Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

8.6

Format PC

Developer EA Games

Publisher EA Games

Genre Sim / Strategy

12 Comments

Heritage goes a long way. But it has its limits. If a great game's sequels and spin-offs are to keep us interested, they have to find new ways of engaging us. A different skew, a new idea, something innovative enough to compel us to part with another fistful of crinkled notes and an extra-large portion of spare time.

Since Command & Conquer turned RTS gaming into an international phenomenon in 1995, the C&C; series has sired three games, two Red Alert spin-offs, a myriad expansions, and the misjudged C&C;: Generals. And yet the series' success continues unabated as it has cemented its position as the most successful and enduring RTS franchise of all time. And thanks to RA3, it's likely to remain that way for some time to come.

The reason for this bold prediction are the game's all-new co-operative play and co-commander features, which make RA3 unique when compared to its illustrious predecessors, while never compromising the unrelenting battlefield havoc that has typified the series.
Just like its predecessors, RA3 is set in an alternative world where Soviet and Allied forces are locked in a brutal conflict: Great World War III.

Things haven't been going too well for the Ruskies of late. Pushed back to their own borders by the Allies, the Soviet superpower's two premier military minds, General Krukov and Colonel Cherdenko, are forced into one last desperate gamble to reverse their nation's flagging fortunes. Stepping into a top-secret time machine designed by gormless scientific genius Dr Gregor Zelinsky, Krukov and Cherdenko travel back in time to eliminate the man they believe is responsible for the Allies' edge on the battlefield, Albert Einstein.

Returning to the present day with the frizzy haired one eliminated, they discover the landscape of power has been reversed. The Allies are in full retreat and Cherdenko has become the new Soviet Premier. Much vodka swilling and affectionate moustache tweaking ensues, only for the duo to discover that their space-time continuum meddling has created a new superpower: The Empire of the Rising Sun (aka Japan).

So ensues a three-way conflict between a trio of vastly different superpowers. Which side prevails is up to you.

Whereas C&C3;: Tiberium Wars featured one long, connected war in which you played all three factions, RA3 provides standalone campaigns for the Allies, Soviets and the Empire, each driven by a plot infused with more cheese and ham than a Frenchman's fridge.

After you've sat through the fittingly pounding intro, the first thing that'll strike you is just how much diversity EA LA has injected into the factions. This is easily the most eclectic mix of arsenals that a Red Alert game has possessed, with every unit lavished with imaginative design and secondary skills that a canny commander can utilise to great strategic effect. RA3 has captured the type of factional diversity that few RTS games have. And, indeed, that Red Alert insanity that other strategy titles wouldn't dare broach: parachuting war bears, battle dolphins and paralysing-bark powered Alsatians rub damp noses with Tesla troops, tanks and airships.

The Soviets are the brutes. What they lack in manoeuvrability and subtlety they more than make up for with sheer firepower. Spearheading the Red Tide's advance is the Apocalypse Tank, a thunderous metal hulk possessing two 125mm cannons and a magnetic grapple that snares nippy enemies, petrifying them until they're vaporised.

The faction's aerial behemoth is the Kirov Airship. Ostensibly a blimp with bombs, this terrifying flying fortress may have the turning circle and acceleration of an oil tanker, but position one over an enemy base and it'll wreak utter carnage in seconds as it drops its load.

Yet despite their great strength, the Pinkos also have a smattering of subtler units such as the Bullfrog, a transport vehicle which is as comfortable bobbing on water as cruising along tarmac. The Bullfrog can also be employed as an AA gun and best of all, launch troops cannonball man-style into enemy territory. Propelling its troop contingent over enemy walls, the men glide to earth on parachutes ready to engage an unsuspecting enemy. And let's not forget brutal female sniper Natasha.

