Not that any of Red Alert 2’s new features make a huge difference to the strategy. This is one of Westwood’s finest-a brilliant balance of fast action, inventive design and streamlined strategy. For all of Tiberian Sun’s visual and engine improvements, many of its planned features were scrapped – another consequence of EA’s purchase, and the pressure for an earlier than planned release. Red Alert 2 also improves and polishes C&C’s major systems far more than any of its predecessors. Its campaigns are memorable, and buoyed by the focus on familiar US landmarks.
Those staff who left likely wouldn’t agree, but the proof is in the product. But Red Alert 2 finds itself in the sweet spot of the studio’s troubled history. It’s all very silly.ĮA’s acquisition and eventual destruction of Westwood is still a sore point among fans, and for good reason. The Soviet invasion itself is triggered when a psychic with a head tattoo mindcontrols a soldier through a telephone.
US President Dugan-played by Twin Peaks’ Ray Wise-is nervous and petulant throughout. In the first briefing of the Soviet campaign, Premier Romanov pokes a turtle named Uncle Sam as part of an extended metaphor about America being weak and cowardly. Little attempt is made to dramatise events. It was Red Alert 2, released in 2000-a couple of years after C&C sequel Tiberian Sun-that changed the mood and overarching story, ditching all ties to the Tiberian series in favour of a second war between the Soviets and Allies. In this light, it’s not surprising that its tone would match the more consistently serious main series. The end of its Soviet campaign depicts the rise of Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod. Red Alert isn’t a spin-off to Command & Conquer, but a prequel. But the alt-history conflict between Allies and Soviets isn’t portrayed as a fun, campy romp. Its absurdities come through stilted acting, basic sets and questionable CGI. While it opens on Einstein travelling back in time to assassinate Hitler with a fatal handshake-and let’s all take a second to think about that-the majority of its cutscenes are played straight.
0 kommentar(er)
