17 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Command & Conquer: X
Date of Review: Sep 30, 2006
The Bottom Line: These games will take up a serious chunk of time. Even though some of the games are not pretty, they are awesome.
Command and Conquer: The First Decade brings together all the great C&C games onto one DVD-Rom that is sure to please series fan and newcomer alike. With a total of twelve games, counting the main games and their expansions, this compilation of classic Real-Time Strategy games is sure to keep any fan busy. Since this game is a compilation, I won t get into huge detail about every game, since I would get bored writing it and you will probably get bored reading it.
The general style of all the games, with one exception, does not change throughout the entire series. The goal is to build up an army faster than your opponent and use it to destroy him or her. This very simple concept doesn t change throughout the game. One common complaint about this series is that there is more conquering than commanding and there is a lot of truth to that. Regardless of whether you are a better tactician or not, the general with the quickest hands will generally win every game.
Command and Conquer (The Original) - 42 Total Missions The game that started it all. Sure it looks dated, but who cares when the nostalgia pours in and combines with the always simple gameplay that fans of the series love.
Command and Conquer: Red Alert - 63 Total Missions The first game to make the transition from GDI vs. Nod to a slightly more realistic Soviet vs. Allies setup. With a little twist on history, the campaigns in this game are nice and lengthy and can take hours out of anyone s day if they are not careful. The real meat of this game is the skirmishes. There are over 100 (I counted 200+ one time) maps in this game (with expansion packs) that are all unique and fun in their own way. The game retains the simple setup of the original, but with more troops to choose from.
Command and Conquer: Tiberium Sun - 53 Total Missions The series shifts back to GDI vs. Nod and starts to get a more than a creative. With more troops than the original, the game requires that players think on the go. While a massive build up of tanks can still win the game certain checks will come up against every style of unit. Like Red Alert, the campaigns are lengthy and there are still a significant number of maps in the game. One thing that is unique to this game is the Tiberium fiends, mutants caused by Tiberium ore cause their insanely powerful creatures to attack all on the battlefield.
Command and Conquer: Renegade - The game that completely ignores all that made the series successful. Although being one of the first games to use vehicles in a first-person shooter, the game just can t stand up to other FPS s especially the more recent ones. A nice try that won t hurt to check out.
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 - 39 Total Missions My favorite game in the entire series. The game switches back to the Soviet vs. Allies setup and has a flare that none of the previous games seemed to have. The campaigns have a uniqueness to them that makes them addicting and fun. Skirmishes now allow for team battles, which make the combinations and strategy for the battles much more interesting.
Command and Conquer: Generals - 36 Total Missions Perhaps the most realistic Command and Conquer game in the series, but not really the most exciting. The new setup of building structures and the sloth-like movements of the vehicles make Generals one of the slowest games in the C&C series. It might have just been me, but I found this game to be rather boring. I didn t even bother to finish the campaigns, because of their lack of speed.
One major complaint I have is that the lack of multiplayer. The only games that seem to have anybody on them are Red Alert 2 and the Generals series. Even when available, the servers are rather unstable. I have been kicked off in the middle of a game for almost no conceivable reason.
The games on the DVD will take up a serious chunk of time, even if you are not a huge fan of the series. Although the online play is lacking, the skirmishes and campaigns will more than make up for it. Even though some of the games aren t beautiful, they are still very fun to play. The battlefield is calling, will you answer?