In the plot department, the Soviet campaign is somewhat lacking. Hammed up to laugh-out-loud proportions by Tim Curry's portrayal of an increasingly megalomaniacal premier, and topped off by a twitchy, madness-tinged performance by Peter Stormare as the jittery but brilliant Dr Zelinsky, the whole thing is incredibly kitsch. You just can't help but smile at the unashamed self-indulgence of it all. The increasingly vitriolic rants of self-professed genius General Krukov provides an excellent counterpoint to the eye-bulging (or in the case of your comms officer Dasha, bra-bulging) performances of his comrades.

The Soviet plot also has one of the most telegraphed twists I've ever seen, compounded by the fact it's the same twist that C&C; games have been using for over a decade.

The Allies' arsenal is the most unspectacular of the three, though that's not to say there aren't standout units, including the Athena Cannon, a vehicle that can tag an enemy then call down fire from a satellite. Tanya is, as ever, a highlight and comes equipped with a time belt that allows her to rewind the action; an ability that can transform her into a destructive force like no other if used cannily. Spies are also worthy of praise, able to bribe enemy troops to defect to your cause.

You can't really go wrong with their FMV selection either, with Jenny McCarthy perhaps not filling the boots of the Tanya of old - but with J.K. Simmons stealing the show as the rambunctious apple-pie loving President Howard T. Ackerman.

Saving the best till last, we have the Empire of the Rising Sun. Here we have one of the finest factions seen in a C&C; game, by melding nanotechnology, robotics and Japan's samurai heritage, EA LA has created the perfect alternative to the Allies' and Soviet's more conventional arsenals. Many of the Empire's units can also transform into different vehicles, such as the Sea-Wing, which begins life as a bomber but can morph into a submarine and the Striker-VX, which can fill the role of an air-to-ground attack chopper or an AA gun. The versatility this provides is impressive as it can fundamentally change the way you approach missions.

King Onis are giant robotic warriors that crush tanks with their mechanical arms and reduce entire regiments to mush with blows from their Radiant Eyeblasters. But even this hulk is dwarfed by the might of the Shogun Executioner, a titanic tripod housing three giant, swivelling mech bodies wielding samurai swords that cleave through enemy armour like a katana through butter.

The Empire also possesses more subtle and imaginative units, like the Sudden Transport that can morph its appearance to resemble an enemy vehicle. Rocket Angels meanwhile are brutal females clad in combat suits that wield devastating paralysing whips and missile launchers.

The Empire also has Yuriko Omega, their counterpart to Tanya and Natasha, and arguably the most powerful of the trio of killer babes. Don't let her pigtails fool you: this girl has psionic powers that can fell the most powerful pieces of battlefield technology. Strong male units, similar to Tanya, Natasha and Yuriko, are conspicuous by their absence.

The Empire's base-building abilities have some interesting strategic options, most notably the ability to construct buildings anywhere on the map, rather than in a set area, as is the case with the Allies and Soviets. Plot-wise, things are again positive for the Japanese, with the faction featuring the most compelling and well-acted scenes that depict the struggle between old and new schools of thought, while some intelligent historic reversals - such as the US attacking the Japanese stronghold of Pearl Harbour - add substance. It's striking just how effective the more serious performances of the actors are during this campaign, providing ample proof that FMVs don't have to be corny to work, they just need to be acted by performers who don't see video games as a way to make rent payments between movies.

So clearly, RA3's three factions and campaigns are in pretty good shape. But the true test comes on the battlefield. Resource gathering has again been kept to a minimum, with Ore the sole resource, you're alllowed to focus on carnage.

RA3 uses a similar expanding level dynamic to the one which served Supreme Commander so well, with most missions starting off as mere microcosms of their end forms. As each key objective is completed, the map opens up and you are tasked with performing increasingly Herculean feats.

While the visuals (water aside) are somewhat of a disappointment, RA3 has been buffed to an impressive sheen. Buildings pleasingly degenerate as they're pummelled while code stability is rock solid, and intelligent game design ensures you're never left feeling lost. Plots have also been integrated well into missions, with snippets of information
and character development interspersed between the action, while the soundtrack is the finest in the series' history, slipping seamlessly between rousing Russian choruses and searing rock riffs.

