This is the third major outing for the venerable Command and Conquer series. One of the major real-time strategy series in existence; this version does not necessarily do anything radical but rather adds to a strong legacy. Like the other two RTS classic series, there is a sense of nostalgia and knowing when one plays these games.
They are like a favorite jacket or pair of trousers. It's nice to see recognizable faces and habits. Getting into the game is easy and takes little time. It's like an old friend that is updated with the latest technology; some new twists but still recognizable.
In this version, Kane is back with his NOD rebel army trying to free Earth from the "tyranny" of the GDI. Kane wants all to embrace the Tiberium that affects Earth rather than steal away in protected zones attempting to retain one's old humanity. Tiberium is the source of power for all but also the source of corruption. No more so that then dreaded red Tiberium. To add a twist to the normal two-sided conflict, a new alien race — the Scrin — shows up to play.
The game is fluid and runs well on the Mac. You are able to play campaigns on both the GDI and the NOD side. It is encouraged that you start with the GDI missions in order to get a feel for the game. Once both sets are completed one can play an alien campaign.
As part of the EA series of conversions for the Mac released earlier this year, C&C is by far the most stable and appealing of the releases in the first batch. The game runs solidly, and even with the advent of Leopard, the game is patched often enough to keep it running fairly well. Graphically, C&C is appealing without being over the top when it comes to requirements. Like all the other recent EA releases, it will not run on older Intel iMacs or Macbooks. It does not run on the 950 graphic chip-set on these machines. A good deal of RAM also helps.
There is online gameplay once you finish the solo stuff to keep you interested. This game has quite a lot behind it and should keep the gamer occupied for many days to come.
Comand & Conquer: Tiberium Wars has a great lineage, great gameplay and watching the amusing cutscenes with such stars as Billy Dee Williams and Grace Parker ("Battlestar Galactica") adds a nice touch of humor. There is even a tie-in novel for those who truly want to sink their teeth into the storyline. If you have an Intel Mac that can run this game, I would recommend this purchase.
Marty Dodge is a 37 year old American expat living and working in London in the UK. He is a writer, author, novelist, blogger, computer games consultant (his full time work) and the lyricist/frontman for Growing Old Disgracefully (www.disgracefulmusic.com). He has been writing mythos stories for many years and has written an Idiots Guide to the Mythos.
