Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Exclusive Hands-On - Empire of the Rising Sun
We get our hands on the third faction of this upcoming strategy sequel and have much to report in this exclusive preview. Also, there were dogs and bears.
When they first appeared on the scene, real-time strategy games started off with the basics of harvesting resources, building your base, and eventually churning out an army of toy soldiers to beat up your opponents before they did the same to you. Times have changed. These games have become faster-paced and more streamlined, with better control layouts, prettier graphics, and in the case of EALA's upcoming sequel, they have scout dogs and parachuting bears. Yes, Red Alert 3 may look like Command & Conquer 3's wackier cousin, but as we saw from our exclusive hands-on time with the game, there's also a finely-tuned and deep strategy game within. We had a chance to see and play the game, as well as get an exclusive first look at the all-new Empire of the Rising Sun as well.
Red Alert 3 takes place in an alternate reality in which the Cold War never ended, and all the fantastical scientific research and speculative weaponry of the 20th century actually became a reality. The series previously covered the conflict between the Soviets and the Western forces, but the third game adds a new playable faction, the Empire of the Rising Sun (powered by the fanatical armies of the Japanese).
This intriguing new faction apparently came about as a combination of the development team's plans to create a faction for skilled players who enjoy carefully micromanaging their armies, as well as from the team's favorite video games and pop culture from the Far East. For starters, basically all of Red Alert 3's units in all three factions have a secondary ability (which may either be toggled on or off, have an instantaneous effect, or require some sort of timed "cooldown" until it can be used again), and three of the Rising Sun's most powerful and flexible midlevel units possess the ability to sprout jet engines and take to the air.
This makes these versatile units exceptionally tricky to deal with in groups that are being managed by skillful players, since the game also features a rock-paper-scissors balance of units that travel by land, sea, and/or air, as well as by whether they're infantry or vehicles. Some units are very effective counter-units against ground-based and seafaring enemies and can tear through the Rising Sun's ground-based Mecha Tengu walkers (half-jet, half-robot-walker mechs bear a passing resemblance to the transforming jet/robots from the classic Japanese anime Super Dimensional Fortress Macross) and the swift Seawing submarines (which seem a bit like the transforming light/dark ship from the satisfyingly challenging arcade shooter Ikaruga) like tissue paper. However, both the Mecha Tengu and the Seawing possess the secondary ability of instantly becoming flying units--which can instantly render anti-ground or anti-naval attacks useless, as they become untouchable flyers that can be damaged only by anti-air weapons.
In addition, the Rising Sun is the only faction in the game that isn't shackled with the traditional "build radius"--the requirement of building your structures close to your base. Instead, the faction builds moving cores--small, vulnerable, amphibious wheeled units that can be deployed as buildings (after a delay of several seconds) pretty much anywhere on the map you can move them to, though amphibious units may only cross between land and sea along flat beaches, not off of cliffs.
Still, this feature of the Rising Sun's buildings definitely has its risks and rewards. Skilled micromanagers who can jump between many sites at once can scout aggressively to discover resource nodes and sending along mobile cores to build refineries nearby, supercharging their economies. Building up forward bases of unit-building structures is also a great way to keep the pressure on your opponents and tighten the noose quickly--however, having remote and poorly-defended installations scattered across the map can be a recipe for painful, expensive losses if your opponents also have the presence of mind to scout aggressively, and tear down your remote installations before you can hustle out a defense force.
285 comments
Generals was such a better game than CNC3. Micromanaging was better. And it was alot more balance. And they didnt F up the economy like they did KW.
My thoughts are not the same of KPmaker and RWdaxter's and i want to say something about that. Even if KPmaker has played the beta and het thinks unit spamming is a good shot at a victory hes not right because this game is mostly about 'micromanaging' this comes all with the abilities that all the units have like the black hole armor of the assault destroyer can turn the tides what EALA wants is that u gonna think about your attacks and what the enemy will do and not brainlessly call in heavy units becease even a mid tier unit like the Empire's Shinobi can but a lot of stress to your head it's just like chess you must think a few steps for ward build a good defence en attack force. With the original Naval gameplay in this game it can make a lot of variety in a match. sea air and land are 3 different elements and you will have to rule them all to make a good chance. You'll seriously have to know your enemy before you're going for the blind attack because if you dont balance your attack force with all the 3 land sea and air elements youre definitely will be ambushed by a smaller but tactically stronger force because he is micromanaging properly. Last thing on my mind is this argument of Cn3 sucks and CnCG is better people come to realise everybody is different and a individual person and got different taste of games and if u find one who likes that game to then make friends and play together and dont argue with others like thats hes playing a dumb game because otherwise its all gonna be a stupid fanboy war all over again just like that Ps3 vs Xbox 360 stuff because everything has its strong and its weak points. I thnik RA3 is gonna be a great game to play online and hope that some of us will play soon online. Greets UbergamerNL PS: This is all my opinion and thanks for reading and please rate.
