The game presents three armies in need of command--the US, the Chinese and the Global Liberation. The game is subsequently broken down into 27 single-player missions. To throw in a further twist, you now command a general. As you progress, the general gets promoted and this opens up new technologies and tactics.

The most obvious move forward is in the graphics, with the action more close-up and detailed than before. In some ways, it takes a leaf out of the book of the excellent Medieval: Total War, but Generals is a strong game in its own right. Made suitably accessible by a tutorial campaign, it's surprisingly simple to control yet presents numerous options to mull over in every situation. The missions are varied and challenging and the arsenal of weapons--from hardware such as a scud storm through to a simple kamikaze car driver--keeps the brain constantly ticking.

Perhaps it doesn't stray too far from the tried and tested formula, choosing to do most of its building on the sturdy foundations set over the years. But there's little denying that this is polished, highly addictive and engrossing entertainment. And if you play it online, it could very easily eat your life away. --Simon Brew

Costs aside though, C&C Generals is a stunning game to look out. Wave goodbye to the static isometric views of the previous C&C games, C&C Generals has gone three-dimensional with beautifully detailed terrain, buildings, and explosion effects taken straight from a Hollywood movie. Sound effects are suitably realistic and the music of a convincingly militaristic style too. C&C Generals is definitely a new benchmark in technical achievement.

And, mercifully, there is an excellent game here too. The plot resides around a modern battlefield with the US and China battling it out against the Global Liberation Army (GLA), a terrorist sect if you will. The game has three campaigns allowing you to control each of the different armies to complete their respective missions. The U.S. rely on technically superior units along with air supremacy, China possess a versatile number of units which can attack in great numbers, while the GLA can produce angry mobs, scud missile silos and suicide bombers. You could argue that this is a little too close to modern warfare in a real and tasteless sense, especially considering the current political climate we find ourselves in. One of the missions even involves the remodelling of a section of Baghdad, demolition style. Slightly stepping over the boundary one may feel.

Ignoring the moral concerns the missions that are there are well structured and great fun. Although the C&C series has now made the transition into 3D, it's lost none of the gameplay mechanics that made it so good in the first place. It's well paced with a perfect level of balance and the learning curve is just about right. It doesn't take long to settle into your own style of play with the units you like to use and the tactics you favour. I'm not suggesting that one tactic is better than the other, but 'each to their own' usually works. For example I tend to totally ignore the commando unit of the US and like to have mobile units instead of static defence lines guarding my structures. But if employed correctly, any strategy can be successful.

Beyond the technical improvements, Generals also heralds a new 'Generals' system. You can earn stars through eliminating enemy units and using then use stars to purchase mega weapons such as carpet bombing or specialist units such as the scud launcher. A fun and useful addition.

However, with the cutscenses gone and the lack of any real plot progression within the single-player missions, I can't help but feel that C&C Generals is geared towards multiplayer gaming. You can flip through the single-player campaigns within a weekend and the computer A.I. still suffers from the same idiocy. Essentially to beat the computer all you need to do is build a big army and swamp its base. Simple really. Of course, playing against human opponents is a different kettle of fish. That's where things get interesting, and bloody good fun.

Highly recommend for those with high-end machines, a modem and a lack of political correctness.


simply amazing   May 6, 2004
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Amazing gameplay, stunning, simply stunning; make sure this is on ur list of most wanted games with zero hour aswell - this is the best ever strategy game! if u like red alert 2(with the apocalypse, which is also in generals aka. emporer tank) this is 10000000x better! go fourth and spend(little tip: also on amazon is the duluxe edition. it includes generals and zero hour) FReD