Verdict: Great gameplay and a gripping plot means that the new C&C game doesn't disappoint
The last Command & Conquer game graced our screens four years ago, in the form of the deeply uninspiring C&C Generals. However, it's actually been seven years since we've had a C&C game that holds true to the original concept, but C&C 3 is finally here, complete with the GDI, NOD and the follicley-challenged baddy, Kane.
For those who are unfamiliar with C&C, the GDI, or Global Defence Initiative, is essentially the good guys, while the Brotherhood of NOD is a religious terrorist organisation, so it isn't at all clichéd ...
The game picks up the storyline two decades on from where C&C Firestorm left off. Tiberium - the alien crystal that's used as the game's harvestable currency - is spreading across the globe, with disastrous effects. The world is now divided into three areas, the first of which accounts for 30 per cent of the globe and is classified as the Red Zone; Tiberium infestation is so bad here that it's now hostile to all life forms. The Yellow Zone covers nearly half the globe, and this is where Tiberium has just started to sprout, mutating the population and turning it into a haven for NOD. The remaining Tiberium-free 20 per cent of the planet is designated the Blue Zone, and this is where the GDI is located.
The storyline follows the continuing conflict between the NOD and the GDI, just as NOD begins a new campaign to destroy the GDI. However, around a third of the way into the game, the arrival of an alien invasion fleet, attracted by the abundance of Tiberium, changes everything.
The gameplay is classic RTS fare and involves building a base, pumping out troops and then knocking out your foe. However, there are some differences compared with previous games, one of which is the ability to pre-assemble buildings, so that a structure is only placed on the map when it's complete. This means that you don't waste cash by building a structure only for it to be destroyed by a passing aircraft before it's finished. You can have as many as five structures 'in the bank', which allows you to deploy, for example, multiple gun turrets to foil an assault.
Many of the buildings and most of the units - at least the GDI and NOD units - will be familiar to veteran players. There are stealth flame units, double-barrelled Mammoth tanks, cigar-chomping commandos, plus the awesome Ion Cannon.
Thanks to its compelling sci-fi plot and great gameplay, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars will keep you playing into the small hours. The character of the original game has been retained, so purists will love it, while the great gameplay means that fans of RTS games who are unfamiliar with the C&C series will love it too. Let's hope that EA doesn't make us wait quite so long for the next C&C game.
