Nowadays when gamers see Command and Conquer they're seeing Command and Conquer Red Alert 3 and Command and Conquer Tiberium Wars and other titles which are all offspring from games like this. This particular game is a 1995 title released for the PC and N64. Personally, I really enjoyed this game through the years which I possessed it. The game has a lot to offer, but this review will be reviewing the game as if it were 1995 and not 2012 with an obvious 17 year difference. This was a great strategy game for it's time! This game is the classic Command and Conquer for Command and Conquer lovers!
Overall: 9
First off, I loved the additional Special Ops features added to the game. These were, arguably, the best part of the game. In the main campaign itself you were forced to play each mission with a restricted set of building and military. Once you began gaining victories you would sometimes earn something for the next mission because your opponent would too. The game itself is very enjoyable although a few components of the game are annoying or repetitive.
Graphics: 6
The quality of graphics was not nearly the best they could have done at the time. With great quality SNES games, where graphics are still really desirable, I figured this game would easily have matched that at least. Truth is: this game's graphics really didn't put me into awe. The animations are pretty decent for the most part. They work but they're just simple movements. The landscape is very repetitive, it's either always green or always brown. This is the weakest part of the game, but a real gamer understands that graphics isn't everything! The game play is a different story.
Sound: 7
There might be a few tunes on here you might like. I personally favorited 2 of the songs in the game, but with a soundtrack of 15 or so songs, you don't have any variety at all. Some of the sounds can be repetitive but it shouldn't be too annoying. Things like "yes sir" are said constantly in an actual military so it's slightly realistic. The best sound is the launching of that nuke on a GDI base or the confirmation "Ion Cannon Ready". The sound of destruction has a certain appeal to it!
Addictiveness: 9
If you read any of my reviews it seems I play only games that are somehow addictive. Command and Conquer can get to be very addicting. One of the problems with this game is that it can drag on and on and on if you don't play correctly. What I mean is sending a weak army out to attack and they are destroyed while you now wait for a harvester or 2 to collect more Tiberium for cash. More often than not you are able to defend yourself well enough to counter your opponent's forces to the point where they seem to quit attacking. The AI scripting is sometimes jacked up (understand what is said by "jacked up"). You'd think the enemy would utilize their resources properly but more often than not, they send a couple tanks and a few infantry to combat you even when you have a small base. Sometimes it even seems like their Tiberium Silos are maxed out and no longer capable of earning anymore. Now, if I was the computer opponent, you'd be dead! Still pretty fun though.
Story: 9
The story itself is much larger than the piece you see in this game. This game gives you the first part of what I think is a 4 part story now? This Classic Command and Conquer offers you the beginning of the alien Tiberium element. This new resource has spread like a plague across the world. The story expands on your adventure while combating for the forces of GDI or NOD for either Colonel Shepard I believe or Kane. As the GDI you are fighting the NOD forces in Europe. As NOD you are fighting the forces of GDI through Africa. Both factions have easy scenarios and hard scenarios, they just take a lot of time to complete.
Depth: 8
This game is pretty in depth. It doesn't offer too much more from the strategy of building and strategy of building units as you need them, but you can utilize the landscape to your advantage and each unit has it's own advantages. In this game, you have to balance spending on military, power plants and other various buildings. You also have the choice of Vehicle or Infantry for NOD and Vehicle, Infantry and Air for GDI. Unfortunately, there are a few aspects of the game you don't get to really participate with. Commando isn't a build-able option for either side and NOD has access to the attack helicopter but can not build the helicopter pad to do so (must be taken). Overall, it does require a great deal of strategy.
Difficulty: 7
The game has a few moments where it can be difficult, but it generally isn't and requires mostly time. A few missions are without bases and those can require several restarts if you mess up. The overall difficulty isn't too hard to play with. The controls them self work flawlessly. There are a few button combinations that move the building task bar and if you forget what those are, that can become a problem for you. For the most part, you have 2 factions who are pretty even in strength. This itself is very well balanced.
You have to remember that this is the first game in the series. There are now up to 15 Command and Conquer titles. Command and Conquer 95, Command and Conquer Renegade, C&C Tiberium Sun, C&C Tiberium Wars, C&C Tiberium Alliance, C&C Red Alert 1,2 and 3 PLUS Command and Conquer Generals with the Zero Hour Expansion. There are probably more! Overall, this is a very popular game if EA can continue to release so many titles of the same game. Pretty repetitive, but it is very fun if you are the Strategy seeker that I am.
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Again, awesome review, and I agree completely on everything, I just thought I'd share this bit of the story with you if you hadn't caught it already.
