The game that started it all.

Real time strategy games have come a long way. The game that really started me on this genre was Command and Conquer for the pc. It is a terrific game and even though the graphics look dated, the gameplay is not and still has some of the most intense gameplay in the genre. If you are anywhat a fan of the genre, definately get this game, it's cheap and I would even recommend it for those who haven't got into the RTS genre games.

Graphics:

The graphics were great for the time that it came out but now they look very dated, still they are excellently drawn. Some of the things in the game are pictures of the actual thing that is in the game such as a tree will be a picture of a real tree, and they look really good and they don't look bulky or poorly done as some other games start getting when they go into the realm of cut and pastings pictures into their games. The structures are 3D and there are quite a few of them so the game never really gets boring to look at.

Gameplay

I remember back in the day when this game came out I would watch my brother play it for hours against his friend over the internet. I found it fascinating that he could play his friend that was probably a thirty minute drive away and there were no issues with lag or anything. It was such a novelty to have this game and I remember that his friend used to call the house and tell me to relay a message to my brother such as "Watch out for this bomb," and right when I told my brother he would bomb him. It most certainly was a blast. Pun not intended. Recently his friend called me up, about nine years later and he asked me if I had a key code for one of the games in the series.

So here's how the gameplay works out. You start off with a command center and you build off of that. You build guys and then attack the other base. There are tons of guys you can make in this game and a whole lot of different weapons that you can use against the other team. There are tanks, bombs, troops, airplanes, etc. The controls are simple and easy to learn. You basically just use the mouse movement and the left click. You press down on the left click and then make a square around the players that you want to select, then you click again to tell them where to go or who to attack. The game is a lot like some newer games like Starcraft, Age of Empires, and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth. You have an overhead view and the game could definately not work without the overhead view. I always found it extremely fun to have an army at my hand in real time, it was like risk without rolling the dice and waiting your turn.

The game features a campaign mode with a story with real actors. This is very fun but the game really shines in the multiplayer. I can't tell you how many hours I've wasted on the multiplayer with this game, it's just absolutely a blast. The point is to completely defeat the other team by killing/destroying all of his/her units.

So all in all, the gameplay is extremely fun to this day and is some of the better real time strategy games out there. It never really gets boring or repetetive because the gameplay generally always varies due to the army you build and the person you are playing against.

Sound
The sound in the game is absolutely fantastic, you hear the gun shots and the explosions everywhere and it is some of the best for its time. The music is pretty much generic rock but isn't necessarily bad. The game has a lot of voice acting in it that I remember that I would dictate in real life when I was younger. There are videos in between the levels with real actors and are terifficly well made with great sound.

Last words

This game is fantastic and should not be missed by anyone who is somewhat a real time strategy fan. I'm still playing this game 11 years after the release date. This is truly a masterpiece.