Red Alert series was always the fun and absurd loving member of the Command & Conquer series, and the latest entry in the franchise takes thing to the extreme (Xtreme?). Set in the fictional world where time travel is possible, the game starts with the desperate Soviets travelling back in time to erase Einstein out of existence in order to defeat the enemies. Of course when they get back, they realize they have reduced the Allies’ powers (by eliminating their nukes) but it gave rise to the Empire of the Rising Sun. This new faction seeks to destroy Western forces to claim supremacy over the world, and Allies and Soviets are forced to confront the threat together.
One of the guilty pleasures of C&C series was the live-action full motion videos featuring pretty well known actors. This time, EA has outdone itself by hiring George Takei, Peter Stormare, Tim Curry and other B-level stars to portray in-game characters. The end result is exciting and fun to watch as, thankfully, these actors don’t take themselves seriously and play up the campness. If you buy games based on the amount of real cleavage and legs, then RA3 may be your only choice on the shelves this Holiday.
Gameplay wise, the biggest addition apart from a 3rd playable faction is co-op. The entire single-player experience is designed to be played with another commander: you can either find someone online, or let the AI take over while you issue basic commands. This makes more sense in the universe - after all, if you’re fighting a war, there are bound to be other commanders on the battlefield - and it helps offload some of the work for you. Another addition is the bigger emphasis on naval combat as a lot of the units are amphibious, and you can even build buildings on the water. This forces you to change your tactics as that shoreline becomes another route for invasion.
The highlight of the game is the units as we’re talking about a game that features armored bears, sonic dolphins, helicopters that can shrink enemies, anime-inspired hovering schoolgirl with psychic abilities and even battleships that can walk on the ground. Almost every unit has secondary functions and it can get tough to properly use all the units’ abilities in the heat of the battle. However it can be a delight to counter the enemies’ tactics by simply changing the function of your unit (such as making it go airborne).
Red Alert 3 feels just like the other RA games, only bigger, badder and faster. Once you set up your economy by building refinery right next to the ore mine, you can focus on churning out units and attacking the enemy. If you’re looking for a fast-paced action with pretty crazy units and George Takei playing a crazed Japanese emperor, this game is a definite must play.
Rating: 90%
