Command & Conquer 3: Polished, Pretty, Simple.

The Command & Conquer franchise has been around since 1995. Its first version was an immediate hit, attracting Real Time Strategy (RTS) fans from around the world. With Command & Conquer 3, players are brought back to the early days in the Tiberium universe with a more polished and pretty interface.

Storyline

The year is 2047 and the Earth has been infected by Tiberium, an alien substance that can self replicate. Two forces, the GDI, a high-tech alliance of Earth’s advanced nations and Kane, the leader of The Brotherhood of NOD are in conflict over this substance. The GDI want to contain the Tiberium while Kane wants to use Tiberium to take control over the world.

Gameplay

Command & Conquer 3 returns with a polished interface but essentially the same core. Players engage in strategic building of troops and forts and attempt to demolish the enemy. With only prettier graphics, Command & Conquer 3 doesn’t have what it takes to warrant any real attention.
Players can choose to play two different factions in the single player campaign – the GDI and NOD. From two different perspectives, players get to experience both sides of the conflict. Although this may sound somewhat interesting, when dissected down to the core, both campaigns are quite similar. The earlier campaigns are largely meant to be tutorials. Players are given mission objectives and must act to fulfill their mission. I felt bored after an hour of playing, but I was determined to try to later levels in the campaign…and so I pressed on.

What struck me as interesting was that the mission objectives never ask players to destroy the entire enemy base. There are always key structures to target and eliminate. This varies from many other popular RTS games. This very small detail was time saving and definitely an attraction for players who want some fun in a limited amount of time.

Speaking of which, Command & Conquer 3 was designed to maximize time efficiency. With each full out war lasting only from thirty to forty-five minutes, every single second is jam packed with decisions that need to be made and actions to be done. The game progresses at a lightening pace and players are thrown into the mix. I wasn’t too confused because the basic controls were intuitive with the mouse and keyboard and the hotkeys weren’t hard to pick up either. I was impressed with the quick pace of the game.

The later missions in the campaign, however, failed to deliver the excitement that I was looking for in this 12 year old franchise. Most missions were mundane, forcing players to complete missions that are live are die.

Ironically, although the game pace is fast…it seemed that the game was designed so that the longer the player played…well, the better the chance of victory. For the most part, the enemy waves of attack (commanded by the AI) are always flooding your base. As long as you pull off a decent defense for an extended period of time, you can come back to win in the end. I even felt that time was more important than skill. Send a good mix of infantry and tiny men in armor and you’ll be almost guaranteed a victory if your troops outnumber your enemies.

The developers obviously had the idea of keeping the game simple and clean. I wouldn’t necessarily call the simplicity a detraction from the overall gaming experience, but it doesn’t add to it either.

Interesting Features

The cut scenes offered me a lot more amusement than the game itself. Granted that I was bored from the early missions in the single player campaigns, I found the cut scenes to be well directed. Although some exchanges between actors and actresses came off as corny, the overall feel of the cut scenes helped to tie the plot together and players are given a good sense of the development of the storyline.

Graphics

The graphics appeared moderate. Command & Conquer 3 was designed to be simple so there weren’t too many treats for my eyes. But, the change in scenery was a good change. With most of the maps containing vestiges of an ice age, it is somewhat unique compared to other RTS games out in the market.

Audio

The audio seemed decent, but nothing extraordinary. The tunes are catchy and agitated, which fits in well with the entire quick paced feel of Command & Conquer 3, but players will probably be tired out from them soon.
I gave the audio two hours of playing time before I turned on my own music. The redundant battle sounds had started to give me a slight headache.

Controls

I would estimate the learning curve for the controls to be about around thirty minutes. Players will be able to pick up on the basics within the few levels of the single player campaigns. The advanced hotkeys for different actions are explained within the included game manual and only provide players with faster access. Note that players aren’t required to learn advanced hotkeys in order to play.

Online Multiplayer

I had relatively little trouble logging online. The only problem is, because Command & Conquer 3 was released only recently (on March 26, 2007), there are very few people online. The online multiplayer offers the standard modes in which players will be able to fight all out, strategic battles. I expect that within a month or two, the online population will increase and there will be map modifications and custom maps released. Also possible, however, is the lag crisis that may result from an increased server load. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Final Thoughts

Command & Conquer 3 remains its simple approach to units and skills in this version. Players that have enjoyed the previous versions of Command & Conquer will notice the familiar interface, albeit polished and pretty, but gamers who are looking for something exciting should just stay away. With simplicity as the basis for Command & Conquer 3, it’s clear why serious players should try something else.

However, if you’re just looking to fool around and have some fun and you don’t have too much time on your hands, then Command & Conquer 3 is just the game for you. Simple and polished, it will give you some fast paced action.