A superb interface, the ability to garrison your men and unit veterancy are also worthy of high praise. As I mentioned earlier, RA3 has transformed the dynamic of C&C; with co-commanders: an AI-controlled assistant. RTS games have flirted with this idea for years, most recently in World of Conflict, yet none have embraced it to this extent. RA3 has taken that all-important step of making teamwork integral to every mission and the result
is triumphant despite some AI irritants that we'll come to in just a moment.

Whereas previous C&C; games were typified by long periods of inactivity while you built up a sizeable force with which to assail the enemy, many of RA3's missions are unrelenting battlefields that pull you in a multitude of directions at once. While you're building a force, your co-commander may be attacking the enemy, or repelling an onslaught that requires your aid to prevent the enemy from prevailing, generating some of the most dynamic battles seen in C&C.;

During the larger conflicts RA3's co-commander mechanic shows its true worth. You must not only coordinate with your ally but intelligently read a fluctuating battlefield, just like a true commander rather than a connoisseur of build and rush. This is tempered only by your foes' AI lacking a proactive approach to offence, tending to probe your defences with incessant predictability. Why enemy AI remains such an underdeveloped part of many RTS games is a mystery and a travesty, but RA3 is not the only culprit of this.

Communicating with your co-commander is intuitive thanks to an excellent command interface that allows you to place attack and waypoint markers on the map for your sidekick to follow. Your co-commander also endeavours to mop up your mistakes, adeptly reading the situation and sending troops to back you up, if you've, say, left your base vulnerable to an enemy flanking attack.

Despite this newfound intensity, RA3 is let down by some irritating gripes. Despite its numerous symphonies of mass destruction, the game also features a collection of under-developed missions that can be completed without breaking a sweat. At least one in four levels can be won by taking out key enemy buildings from afar with your offensive Top Secret Protocols (see 'Protocols of Conflict'), while you sit safely behind your base defences.

There's also a lack of strategic design imagination, with C&C; mainstays such as taking out power stations to deactivate turrets, a little too prevalent. There are also AI issues that blight proceedings, with stray units failing to find their way to a designated area, and occasional erratic behaviour from your co-commander.

Perhaps the game's biggest missed opportunity is the lack of true tactical variety between the co-commanders. While each has a distinctive character, there are no discernible differences when it comes to their battlefield abilities. Had each co-commander been lavished with deeper strengths and weaknesses that forced you work with each one differently, RA3 could have been a true masterpiece, rather than just a highly entertaining RTS romp.

That's not to say that the game is bereft of tactics. Using combined arms is an essential skill to master, especially important given that naval combat (a bit too much like land battles, just on water) plays a major role in the proceedings. The problem from previous C&C; games of being able to amass a horde of choppers and attack an enemy head-on still lingers, but with a balanced force, some strategic thought and quick mouse work, and the canny use of your co-commander, you'll find RA3 also offers enough variety for even the more discerning military mind.

But the decision to make every campaign game a co-operative affair really shows its worth when you start playing these missions with a human ally. Yes, that's right, you and a mate can now hook up online, or by a LAN, and work co-operatively throughout the campaign. By using VOIP and placing markers for each other, you can coordinate with even more aplomb than when working with AI allies. And it's a hoot!
This facility gives RA3 that all-important original slant on the tried-and-tested formula that has served the series so well for years.

Yes it has its faults, and certain elements of the game do whiff of Xbox 360 dumbing-down, but it's never blatant and EA LA should be praised for creating such a widely accessible product that not only captures the essence of its predecessors, but infuses them with a whole new multiplayer dynamic. Sure, heritage is important, but you really can't beat bloody good gameplay, and RA3 has that by the truckload. As well as bears. In armour.

Martin Korda