Command & Conquer: Red Alert
It's the Cold War all over again - but worse.
Tampering with the timeline has wreaked immeasurable damage
with the development of technology, and the result is a new
wave of deadly weapons, including Tesla tanks and turrets
(which discharge immense electrical energy at their
opponents) and Chrono-tanks (which can shift their position
on the map instantly for a brief time). You must build and
protect your base, produce units necessary to defend and
attack, and orchestrate an invasion of enemy territory -
all while accumulating as few casualties as possible.
(Electronic Arts [developed by Westwood Studios], 1996)
Westwood's real-time strategy classic is a major
evolutionary leap from the original Command &
Conquer, with vast improvements in the artificial
intelligence used by both your soldiers and by computer
controlled enemies. And it's a tough game! It's pretty
common practice for me, despite a couple of years of
playing Dune
2000 (a later Westwood game which is built on the
same engine as Red Alert), to build up quite a nice
base and then get my ass kicked big time.
The graphics are crisp, the maps are massive, and I
have yet to encounter any major control issues. So far,
it's just major getting-my-ass-kicked issues!
And put another star on Frank Klepacki's calendar - as
with all of the Command & Conquer games, Red
Alert has some jammin' music which, after several
sessions of play, you'll probably find yourself humming
afterward.
I know this one's just a few years old, but all
the same, it's still a lot of fun - and, for my money,
beats the pants off of the newfangled 3-D engine which is
used in such recent Westwood efforts as Red Alert 2
and Emperor: Battle For Dune.
Four quarters - a couple of minor irritants, but mostly a compelling and
addictive game.
