Playing this was some kind of weird, long-awaited reckoning for me. As a fan of the original C&C games in their heyday, I remember following the massive pre-release hype for this - the big sequel - and getting it right away when it came out. My friends and I played it, but we were all kind of confused and a little off-put by how different it was from the others, and how unfinished and janky it was in spots. I never got very far and never really returned to it, even though it's been on my shelf for the last 20-plus years. I always felt like I needed to get back to it and work through my feelings.
Well, I found that it's actually quite a bit better than I remembered, and definitely deserving of a reappraisal. I don't think I had the right taste as a twelve-year old to appreciate the very particular mood and vibe that they were going for. It's a very different direction than the original - full-on sci-fi post-apocalypse, as opposed to '90s edgy modern warfare. They really committed to it, and as far as the gameplay, the graphics, and the music are concerned, it pulls it off quite well. The feel is dark, dire, moody, natural-neon lit dying future. Definitely a bold choice!
The left turn is certainly distinct, but a byproduct of it is that it automatically feels more or less totally separate from the games that came before. It doesn't feel like a sequel in any way. The story as told by the now-familiar cheesy FMV cutscenes is just bad, as it's now expecting to be taken very, very seriously, with a couple name actors and a more involved plot. Believe it or not, the production doesn't have anywhere near the chops to pull it off, and it ends up feeling like a humorless, zero-budget Sci-fi Channel miniseries. The fun, minimal, guerrila feel of the original C&C is gone, and what's in its place is mostly just dull.
Gameplay-wise, everything feels familiar and yet sufficiently fresh. The old framework is there and perfectly recongizable for returning players, but there are a ton of new and interesting gameplay ideas that make your arsenal and base-building options feel very rich. I found myself much more engaged in the actual missions here than in C&C or RED ALERT, and I was genuinely impressed with some of the level design and interactivity of the environments. Loads of smart little tweaks and fixes.
To be fair, I am playing a somewhat fixed version of this, but I do remember what it was like at release, warts and all. I still believe this is kind of good and was unfairly maligned a bit in its day - if not only by me and my friends. I remain as disappointed now with the story as I was then, but if this thing was just the gameplay and the CG cutscenes, it'd probably be the best in the series. Glad I finally got back to this so I could come to appreciate it and give it it's due.
Well, I found that it's actually quite a bit better than I remembered, and definitely deserving of a reappraisal. I don't think I had the right taste as a twelve-year old to appreciate the very particular mood and vibe that they were going for. It's a very different direction than the original - full-on sci-fi post-apocalypse, as opposed to '90s edgy modern warfare. They really committed to it, and as far as the gameplay, the graphics, and the music are concerned, it pulls it off quite well. The feel is dark, dire, moody, natural-neon lit dying future. Definitely a bold choice!
The left turn is certainly distinct, but a byproduct of it is that it automatically feels more or less totally separate from the games that came before. It doesn't feel like a sequel in any way. The story as told by the now-familiar cheesy FMV cutscenes is just bad, as it's now expecting to be taken very, very seriously, with a couple name actors and a more involved plot. Believe it or not, the production doesn't have anywhere near the chops to pull it off, and it ends up feeling like a humorless, zero-budget Sci-fi Channel miniseries. The fun, minimal, guerrila feel of the original C&C is gone, and what's in its place is mostly just dull.
Gameplay-wise, everything feels familiar and yet sufficiently fresh. The old framework is there and perfectly recongizable for returning players, but there are a ton of new and interesting gameplay ideas that make your arsenal and base-building options feel very rich. I found myself much more engaged in the actual missions here than in C&C or RED ALERT, and I was genuinely impressed with some of the level design and interactivity of the environments. Loads of smart little tweaks and fixes.
To be fair, I am playing a somewhat fixed version of this, but I do remember what it was like at release, warts and all. I still believe this is kind of good and was unfairly maligned a bit in its day - if not only by me and my friends. I remain as disappointed now with the story as I was then, but if this thing was just the gameplay and the CG cutscenes, it'd probably be the best in the series. Glad I finally got back to this so I could come to appreciate it and give it it's due.