Wow! Right from the start with the smooth and flashy install, Westwood had
my attention! Command and Conquer is the next logical step for the warlike
factions of the Civilization crowd. This is an action/strategy game with
great live video clips to tell the story. After an intro, which purports
to be you flipping channels on a TV (the effect is very good), you must
then choose between the Global Defence Initiative (the good guys - seeking
world peace) and the Brotherhood of Nod (the bad guys - seeking world
domination). You are then treated to a videoconference with the leader of
the side you chose and are put on the field in command of a set of troops,
with a mobile construction yard which you must set-up when you find a
suitable spot, to acomplish a mission. WARNING! -
This game can be _very_ addictive!
How many times have you seen a game that will actually run at a playable
speed on the minimum requirements? You've just found one! In
testing, C+C not only ran perfectly on a 486DX2-66, it even ran on a
486DLC40 with 8 megs of ram! This game won't be one to sink your budget
on upgrades to make it playable, and more importantly, enjoyable.
OS/2 users rejoice! Command and Conquer ran FLAWLESSLY in a
DOS-Full-Screen session, and was even playable in a DOS-Window on the
Desktop! Overall, this seems to be a very well written piece of software
- hats off to Westwood for another job well done.
There is so much I could go on about for Command and Conquer, I am very
impressed. The entire soundtrack is recorded in wave format, and you can
skip through soundtrack songs like a CD player. The VGA graphics are
sharp, and the full motion video is impressive. I really like the concept
of the game, my only reservation is that I tend to be one of those people
who never read manuals, and that does not work here. You really must
spend ten minutes flipping through the manual to get some idea of what
everything does. Until you get used to it, the interface feels a little
'clunky', but that soon goes away with the excitement and strategy of the
game. It would be nice if the next version supported SVGA modes, but that
is unimportant considering that it has held my attention strongly enough
for my friends to start sending 'care packages'! (Didn't I mention earlier
that it can be addictive? Whew!)
-Tintagel
Graphics : 21/25
The full-motion video really helped here - the gameplay is not
designed have stunning graphics, but it really is quite amazing
considering that it is only MCGA! All of the buildings were obvoiusly
originally ray-traced, then converted. They are really sharp.
Gameplay : 23/25
The game has about a ten minute 'break-in' - then it is
addictive and smooth!
Longetivity : 20/25
Considering that three missions in, I was spending well over half an
hour per mission, I see this game lasting for a while - not to mention the
fact that you can play either side, and each one has it's own quirks and
advantages. You will get to play this one through many times before you
have seen it all before.
Compatibility : 24/25
This game is awesome for compatibility. It runs smoothly below system
requirements (no gaurantees though) and under OS/2. Installation is a
breeze as well.
Graphics : 21/25