Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

9.0
Excellent

Gameplay	9.0	"A complete return to glory for this venerable series."
Graphics	8.5
Sound	8.0
Value	8.5

By Tristan Clark

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As soon as I heard EA were making a new Command and Conquer game set in the Tiberium universe, and as soon as I heard they were getting the actor who played Kane back on board, I got pretty excited. I was looking forward to a real time strategy game that was simple, explosive, and extremely entertaining. So now that Command and Conquer 3 is actually out, does it live up to my expectations? In a word: 'yes'. In more than a word: 'oh my god this game is so much fun'.

You may have heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: C&C 3 is a throwback to RTS games of old, when your strategy would generally go something like this: build up your base as quickly as possible, create an army, rush the opponent’s base, then repeat if necessary. What’s new in this sequel is the extent to which this basic formula has been refined and polished. The developers have basically taken everything that was fun about the gameplay of earlier C&C games and transplanted it into this one, removing elements that didn’t quite work and adding in a number of great new features along the way. The result is a game with confidence and polish that few other RTS titles can match.

Once again, you’ll be able to play as both the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of NOD. This time around, however, they are joined by an alien race known as the Scrin, who seem to have a mysterious link to the tiberium that has spread across the planet. I won’t go into the story much, but suffice it to say that the single player campaign remains entertaining and engrossing throughout, for two key reasons.

The first reason is the variety you’ll meet in the missions themselves. While you’ll be building up, fortifying, or defending a base for most of them, the developers have somehow managed to differentiate each level with a multitude of primary and secondary objectives, so you don't feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over again.

The second reason the campaign is fun is the story itself, and how it is presented. The full motion video sequences that helped make the original C&C games so memorable are back – and they’re better than ever. Of course, by ‘better’ I mean just as camp, cheesy, and overacted as before – but that’s exactly what makes them so much fun. This time round, the cast includes Josh Holloway (Sawyer, from TV's Lost), Michael Ironside (who voices Sam Fisher in the Splinter Cell series), and – get this – Billy Dee “Han will have the shield down, we have to give him more time!” Williams. That’s right, Lando is in C&C 3, and if that doesn’t make you want to go out and buy this game, you’re just not a proper geek.

Overall, the entire presentation of C&C 3 is very cinematic, whether you’re watching the cut-scenes or actually playing the game. This, combined with the fast and frenetic gameplay, makes for a very satisfying experience.

Multiplayer is also a blast, as you would expect. The three sides are nicely balanced (although Mammoth Tanks are perhaps a little too powerful), and are different enough from one another to make you feel you’re not just playing as the same faction with a different colour scheme. As you would expect, the games played against human opponents are even more chaotic than single player skirmishes, and should keep you occupied long after you’ve finished the main campaign.

This game isn’t for everyone. It might not appeal to hardcore RTS gamers who prefer a deeper experience; it’s also possible that people exist who wouldn’t be able to appreciate the FMV cut-scenes. But if you don’t belong in either of these two groups, Command and Conquer 3 is well worth checking out, and is certainly one of the best strategy games to come out recently.

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