Command & Conquer: Red Alert scores 8/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.

Once Upon a Time

Command and Conquer Red Alert

Name: Command and Conquer Red Alert
Item: Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Rating: 8
Author: Simon Larocca

by Simon LaroccaDecember 6, 2023

Se Wolfenstein brought first-person shooters, and thus also “war games,” to the attention of critics after reaching the rooms of thousands of teenagers equipped with computers and keyboards, then it was Command and Conquer, a magnum opus in its genre, that rose as a watershed and gave prestige to the use of another peripheral for gaming: we are talking about our favorite rodent, the mouse.

Breve historical note: C&C was released in 1995 and from the very beginning it achieved tremendous success, both for its setting, a fascinating alternate history that seemed written by Tom Clancy himself with a touch of Asimov, and because the gameplay made it possible to take full advantage of the mouse interface to manage every aspect of the game.

When we talk about uchronia, we are referring to an entire series of imaginary events set in a plausible historical context and still based on real facts. Without going into the details of the plot, which I’ll leave you the pleasure of discovering by getting hold of the Westwood Studios game, I’d like to draw from the river of my memories and share with you the fun that playing an RTS, an acronym for Real-Time Strategy, still offers today: every map is teeming with enemies, fortifications, forests, potentially deadly blows, and stealthy ambushes.

Organizing troops and managing resources becomes of fundamental importance, and a single planning mistake is enough to ruin any hope of victory. In short, the essence of a real-time strategy game!

Nel corso degli anni, the series has been enhanced by a few sequels and spin-offs, giving rise to true alternative sagas, where the most important historical events of our era’s past have been completely overturned: this is the case of Red Alert, released a year after the original and perhaps one of the best-executed chapters in the series, in which all the technical features of the predecessor are taken to the highest level, defining a very particular Cold War scenario, in which Stalin is not only alive and well, but moves his offensive toward the West, opposing the Allied Forces.

Hitler is dead, thanks to a time machine invented by Einstein that took him out of the picture, but war is war in every universe, even alternate ones.

The version we’re offering is for PlayStation, a must-play title.

Pro

A well-balanced, highly strategic component; RTS fans will love it.

Graphically still valid, it presents a multitude of scenarios and elements that enrich the screen

Perfectly integrate the use of the mouse peripheral into the game mechanics

Contro

The blending of genres, where historical realism is mixed with science fiction, might make purists wrinkle their noses

Some levels are extremely punishing and leave no room for planning errors

Complete

20,02 €

New

60,53 €

Graded

272,70 €

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Simon Larocca

Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.

Simon Larocca

Command and Conquer Red Alert

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