Publisher: Electronic Arts, www.ea.com
Ages: eleven and up.
Parental Advisory: War violence
For compelling real-time strategy that thrusts players into a brutal world of modern warfare, Electronic Arts' Command & Conquer Generals delivers. Here, players get to control massive armies that are equipped with the latest weaponry and technology and wage a global war. Generals is clearly the best Command & Conquer game yet in a venerable line of titles, and one of the finest real-time strategy games on the market.
In real-time strategy games such as Command & Conquer, players collect and manage resources that include food, raw materials, and more; research technologies; and ultimately control and maneuver armies to take over the world. In Command & Conquer Generals, the U.S., China and a terrorist group known as the Global Liberation Army (GLS) battle it out. Players get to command one of the three forces in a 27-mission, single-player campaign against computer opponents, as well as with or against others in multi-player action.
The three armies in the game each have their own distinct characters and advantages, and require different strategic approaches to reach success. U.S. forces have lots of high-tech weaponry while Chinese forces rely on huge, overwhelming numbers. And the Global Liberation Army often relies on stealth and resourcefulness, for example, to recycle the scrap that it finds on the battlefield and more.
Players can choose from nine Generals, each with different strengths and a unique vehicle. Some of the notable weaponry in this game includes crusader battle tanks, angry mobs, skilled hackers and some 60 other distinct units. When players win battles, they earn experience points that they may use to obtain new technologies and units.
Player can compete against others over a LAN or through the game's online service. Command & Conquer offers excellent multi-player games that may be played online either cooperatively with a friend or head-to-head in all-out global wars with other players.
While the themes and settings in Command & Conquer Generals initially feel a bit too close to reality given the state of international relations these days, the game has enough fantasy elements that it's still an escape. Interestingly, to those who are familiar with the earlier Command & Conquer games, the game has removed the video cut scenes and made significant changes to the gameplay so that its interface is more consistent with those of other real-time strategy games, most notably, Blizzard titles.
Visually, the game looks great with its 3D graphics. In particular, we were impressed with the detailed landscapes that include urban settings, rugged deserts and frozen wastelands, and the game's explosions.
Command & Conquer Generals is the best Command & Conquer yet. It's addicting, entertaining and challenging, and makes players apply strategic skills. It's definitely worth a look.
2/24/03
Wayne N. Kawamoto
Managing Editor, www.daytrum.com
