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October 30th -
Red Alert 2 Review |
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HERE
Red
Alert 2
Red
Alert 2: The Review
Notice to old Command and Conquer fans: Forgive Westwood for Tiberian Sun and come back to the fold. After having spent the majority of the weekend playing Red Alert 2, I can firmly state it's Westwood's best game since the original Red Alert. All the magic of the C&C series is finally back including nifty units, interesting mission objectives, and humorous cut scenes. Best of all, Red Alert 2 takes the C&C series to a new level with impeccably designed single-player missions that offer something fresh at every turn. You never say to yourself, 'Oh, another 'destroy the Soviets mission'" when playing Red Alert 2. There's always an interesting twist to the gameplay.
While Tiberian Sun was no means a bad game, Red Alert 2 has a certain freshness to it that breathes new life into the C&C brand. There are some key interface tweaks in the game, the most welcome of which is tab system on the the build bar. In addition, the units you can build include land, air and sea vehicles. Overbearing? No way. A ton of fun? Yes. There's nothing like having a group of Destroyer ships take out Soviet flak cannons only to be accompanied by harriers to take out pillboxes and an airlift of spies disguised as Soviet engineers to deliver the finishing blow. This is what C&C is all about.
Best of all, the campaigns on both the Soviet and Allied sides never cease to impress. It should be noted the developers have carefully balanced large-scale build missions with smaller search-and-destroy efforts where only a skeleton force is at your disposal. One of the most important units on the Allied side is Tanya, a character clearly being built up to star in her own game. In fact, Westwood would be well advised to make her the star of the much-delayed Commando.
Nevertheless, Red Alert 2 is an outstanding addition the C&C series. Sure, the graphics might be old school, but beneath the coat of old paint is an innovative C&C experience that represents the pinnacle of the 2D RTS.
Copyright 2000, Ola Balola LLC.
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