From the box:

THIS IS THE SITUATION:

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is the explosive new stratergy game from the creators of the million-seller Command & Conquer.

Dark eperiments have permanently altered time. Or have they? Now, Soviet tanks crush city after city while Allied cruisers shell bases. Spies lurk, land mines wait, and strange new technologies aid both sides in the struggle for ultimate control.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert gives you the oppertunity to be more deviuos, cunning and ruthless than ever before. Easy to play and highly addictive, Red Alert puts the fate of the world in your hands!

FEATURES:

• Super VGA graphics intensify realism and excitement (win '95 required)
• Multiplay features include Internet (win '95) or modem (DOS) Head-to-Head and 8 player IPX
• Fight over land, sea and air. Thirty new units and structures to choose from including MIGS, spies, destroyers, submarines and more
• Internet access tonight! Play against compeditiors across the world with Westwood chat (Win '95 required)
• Award-winning soundtrack with 20 original scores
• Create and trade battle maps with new terrain editor
• Over 40 missions to play and dozens of multiplayer missions
• Three game difficulty settings
• Now battle maps are twice as large
• Dozens of close-ups and action movies

 

THE STORY:

 

World War 2 never occured. The Soviets using time technology went back and assasinated Hitler leaving the Soviet army strong to continue their campagin to conqure all of Europe...then the world. Before the UN was formed the Allied Nations was operating to resist Soviet aggression and makes the world peaceful. The war continues untill one side proves supermacy over the other, no truces, no treaties, no surrender!

 

MY IDEA'S:

 

When Red Alert was new I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy and play it untill my eyes dropped out. However even with all the new features it lacked the traditional charm of the C&C series--which we all hope C&C2 will retain. Also in multiplay it left a huge dowside--the Tank rush.

 

In single player mode, you are drawn right into the war no matter what side you are on. When u suceed you are rewarded with new weapons to smite your enemies with. Also the improvement of 'special missions' is much better than C&C.

 

While in multiplayer a platform for playing this game is provided on Westwood Chat but it is only 1v1 which is a great downfall. What makes Red Alert so much fun to play in multiplayer is the devious units like theives, spies and subs which hurt the enemy more secretly. Nuke's are more available but are much less powerful.

 

Red Alert after the hype fades was a double edged sword. With new units and other factors it creates variety and intreigue although this creates the Tank rush problem and has the game lose some of its original charm. Also while being compared with new stratergy games it has no LoS, waypoints and other things. Still it is a great addition to the honoured stratergy game category.