luisrmg : I'am a st*pid (30 years old) kid waiting for the final release then ! :) And I like big cartoony explosions on my RTS (oh yeeaaa !!)
Well i have played the beta and can say its a great game. Lasting well into 1hr per game with 2 or 4 people, granted some of this time was spent learning the gaming engine etc but still all good fun. Have noticed a few missing bit for a couple of unit but then again its still beta so things may change. I for one can say that i will buy this when it comes out, I have enjoy all the command and conquer games so far.
I really wanted to like this game, but I can confirm that RWDexter's expectations are a 100% correct. Unit spamming is in for sure; within 20-25 mins one of my 2 enemies in a 3-way FFA massed 25-30 King Oni's, over 10 of the Japan battleships, over 65 of the flying female infantry unit, and over 50 of the T-Tanks. ROFL- this game is only 1 step above C&C3, and the only way I would ever spend money on it would be about a year after release when it is below $30.
I do not expect much from RA3. I was with C&C since the first 1995 game, and i can say - C&C3 was the worst of them. C&C3 had superior graphics, so what? It was released 4 years after C&CG. Better graphics DO NOT make one game superior to another. If you think otherwise than you are a damn noob who never played online. Besides game should be judged compared to other games of the same generation, not the older ones. C&CG had the second best multiplayer gameplay ever (the first is StarCraft of course). And you know what, C&C3 was the worst game in the series not by the coincidence. It was the first game that was created without Westwood employees. And since RA3 is also pure EA game, i do not hold much hopes for it. C&C3 had the boring tank rush gameplay. Unlike Generals it didn't have hard counter tools like easily available WMDs (atomic gun for example), which made it all about unit amassing. So what do we see here? No visible low level WMDs as well. Unlike Generals, C&C3 didn't have map-control based economy. Though RA3 seems to fix this issue, and probably there will be no unit spamming tactics, but without WMDs or hard counter system it is still going to be all about micro, while C&CG placed the large emphasis on actual tactical choices. In C&C3 there was no faction diversity - Bike=Pitbull, Scorpion=Predator, Buggy=APC, Mammoth=Avatar. Even Scrin had all the same tech tree with the same buildings, though developers have first promised large amount of diversity here. And what do we see in RA3? Every faction has medium tank. Every faction has heavy tank/mech. Every faction has tier2 artillery. Every faction has anti-infantry vehicle. Every faction has VTOL/heli. Every faction has air superiority fighter. Now look at RA2 - where soviets have anti-building artillery, allies get fighter. While soviets get heavy breakthrough tank, allies use anti-vehicle artillery. Instead of kirov allies get anti-infantry ambush tank. And Yuri had even more diverse unitlist. In RA3 EA have at least created quite different tech trees, and we can surely hope that this land/water amphibious function uncompatability thing will bring some amount of diversity. My conclusion is the RA3 is going to be better than C&C3, and probably even playable for the long amount of time, however it will not outshine Generals (and StarCraft 2 to be sure, C&CG author is at work!). Anyway, RA3 beta is at hand, and after one week or so we will be able to tell the right or wrong of my (and many other people's from the community who will agree with me) predictions.
Red Alert 2 was quite possible one of the best strat games ever... I still play it online till this day, over Generals and C&C3... can't wait for RA3, but I really hope they don't screw it up.
After they released Tiberium Wars with not that success. I don't have much hopes from Red Alert 3. This is what lupin means.
