If there is one strategy game series that is guaranteed to be worth the money then it is definitely Command and Conquer because of the attention to detail that the developers put into every version of the game that has been produced and last year’s Red Alert was no exception. Now here comes a stand-alone expansion pack available to download both on the PSN and the 360 Xbox live system and boy is it tough. The production values on the title is exactly as you would expect from one of their full price retail titles with excellent cut scenes, a well thought out story and detailed maps and arenas for your troops to fight in. Being a stand-alone game it means that you do not require a copy of the original game so in theory this would be a cheap way for a newcomer to the genre to test whether they would like the full game or not – however – this is not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination and a player definitely benefits from playing the original game. As usual in the series this is a military based strategy game with enemies ranging from controlled animals, aliens and even Japanese schoolgirls. The control system is the same as in the original title with the wheel of options that comes up every time you select a building etc. This is occasionally frustrating especially in the heat of battle because of how long it takes to go through all the possibilities etc, however, it is hard to see, on a console at least, what else could be done to have as much depth as you want in this game without something like this. Thankfully there is a tutorial supplied with the game, which I would recommend even people who have played the series before to take. It dosent take very long and it does provide a fair bit of information and guidance to what is to come. For some reason however it dosent cover the more intricate and difficult tactics that you will need to complete the tougher missions which is a shame. One thing the game does force you to do is play as all the possible factions at some point or another. The reason that you have to do this is to unlock the various technological advances to weaponry etc that are provided throughout the game. Each time you complete a mission you unlock something else. There are also a lot of side missions for you to attempt to complete but keep an eye on the time because you are only given a certain amount of time to complete each of the main missions so don’t take too much time out completing the side ones. Graphically this is colourful and very well detailed and for once you do not lose any of the detail should you decide to zoom in on the acting. There is an excellent use of the “fog of war” to make you explore more of the map and there are excellent animations throughout the game with excellent explosions and good use of shading to distinguish between hills and craters etc. The cut scenes as well are excellent but completely over the top which is what we have come to expect from this series. Sound wise the explosions and other sound effects are perfect. The acting in the cut scenes is unbelievably over the top but at least the actors all sound genuine with nothing forces. The music used is also very good and help to show what a quality product this is.
Overall it is hard to believe this is a download. The game has as much quality and quantity as many full price retail games including those from EA themselves. The game itself requires a lot of patience and determination not least because of the difficulty level which has been set. At over 50 missions this is not a game that you are going to finish overnight and there will be a lot of trial and error involved and possibly a lot of luck. The controls are as good as you can expect from a console and won’t be improved upon I think until some bright spark decides to invite a mouse for the consoles that people can use on this sort of game. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for fans of the series although possibly too difficult for newcomers. One of the best products released on the PSN this year without a doubt. | 
Playstation Store Reviews 
