Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars Review

Revered amongst RTS fanatics and widely attributed with putting the genre on the mainstream map, the Command & Conquer landscape has been a quiet and desolate place in the years since Kane's last apparent death. Eight long years after the conclusion of the Second Tiberium War, EA LA have returned to the series after a brief excursion with some hobbits and a ring.

Set 17 years after the events of the Second Tiberium War, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars finds the conflict between the GDI and Brotherhood of Nod at a standstill. The Tiberium infection has spread across the globe, forcing the GDI to divide the world up into three zones, characterised by the level of Tiberium present. Accounting for up to 30% of the world's land mass, 'Red Zones' demonstrate the highest level of contamination, forcing humans to evacuate from the area completely; 'Yellow Zones' still contain dangerous levels of the alien energy source, but house the largest section of the population; whilst 'Blue Zones' account for 20% of the Earth's surface, unscarred by Tiberium and relatively untouched by war. A strike on the GDI's orbiting Philadelphia space station is the catalyst for the Third War, igniting a storyline that provides an enticing blend of GDI oppression, Nod deceit, and the intrigue of the Scrin.

After the disjointed release of Command & Conquer: Generals, Tiberium Wars wisely sticks to familiar territory, marking a return to many conventional aspects of the series, such as the right-hand interface and the much heralded return of the FMV sequence. Offering three campaigns chronicling the Third Tiberium War from the perspective of the GDI and Nod, Tiberium Wars heralds the introduction of the mysterious Scrin as a playable race with its own (brief) campaign. It's difficult to determine whether EA LA have remained faithful to Westwood's original plans for the species, though even the most fanatical of C&C supporters would have to agree that the new race and associated storyline have been handled with a level of caution to ensure it progresses smoothly into new territory.

With an emphasis on Tiberium and extraterrestrial technologies, the Scrin offers up a sufficiently different range of tactics to those of the GDI and Nod, whilst still managing to retain a similar sense of progress and structure. Motherships and Worm Holes provide the alternatives to the might of the GDI's Ion Storm and the abundance of stealth technology favoured by the Brotherhood of Nod.

Refreshingly Familiar

The RTS genre has come under something of a resurrection in recent months, particularly with the likes of Dawn of War, Company of Heroes, and Supreme Commander. Next to these, C&C3 could be considered somewhat tired and uninspired; providing little to no genuine innovation. It doesn't take too long, however, to realise that EA LA have simply delivered what the fans want. Recognising the concerns aired by the many changes that featured in the 2003 release of Generals, perhaps the strongest quality of Tiberium Wars is the feeling of familiarity that runs throughout the experience. It may not be the most balanced, tactical, or even intense RTS offering around; however, it does provide the quick-paced, tank-rushing, action that the Command & Conquer series has been built upon. Cutting all of the complexities that bogged down the genre for too long, the outcome of a battle can change in a split-second, which lends a further sense of frenzy to the quick-paced action.

Despite the overall familiar feeling of the game, EA LA has incorporated a number of new touches to ensure the game doesn't feel too dated. The 'Call For Transport' option provides quick and efficient means to airlifting units on the battlefield, whilst the range of manoeuvre and stance options available to each unit now accommodates advanced waypoint commands and other techniques.

The introduction of a Global View in Gas Powered Games' Supreme Commander went along way to streamlining unit selection and accompanying tactics, and it's one area that we wish Tiberium Wars followed a little closer. Between the mini-map and the normal view, it's still a little hard and too fiddly to find specific units and devise alternative tactics, which leaves the age-old tank-rushing technique as the most reliable means of success.

Oh My God, They Killed Kane

Split across a Prologue and five Acts, both GDI and Nod campaigns start with similar mission objectives, but begin to differ at the start of Act 2. Although C&C3 never strays far from the base-building, army-amassing, tank-rushing action, the mission objectives do provide a sufficient level of variety, whether it's defending an installation, taking a lone Commando on a rampage (even more powerful then before) or building a base up from the ground up and going for the all-out attack.

With the typical high-budget that EA splashes upon any major title, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars marks a return to the FMV ties of the series, with a range of cinematics that go a long way to capturing that C&C feel. Starring Josh "Lost" Holloway, Michael "Fisher" Ironside, and Billy "Lando" Dee Williams, alongside the unequivocal Joseph D. Kucan, Tiberium Wars provides the impulse through a storyline and running narrative far beyond what other games in the genre can offer.

Although the overall storyline fails to really cause any huge surprises or reveal too much on the Scrin, the database that runs alongside the single-player campaign does a good job of ensuring continuity to the series, with a number of references to CABAL and previous characters from the series. Some fans may complain that the game doesn't advance enough by the end of each campaign, although it's likely a forthcoming expansion will flesh out the details that EA have apparently missed this time around.

All About The Multiplayer

Away from the Campaign, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars provides a level of old-school multiplayer fun that you'd expect from the series that gave us Skirmish in the first place. Rolling back the years to when the original C&C helped to make lugging your PC around to a friend's well worth it, Tiberium Wars is one of the few games that's genuinely far superior when played multiplayer. That's not to say the single-player campaign is too shabby, it's merely testament to the way in which the fast-paced, instant, gameplay still perfectly provides want you want from multiplayer - although we still reminisced for multiple CDs in a single box just like the original.

The Skirmish mode provides 20 different maps for 2-8 players, with a range of AI behaviour to choose between. Despite a number of teething issues preventing some players from enjoying the game online, it's evident that EA consider this area crucial to the success of Tiberium Wars. A strong front-end provides the structure to the online experience, which offers Ranked and Unranked games for 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 or 4v4.

Armchair generals will take much pleasure from pouring over the graphs and statistics that are available at the end of each game, providing a definitive breakdown of the most significant moments and an opportunity to work out where it all went wrong. Stepping even further into the supremely retentive world of post-battle breakdowns, and the opportunity to gloat just that little bit more, BattleCast technology allows gamers to broadcast their matches and watch the outcome afterwards. With the option to sit-in and provide commentary, wannabe Andy Gray's will have fun with the telestrator, a virtual marker pen to outline the defining moments in the battle and the precise moment when the tides changed. Unfortunately, at this stage, it does appear to be a feature that is suffering from a number of early bugs and glitches, making it occasionally difficult to track down a particular match.

Currently the game ships without the World Builder technology allowing enthusiasts to create their own maps, however the front-end fully supports this area and we're assured the kit should be available as a download in the not too distant future.