Vackillers...you're high right?? You can very easily compare generals to CnC3, and CnC3 was a very superior game. Then again its like comparing Warcraft 3 with Warcraft 1, not exactly same timeline, but you can't deny that WC3 is superior. I too own all the CnC games, and own several versions of almost all of them due to damn collector's editions and package sets, so I doubt you're too unique in your collection. As for RA2 being awful? That's where you sir, are high. RA2 was a highlight in CnC games, as none save RA1 was even close to as good in terms of gameplay and overall character of game. Really only CnC3 matched the quality that RA2 brought, and its looking like RA3 will be much more the same of RA2, not RA1, though both were great in their time.
maknathol "CnC3 was far superior to Generals," May i beg ur pardon, but how is cnc3 superior to generals? ermmm, CnC3 was bar far, graphicly far more superior to generals! You cannot compare the two as they are in 2 completely different universes, The units act and play completely different!! thats a silly comparison.... Engine might be a re-vamped version of the generals engine, but this in no way makes them the same... I for one own every CnC game and CnC3 i think totally brought the fanchise back from being dead since RA2 as it was awfull compared with RA1.
I loved the first RA game, so many things in that was so awsome i cant put it all down in here, RA2 was awfull, the graphics were terrible just like tiberium dawn. Now RA3 looks a lot better of course with the new engine but cant help but feel it still has that RA2 cartoon look which absolutely sucks. I cant wait to try out all the navy stuff, and the water effects look asolutely brilliant!! but the cartoon style REALLY spoils a lot for me, thing im hateing most is the stupid colour highlighting around the units that you've selected, it jus looks completely out of place with the enviroment, the units and everything else. The game looks like it could be real fun to play, but i'm waiting for the beta and hopefully get a clearer picture on how its going to play like...
Everyting is as well as great and exiting of the E308 and Gamespot.This game does relate quite to the C&C Tiberium Wars and I see nothing bad at this third installment of the Red Alert series and I like it smoot grafics good like the second part and even 3d better as to say I don't know nothing about the first part and still a game like it sound good meaning a wecome nice play of it not that is it like a big discuss wheter the game is great or bad and the review was really incomingly nice like it a lot fine wecome of the game and everyone should try the RA3 because it is a game that is another incoming hit and a another interesting new storyline and people then should say wheter if its RA2 they prefer to ot RA1 so I personally have nothing in mind all the RA series.I have been playing Red Alert 2 hours hours countless hous in fun and to say that is still a home-playground to me. ;)
I think it's a pretty good game but i don't think it can beat World in Conflict.But i do think it can beat Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath.I'm excited to learn more about it !!
Nothing can beat Red Alert 2 PS: I think the idea of a 3rd faction (Japan) is ruining the Cold War enterprise
RA1 is the best. RA3 is for st*pid kids who want another game with big exlposions and cartoon/unrealistic units.
I think some dudes here wanted RA3 to be a rip-off of World in Conflict, just with chronosphere and tesla coil. The question is, why to make another realistic game based on Cold War if there is already one which shines in these aspects? Or you want RA happens to be the something like Counter-Strike Condition Zero in terms of innovation?
Japanese commando dressed like a schoolrgirl and having telekinetic powers ?? Come on this sounds ridiculus...
Until RA3 is out, RA2 is still most favorite for me....can't wait to check this newest installation..
Oh god, this is the first time I've seen what they are doing with the game and I am horrified. Looks nothing like Red Alert and Klepacki has even screwed the music up (or hopefully that was a early version of the new hell march because it sucked). ARrrrrggghhh. All these sequels that are coming out are really pissing me off because the dev teams have all changed and the games have lost their mojo.
"CnC3 was far superior to Generals," May i beg ur pardon, but how is cnc3 superior to generals?
The big mecha reminds me of Metal Fatigue. Talk about a game that could've been. EA makes games with profit being goal A#1 (which is probably why they're the biggest and longest standing software company gaming has ever seen). The series and fans come 2nd (hopefully a close second). The same engine has been used since EA aquired the liscense because frankly it's too costly to start from scratch. But don't downplay the innovation front, CnC3 was far superior to Generals, even if it wasn't as good as RA2. RA3 should still be a step forward, how big a step and and what cost to the series - remains to be seen.
how many years is it going to take the new c&c team to leave the old generals formula and move onto something actually innovative
I'm confused, people are slating what EA are doing to the visuals yet you all know damn well they could have made it look as good as they wanted. They are putting it in beta which will no doubt be a good tester and if you want to see 10 year on bad visuals bought back to an RTS, starcraft 2 and Blizzard >>>>> that way.
