"It's a long awaited sequel, but almost fell short of perfect"

There is no doubt that the Command and Conquer franchise has been one of the most successful and longest running series. From the humble beginnings as a DOS game way back in '95 and in '07, it's still got alot of steam left in it.

Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is set a few decades after Tiberian Sun, in which the situation of the Earth has only got worse. Country boarders cease to exist, instead divided into several coloured zones, pending on the infestation amount the area has received. Once again, Kane has resurfaced, not aging a day and declares war on GDI. But this time, the mutants that were helping either team become a faction of their own, and arrive for their own objectives. Unlike previous games (Such as Yuri's Revenge and Firestorm), the Scrin as they are known as, feel like a proper faction, not just a carbon copy of one of the two teams (Like in Firestorm) or being an offshoot faction (Like in Yuri's Revenge).

Command and Conquer 3 is certainly a redemption of the disaster that was Command and Conquer: Generals. Once again, it feels like a unique Command and Conquer game, with its original features such as the side bar, no "middle man" building unit, no need to select various structures just to produce infantry or vehicles. However, it does include the full 3D versatility of Generals, rather than a "half 3D" found in the Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 games. The detail of the zones in which you fight in is quite incredible. Where you would fight in Blue Zones, it feels fully futuristic and a civilisation is progressing as normal, compared to the bleakness when you fight in Red Zones, in which you can see massive chasms of Tiberium formations. The superweapons have had abit of a make over from the days of Tiberian Sun notably GDI's signature Ion Cannon. Originally it could only level a single structure. In Tiberium Wars, it can level a small base and it's quite awesome to see the sheer power of the Ion Cannon when you pick your target.

Another major enhancement from the Tiberian Sun days (In fact, it surpasses Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge) is the video briefings. Back in the first Command and Conquer, it was interesting watching the briefings with the scan lines. By Tiberian Sun came, the scan lines were dropped and replaced by CGI, which was good at the time, and downright unrealistic today. In Tiberium Wars, the videos are done in High Definition and everything looks convincing. Even the CGI aliens when they finally invade Earth look rather realistic. There is also a cast of A-grade Hollywood and TV stars, such as Josh Holloway from tv's LOST and Micheal Ironside from Starship Troopers to name a few. And of course, the enigmatic Kane is once again played by Joseph Kucan.

However, there were a few let downs in Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Something about the acting in the FMV's was a let down. Kane has somewhat lost that air of a villain and just becomes a typical bad guy. Josh Holloway, who has been reported as the new badass, is just cringe worthy at times. Some of the things he said feel reminiscent of the cheesy dialouge that went around in Yuri's Revenge. And it was abit of a letdown that they didn't make the Commander on-screen again. It would of worked so well in this game, especially when the invasion begins. In game, the major let down was the decision to make the right click button the new left click. In the thick of a battle, you may end up deselecting crucial units by accident and end up losing it. While there is a patch to correct it, the decision was plain stupid. Another questionable decision that was made during the game is that you now have to pay for reinforcements and other powers. While the superweapons remain free, it now costs money to send in reinforcements, call for transport and use minor superpowers. So if you are trying to save up money for an attack but find yourself overwhelmed and require reinforcements, it's possible to go broke just trying to keep yourself afloat.

Now if you are a player who defends their base until the opponent is sent broke, then avoid this title. The computer is unrelenting, even on easy difficulty. If you don't assault early, then you have already lost the war, especially when you face off the Scrin. The side is horribly unbalanced at times, especially their aircraft. It's quite easy to win by rushing the opponent's base with a certain aircraft because it out ranges every air defence, leading to a quick victory and high levels of frustration for you.

For a long awaited sequel to Tiberian Sun, this has delivered in many areas. It has taken the best aspects of every Command and Conquer game so far and blended it into one. No doubt that this game is going to be played whenever you can. Unfortunately, it has some minor detail that should of been checked prior to its release, namely balance and better acting in the FMVs. However as more patches get released, so should the minor detail be fixed. The game is worth getting, especially if you have been playing it since its maiden release in '95.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/19/07