Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Preview

It has been seven years since the last Command and Conquer: Red Alert game has been released. Finally the developers at EA have answered fans prayers by announcing Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3. To make this announcement even better, EA let loose that there would be a multiplayer beta for fans to take part in. Specifically, gamers who purchased the Kane’s Wrath expansion pack had a ticket that allowed them to get in the beta. One thing that this beta will teach gamers is that this franchise has not lost any steam and it is still fun to play!

The premise behind the Red Alert series is that Albert Einstein builds a time machine and tries to prevent World War II by thwarting Hitler’s rise to power. In doing this Stalin takes Hitler’s place and the USSR has become a super power. In Red Alert 3 the USSR tries to become more powerful by going back in time, but in doing this caused Japan to rise as a super power. The rest of the story is still shrouded in secret and will not be released until the game comes out in mid November.

For the first time in the Red Alert series there are now three playable factions: USSR, Japan, and Alliance. One unique thing about each faction is the way they build their bases. The Alliance way of building is just like a normal Command and Conquer way: players queue a building in a menu and when it is ready they place it on the map. On the other hand the USSR allows players to place a building instantly, and they will have to wait for the construction to finish. Japan is completely different; players select what they want to build and after the build time is finished an egg-shaped vehicle comes out of the main bay. Player can then direct the egg to anywhere in the map to place the building. This is a huge advantage to the Japanese faction as it allows them to expand their empire at a very fast pace.

Another new feature to the Japanese’s faction is that most of their vehicles can transform into other types of vehicles, and all units have a secondary function. Most of the transforming is a “knock off” of various stereo-typical Japanese cartoons. For instance a tank might transform into an airplane - it has a very “Gundam and Macross” feel to it. A personal favorite is the assassin that is actually a ninja! Most of the infantry has the ability to burrow (like Zerg in StarCraft) and then pop out to surprise the enemy. This is a great addition to this game and really helps freshen up this game.

The Japanese faction is not for first-time players as it does require a little more strategy to use them as well as more resource management.  After players get over the learning curve they will find that this faction is a formidable force to be reckoned with. The other factions in this game play very similar to the previous games with minor differences here and there, but any veteran of the game will feel right at home.

The graphics for this game are really nice and coming along greatly. The animations are really a great to watch and are always smooth for this beta. Besides updated graphics and sound there are other new additions to the game is that there will be navel battles, and players can build various buildings on water and land. This brings a whole new level of strategy since navel battles and fighting for resources will become more important since enemies can now come from land, air, and the sea.

Many players will love the simplified economy for this game. Instead of having to get numerous resources, there are predefined resource patches. All players have to do is build a refinery next to a resource patch. There is less need to build many harvesters (like in the Tiberium series), instead it is all about making the most refineries near resources wins the game.

Since this beta is multiplayer only, I was surprised at how smooth the game play is and how quick it is to get in a game. While it only allows for up to four human players in this beta, when the game ships it will be at least six. The only bad thing about this game is having to wait even longer in order to enjoy the full experience.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 will hit store shelves in November on the Xbox 360 and PC.