwood Studios’ original powerhouse title sets.
In the Red Alert universe, Albert Einstein creates a time travel device, and eliminates Adolf Hitler before he rises to power in Germany. This backfires, causing a dominant Soviet power to rise up and fight with the Allied Forces of Europe and the United States. During the time of Red Alert 2, the Soviets use mind commanding technology to disable the United States’ nuclear arsenal and invade. In the newest installment, two Soviet military men go back in time and eliminate Albert Einstein before he kills Hitler, hoping to eradicate the Allies. This too backfires, and the world is drastically changed. This is especially true as a third power, the Empire of the Rising Sun, comes to claim its destiny as conquerors of the world.
Red Alert 3 brings a lot of balance to game play, even with the inclusion of the new faction. One of the best features, in my opinion, is that each faction plays differently, and it isn’t just because the Soviet Conscript is different than an Allied Peacekeeper. The entire way you build your base, gain technology, and use your units changes based on your faction. Buildings are built differently for the Allies, the Soviets, and the EotRS, which completely changes how you play, especially if you are building while being attacked.
Furthermore, the units themselves all have toggle functions. In other words, they have two functions, or a special ability. Whether it is a tank that turns in to an air superiority fighter, or just an increase in firing range or speed, every single unit has a secondary function, allowing players to mix and match. Red Alert 3 also sees the triumphant return of naval combat, of which I have always been a fan. It is great because a lot of the missions allow for use of ships, and most of the buildings are amphibious. You literally can build an entire base on water!
Besides the game itself, RA3 allows players a whole other realm of control with co-commanders. In every mission, another commander is there to back you up. They can attack objectives, hold positions, and even save your butt if you get in a bind. If you connect to the internet, you can even play co-op missions with a friend as your co-commander! This was incredibly awesome, as I spend the first six soviet missions co-oping with a friend. It was great to not limit Internet play to just skirmishes. All in all, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 is a must have for all strategy fans. Plus, there are some really famous names on the list of characters, but this article is too short to go in to all the perks. I would highly recommend this game, and if you buy it, drop me a line…conquering the world never felt so good.
