Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 [review]

BreakingModern — If you’re looking for a historical real-time strategy game where missions are based on real Cold War campaigns, you’ve come to the wrong place. Instead, welcome to Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, an awesome RTS strategy game that plays fast and loose with historical accuracy but combines cool graphics, national stereotypes and awesome gameplay.

red alert 3

Before I talk about the latest Red Alert game, I need to give you a little bit of context. The two previous games (Red Alert and Yuri’s Revenge) featured conflicts between U.S. Allies and the Soviet Union. But the third iteration adds the Empire of the Rising Sun (an ultra-futuristic version of WWII-era Japan).

The infantry of the Empire of the Rising Sun includes samurai in mecha suits wielding lightsaber-like katana swords. And there’s even a badass schoolgirl commando named Yuriko Omega. The leader of pack is Emperor Yoshiro, played by actor George Takei. I must admit that I was rolling on the floor laughing when I first heard about it. But now I think Takei was a great choice. He’s a living icon (due to his classic Trek resume) and does a fantastic job in the role.

Admittedly, the troops of all three factions are stereotypical. But ultimately the character designs make the gameplay unique. They look different, and they play different too. Red Alert 3 isn’t like a certain game that renders each nation in a generic fashion (Civilization: Beyond Earth, I’m looking at you!).

All the characters from the Empire of the Rising Sun, the Soviet Union and the U.S. Allies give the game an almost movie-like quality – especially the cutscenes. Unlike most RTS games, these interstitial sequences aren’t boring at all. They’re actually quite compelling.

red alert 3

The gameplay contains more naval battles than in previous Red Alert games. And that’s bad news for me. I’m a terrible admiral in RTS games. I usually don’t have a strategy going in, and merely crush my enemies with superior technology or forces.

The graphics in Red Alert 3 has vastly improved since the second game, with beautifully rendered buildings and units, and the awesome explosions of ships and vehicles to boot. Cutscenes are also done in real time, by real actors, making the Campaign Mode look that much better. Multiplayer in the game has been largely improved, with a Co-op mode in the singleplayer campaign.

Overall, I would give Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 a 9/10. The game is epic, the national units and cultures are extremely detailed, the voice acting is professional, the campaign is movie-like in quality and the gameplay is very good. The only problem I have with it is in the lack of nations to choose from. But it’s a minor quibble. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is available on multiple platforms and can be purchased at Steampowered.com.

For BMod, I’m Puching Zhang.

All Screenshots: Puching Zhang

Puching Zhang

Author: Puching Zhang

Based in Chicago, Puching Zhang covers the gaming beat for BreakingModern.

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