Unless you've been living in a Siberian igloo, you'll know that C&C: Red Alert 3's release is bearing down on us like the Red Army on a vodka factory. With the code virtually finished, we got our hands on the multiplayer game and played as the Soviet Union against the technologically advanced Empire of the Rising Sun (aka Japan).
The Soviets felt instantly familiar. Possessing a linear, old school base building model confined by a build radius and sporting heavily armoured units such as the Apocalypse tank - similar to C&C's Mammoth with its dual turrets and equipped with a magnetic harpoon for pulling in nippier foes - the Pinkos were all about brute force. However, their build restrictions (only one building could be constructed at a time) meant that amassing a force took time. This is a problem that my opponent didn't face.
My foe's ability to send several waves of attacks against me, while I prepared to send out one, was down to the Empire's ability to simultaneously construct multiple buildings. These roll out of construction yards and can be deployed anywhere on the map.
The Empire's units also proved far more versatile than my rigid combat vehicles, often fulfilling dual roles thanks to their transforming abilities. The Sea-Wing is a submarine that can seamlessly transform into a bomber, while the Jet/Mecha Tengu is a walker that doubles as a fighter.
After safeguarding my base by building Tesla Coils and the morally reprehensible Iron Curtain (which casts a protective field over buildings while wiping out any nearby infantry units), I sent out my Ore Collectors to amass the game's only resource. I also packed our base with Super Reactors that generate vast amounts of energy, but could easily destroy half the base should the enemy successfully target them.
Once I'd constructed a balanced force packed with War Bears (bears in armour), MiG Fighters, Twinblade helicopter gunships, nippy four-legged Sickle walkers, Apocalypse tanks and some devastating Kirov Airships (slow but durable blimps which release a barrage of bombs on their targets), I made my way towards the enemy's base and ploughed in, wiping out an opponent who'd spent his resources on forays into our territory, rather than on base defences. The fool! Ha ha!
At a little over 20 minutes, the skirmish felt like the perfect length for such a frenetic RTS. While the visuals weren't the step forward from C&C3 that I'd hoped, the breakneck action was instantly recognisable and accessible while the cheesy humour and imaginative units that have typified this spin-off series carried enough promise to suggest this could be the best Red Alert yet.
It seem as the gaming market grows you end up with games that directly targets one type of buyers
Like extremely realistic shooters like red orchestra or advanced games like that has only has a relatively small group of potential buyers compared to main stream games like sport games
And now it seem we are facing a wave of games targeted at simple people who never gets bored of a cartoony look with Extreme Colours and oversimplified game mechanics.
I generally think we will see a lot more “simple” games in the future
The destruction I witnessed in the recent dev diary shows that the devs have created some fantastic technology. Now, if they create a really good game to go with it I might pick this up.
I just love the idea of realisticly blowing s**t up and seeing just how bad I can mess up a building before it collapses.
And now it seem we are facing a wave of games targeted at simple people who never gets bored of a cartoony look with Extreme Colours and oversimplified game mechanics.
Hello Mr. Zealot.
Yes, EA sucks big time. They killed Westwood! But this they're doing right. Red Alert 1 was brightly colored too. The game mechanics are simple because Red Alert 1 was simple. Honestly I prefer cartoony graphics with character over shooting dudes in brown castles on a browny day. Which is what "realism" has come to these days.
It looks like it's shaping up nicely, unfortunately for EA I won't buy it. Still has an activation limit (raised to 5 this time, yay ) and still installs SecuROM without bothering to tell you or giving you the option of removing the damn piece of malware after you uninstall the game, a deactivation tool is planned, but since this is EA and no time-table has been given that'll be sometime next century probably.
Im not saying that the cartoony graphics are bad, just that there over the top. I loved red alert 2's style. I agree with the brown comments though. What we need is a horrific war set on a nice bright sunny day.
I will definitely be buying this for sure, it looks superb. Not Red Alert game since yuris revenge in 2001, this is long overdue. For those who don't know Westwood went bust in about 1999, and it was taken over by EA games, and most of the original Red Alert Westwood team are now working for EA. EA are not stupid, they know they need developers who know what they're doing with this game. I am certain that those who are old enough to remember the original Red Alert (I remember buying it in Virgin in the old big box) they will definitely love this. It cannot come sooner, I cannot wait.
Won't be buying the EA game i'm afraid. It'll be a torrent visit i reckon, until they get rid of the SecureROM and DRM. Same with the hugely disappointing Spore.
Won't be buying the EA game i'm afraid. It'll be a torrent visit i reckon, until they get rid of the SecureROM and DRM. Same with the hugely disappointing Spore.
Securom is tremendously horrific. But you visiting a torrent site to get the pirated version is by far more horrible.
I freeking hate people who pirate other peoples intellectual property, whatever medium it is. It tells me one thing: you have never been involved in making something of your own.
Won't be buying the EA game i'm afraid. It'll be a torrent visit i reckon, until they get rid of the SecureROM and DRM. Same with the hugely disappointing Spore.
Securom is tremendously horrific. But you visiting a torrent site to get the pirated version is by far more horrible.
I freeking hate people who pirate other peoples intellectual property, whatever medium it is. It tells me one thing: you have never been involved in making something of your own.
I hope you choke in your torrent
i agree with discostoo.
if you don't like having media with DRM, its up to you if you buy it. The music industry now sells drm free mp3s, something i enjoy. if the only way people can make themselves heard, is to pirate it, so be it. Maybe it will teach them that DRM like this are bad!
theres several games I have avoided because of DRM. i bought the xbox360 version of bioshock because of the pc's limits. I havent bought Spore, even though i enjoyed Mr Wrights previous games. and i most certainly will not buy this.
whats wrong with the battlefield 2 system of checking against CD-Keys?
There is a gigantic difference between ignoring a game because of DRM and actually downloading the pirated version.
Not buying it sends a stronger message than downloading a torrent: that is simply the worst message any respectable gamer can send.
Start a petition, protest outside EA's headquarters, whatever you feel like. But getting the pirated copy?
I don't know how many people on these pages use torrents or whatever excuses are in their minds to do so (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance ) but as someone who has produced original IP in both music and book and has spent many years making these things, I find discostoo his attitude disgusting.
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) and still installs SecuROM without bothering to tell you or giving you the option of removing the damn piece of malware after you uninstall the game, a deactivation tool is planned, but since this is EA and no time-table has been given that'll be sometime next century probably.