It looks like they are trying to take the mick in this game. I was such a huge fan of RA2, this had so so much potential, but I fear it will be wasted by idiotic EA design idea's. Make it true to the series, make it better, don;t take a great title and wash it in filth. The more video's I see for this game, the worse it looks to be getting. Its almost like EA said "hhmm, Red Alert was a popular game, hhmm Transformers was a popular movie... hhmm, lets just try and slap the two together and we'll make a fortune, fans will buy anything". Sorry, not this time EA.
Always liked this series. And probably will check out this one as well. I remember even re-buying the old red alert at some point.
Geez, this game looks like a steaming bile of crap, not Red Alert, more like Cartoon Alert.
@ No sweat Devil_Master666, I?m all open for having good debates man, no big thing on my part; I?m not the one that overreacted, just defending myself as usual. ;) Honestly, I think you missed my points all together dude. Simplicity does not mean T1 units have to have the power to destroy defenses or buildings. I never said I was against creativity; I actually said I liked the units that I?ve seen so far, including the robots inspired by Asian cartoons. I just do not want the game to be over in 10 mins to the point I?m not able to enjoy the game. C&C: Generals was not about the future, so to include that entire universe as the same theme is wrong, but I get what you are saying. Each unit in RA3 will have a 2nd special ability (which I think is cool) so that is not so simple if you think about it. My other big concern is if they will optimize RA3 for Dual Core or Quad Core systems. P.S. Is there a reason why you chose that screen name? Just curious, you do not have to answer if you do not want to.
1st RA was amazing, second far too cartoony and farsical and this is shaping up to be even more cartoony and farsical than the second! I liked the fact that the 1RA was a more "realistic" version of CnC now it's just nonsense, drivel that looks like a comic book gone mad.
It is a bigest **** red alert 2 was a best strategy game but this **** o god it is not tiberium wars what did thay do with wis game .....
red alert 3 !! wow its very long time for red alert 2 and now red alert 3. if like red alert 2 is very good game
Firstly im about express my own opinion, please dont be offended. KPMaker, bridges 2002000 you guys missed the point of Red Alert franchise which was simplicity in the warfare, also a refrshing look what mix between realism and a notch of creativity in the field of weaponry. Command & Conquer was the game which was futuristic, its purpose was to show how war could evolve or whats the future for them. When you play Red Alert 1 or 2 you see the dolphin or the squid, or Kirov Airship but still you look and say this can happen. It's just that somehow they did its so simple that you start thinking maybe its true maybe there are these kinda s*&%t out there. You'll ask okey dude, why the hell do you think Red Alert was simple and Command & Conquer was the complex one. In Command & Conquer they've always (again im saying that this is my personal vision about the franchises) strived to show lot's of units with unique abilities (Ex. Fanatics, Saboteur, Avatar Mech, RIG, Juggernaut ect.), also the Tiberium , the Scrin all seem to throw you in some unstable future, just try after that, to play some Red Alert somehow you return to the now, you feel a wave of realism, but of course there are the Chrono trooper, Albert Einstein, the Prism Tank, Yuri, Time Machine. But overall all the friends who ive had this conversation about RA say that they always stray to classic tactic the tanks and super weapon, classic in RA. And now... Red Alert 3 which EA want's to turn into sum Lego based RTS. About the graphics, to be honest it's not bad, for example it's like StarCraft 2, it's graphic is more colorful like the Battlecruiser looks like a rainbow SS Camaro, butr maybe it's for the best. But now "Empire of the Rising sun" ?!?! Im sorry but just this prejudice about Asian= Robots it's just not appealing any more. They just look like they're escaped robots from transormers. It doesn't look intense it look's like a War of the Kid's World. Most of the stuff look like has been gathered from games which became popular just for those inovations. the thought of attacking some mech with Tanya doesn't sound appealing in the RA universe. They're trying to get into the new mainstream of the RTS I sincerely hope that they do they're job right. But in the end it's the simple & andrenalin warfare with riflemen, tesla coils, mammoth tank, the smell of comunisum, and sheer joy of wathing the American & USSR Presidents curse each other over the phone that made this game so great. I'm looking forward to see what will happen to this game. In the end no one should forget from where he started. Traditions are ment to be broken, but the mark which this game left in lot of people is bluring more and more. Thak you.
