Xbox 360 'command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars' Keeps It Simple And Fun CBC praises X360 Tiberium Wars

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

(CP) - It's 2047 and you're in control of the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) forces after the stunning return of terrorist Brotherhood of Nod leader Kane.
"Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars" (Xbox 360, PC, rated T for Teen) is the latest episode in one of the most famous series of sci-fi real-time strategy games, dating back to the mid-90s release of "Command & Conquer."

Like most RTS games you typically start off with a base, build some harvesters to mine resources - refined tiberium ore is the currency of the game - and construct a military force to attack your opponent.

But the most remarkable thing about "C&C3" is how intuitive the Xbox 360 controls are.

Longtime PC RTS fans usually complain that an RTS game can't be player properly on a console system because of the intricate keyboard commands, the mouse that you use to box-select your units and the various hot keys that gamers create to control their forces.

But "C&C3," published by Electronic Arts and developed by EA Los Angeles, manages to get around all that. You select a unit for instance and then press two buttons to select everything on-screen.
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It's that simple.

Select a building, hold down a button and you can cycle through menus of build options. I could even order in specialized weapons and powers and my units could be upgraded this way.

It only took me a mission or two to get comfortable with the controls and I was soon effortlessly manoeuvring the large armies I'd created.

The two human factions in the game, the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod, are at odds over the use of tiberium, a glowing green ore of extra-terrestrial origin.

It's like futuristic uranium in that it can be harnessed for good or ill. GDI wants to rid the world of it and Nod thinks tiberium should be utilized and woven into human uses.

An alien faction enters the picture late in the game - the Scrin are drawn to earth looking to get in on the tiberium.

Visual quality is excellent on the Xbox 360, with the console co-ordinating dozens of on-screen unit animations including units and structures that visibly break down as they are damaged.

But the live-action movies are the most interesting part of the game.

The game has about an hour and a half of footage with a stellar cast of actors including Canadian Michael Ironside, Josh Holloway of TV's "Lost" and "Star Wars"' Billy Dee Williams.

Although the acting is silly, even painful to watch at times, if you remember the older games in the series you'll likely be grinning through it all and lapping it up right down to the fake breaking news reports and staged interviews with scientists.

Plus there's a nice variety of missions - including easier ones where you play a lone commando - time-sensitive tasks and straight-up 'build a massive force and annihilate the enemy' maps. Gamers can play from Nod side once you get far enough in the game and even the alien side at the end.

And there's loads of air and ground unit types to build your army with so every gamer can have a unique spin on their army.

One tip: the tank rush is alive and well, build up a dozen Mammoth tanks with some air support and there's not much that can stop you.

Gamers can also take their skills online with Xbox Live and see how their building skills stack up against other gamers. There were plenty of people online whenever I logged on and many of the achievements that you can earn playing "C&C3" are related to multiplayer action.

"Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars" sets a high standard for console RTS and is successful precisely because it doesn't try to recreate the model that the series helped create.

While "C&C3" doesn't expand the RTS genre like Gas Powered Games "Supreme Commander" for example, "C&C3" does provide an excellent example of how you can keep tested concepts and mechanics and still create an enjoyable and exciting game.

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It's great to see that not only XBOX 360 fans are buying into the fact that Tiberium Wars is great for the consoles, but even the mass media approves of having strategy games on consoles.

It's great to hear such great news. I love it on my X360, but the only part I hate is that there's a unit cap in the game, which sucks big time.

xboxrulz

[unimatrix 0]

Yeah, I remember when FPS's first attempted to jump to consoles. It took Halo to finally put all the pieces together. I wish I had more time to play games, but life doesn't work that way. Plus I look at the cost of the new systems and games and I can't justify it anymore. Not with rent, car payments, insurance, etc.. Still, this is interesting, especially since it's a RTS. Turn based had been done before and I could see how those would work. I think the Sim City series had some console version along the way. Not sure how people reacted compared to on computer, but...

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

I think having it on consoles are great! (my copy is in my profile personal photo) It's great! It's just that PC players are complaining asking why EA even bothered a console version.Since you have a Mac, you can soon run it since C&C3 is coming to Macs in July!xboxrulz