Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 continues the highly popular real time strategy series with a 2008 game available on all major platforms that once again expands the franchise with new challenges and strategies. In a similar fashion to the previous Red Alert games you’ll get to experience an alternative reality with a different spin on World War II within a real time strategy framework and a high quality campaign design which includes co-operative stories for all factions.
Fans of previous Red Alert games will quickly jump right into the setting but it’s also fairly friendly to players without any experience with this series to date. The game like others in the Red Alert collection pits the same three factions against each other (Soviet Union, Empire of the Rising Sun and the Allies) as they fight each other for global dominance in a realistic but fictional world setting. For those new this setting is based on the Soviet Union using the power of time travel to change the course of World War II resulting in a three pronged extended conflict for control of Earth that is yet to be settled.
The struggle of each of these factions is on full display in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 campaigns and interspersed with cinematic content featuring full motion video of faction leaders that send you on your next mission for their respective faction. For the Soviet themed campaign this means defending the city of Leningrad as you push back the Imperial Japanese forces from your territory while the Allied campaign has you defending a relentless assault by the Soviets on Great Britain that leaves you both vulnerable to the third power of the game world. Lastly in the Empire campaign you’ll be making tactical strikes while also responding to retaliation attacks on your own important locations.
With players having the opportunity to play as all three of these powerhouse nations within the single player content they’ll be able to experience the unique units and different optimal strategies that each has. With their own campaign you’ve got three lengthy and enjoyable stories in addition to co-operative and multiplayer options to ensure you’ll get plenty of gameplay hours for your dollar and at the same time fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of each. At a high level you’ll find the Soviets focused on direct and stead expansion, the Allies relying on costly quick production while expanding out a snail’s pace and the Empire somewhere in the middle while also having an element of stealth.
Regardless of faction selection you’ll find the same core real time strategy experience where you’ll collect resources, build your structures and counter the enemy’s military forces. Players can also access a wide reaching tech tree of options to push themselves towards a targeted strategy of favourite units across infantry, vehicles, aircrafts and vessels with half a dozen or so options of each archetype per faction. Like other real time strategy games you’ll find that these units have their own resource costs, build time, speed, attack, range and armour to be considered as well.
The variety of units is definitely a strong point for Red Alert 3 (as it has been for the entire Red Alert series to date) with plenty of units for land, air and sea to mix together into any player strategy. That being said gameplay in Red Alert 3 has really focused on bringing naval combat into the core experience where it may have been lacking previously and results in one of the few real time strategy games out there that let the naval battles play such a vital role.
Summary:
- Continues the Red Alert series with another high quality edition to the franchise of alternative war strategy titles.
- Impressive graphics in game and within the campaign cut scenes that bring the setting and units to life.
- Great multiplayer and co-operative options with three distinct campaigns for each faction available.
- A focus on bringing sea into the core experience alongside the traditional land and air unit mixtures.
- Huge range of units with distinct options for each of the game factions that alter their overall strategy.
Links:
Videos:
Review Platform: PC