Seems that everyone including game spot have forgotten what Red Alert is. Game Spot saying "set in a cold war that never ended", this is not correct its really set in reality where Hitler was killed by allied time travelers to prevent WW 2. But this caused things to go wrong and the Soviets to take the Germans place, Red alert 1 & 2. Red alert 3 is brought about by time traveling Soviets trying to change the results of the war in RA 1&2. So Japan never did get conquered by the allies as WW 2 NEVER happened. Also when the time travellars interfere other stuff may pass through time as well?
@ BarkotGamer, Not really; Sins is kind of stretching it a bit don't you think? ;) I mean I'm not against games that have the opportunity to be over quickly if played right by the better player, but C&C 3 was over way too quickly. I personally think most players would love to have the set-up I described earlier, and believe it would make RA3, as well as other RTS games, much more enjoyable. Even though I have some issues with RA3, there is still a lot to like about it. I'm not against the new units, the graphics, or the fact that it is drastically different in some respects to RA1. As I stated earlier the more RTS games that rock the better in my opinion. I'm more concerned on the gameplay aspect, and its replay value with Skirmish & MP. Heck, you could have armored ducks fighting against squirrels armed with Walnut grenade launchers, as long as the game was not over before I had the chance to say- All Career Politicians Suck. :)
@ bridges2002000, Dude please, how in the world does my take on some issues with this game have anything to do with growing up. I made a legitimate complaint based on C&C 3 only and not on any of the old Games Westwood use to put out; and yes I did play them, I was playing RTS games while your mama was patting your little bottom with powder. Now honestly, your rant is all over the place with no focus at all. I assume this is most likely due to the fact that your parents decided it was best to put you on a permanent diet of Ritalin and Fruity Pebbles. Change: CoH and DoW2 will go down as 2 of my favorite RTS games of all time; but since your Ritalin induced telepathy is a little off, I guess I'll just have to forgive you. Grow up, ha ha ha ha ha ha, ROFL.
i like how when ea tries to innovate "its ruining cnc" but if they kept everything the same everyone would say "omfg theres no changes! how lame, ea needs an origan idea for once!" cry about the new stuff but this fits with ra2 perfectly. why? because its not based in reality 1 bit. only ra1 was based in somewhat reality, but ra2 shifted its direction, ra3 is merely continuing it, and im glad they have. ra2 is the best rts game ever made to this point, this could very well take its place. play the beta, then make an informed decision like i will soon enough, instead of crying for stupid reasons.
merhyar tank: Where is the connection of introducing cartoony graphics (Same with RA2 btw) and a new Japanese faction with "making money"? That's rgiht, nothing. If you'd read through the reports from the community summit you'd see that this could be the first game from EALA where they really thought long and hard about every detail.
KP_Maker - it sounds like youd want to play Sins of a Solar Empire for the VERY LONG games :] bridges2002000 - RA2 graphics may look bad right now, but its still an awesome game, you must agree :] and btw all, RA3 is going to be great, regardless of Westwoods FIRST thoughts. personally, Im happy that EA bought Westwood, they have a better working place, with many many great options to expand. and dont forget, C&C wasnt their ONLY projects, they also had DUNE! EMPEROR: BATTLE FOR DUNE FTW!
mehryar_tank and Kp... Really did you never play red alert 2? For gofs sake did you not think that it was abit cartoony and daft. If you had actually read the reviews of the original creators of Red alert this is what they wanted to do. Command and conquer was the serious side Red alert is the idiots game the taking the piss. They have taken more time to make the games last longer now they realise the issue with short game times. Its a fresh look on a slightly old and increasingly tired look. Grow up and go with the damn change
This is the illegitimate son of RA 2 and Gundam. The first thought: "They ruin it! How this guys have mechs ? The technology is away off". I hate the dual function of the machines plus special abilities. In the RA 2 universe the special abilities was one unit: Tesla Trooper plus another unit/ building: Eiffel Tower. I loved that mission. The scale of units buildings was a problem in RA 2. I agree that the universe was a satire at the Cold War but it was a good. This is has the signs of a bad parody think Scary Movie 4 instead of Airplane. I' ll wait for a demo before making a final decision.
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Game Info
- Release Date: Nov 14, 2008 (EU)
- Release Date: Oct 28, 2008 (US)
- Release Date: Mar 23, 2009 (US)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
- Publisher(s): Electronic Arts
- Developer(s): EA LA
- Genre: Strategy
- Release:
- MDA:
Red Alert 3 Navigation
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