Red Alert English 2 serial key or number

The desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.

Features

• It's Always Better With Someone Else — Fight your way through three campaigns solo, or join forces with your friends or one of nine, in-game commanders, each with unique personalities and play styles, in missions designed from the ground for co-op play.
• Star-Studded Storytelling — Command & Conquer's trademark live-action videos return in HD, with over 60 minutes of footage featuring the largest cast in the history of the Command & Conquer franchise.
• Command the Seas, Conquer the World — Experience Gameplay as for the first time in the series, waging war on the water will be every bit as important as dominating by land and air. Gain strategic advantages by controlling resources in the seas and mounting three-pronged attacks from all directions.
• Ready your Man Cannons! — Armored War Bears, and Anime-inspired psychic school girls join your favorite Red Alert units like Sonic Dolphins, Tesla Troopers, Attack Dogs, and the ever popular Tanya.
• A New Threat From the East — The deadly Empire of the Rising Sun is a technological terror, with designs influenced by a mixture of anime, science-fiction, martial arts and robot culture. The Empire's futuristic units can transform into alternate forms, and they specialize in naval warfare.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategyvideo game of the Command & Conquer franchise, produced by Westwood Studios and released by Virgin Interactive Entertainment in 1996. The second game to bear the Command & Conquer title, Red Alert is the prequel to the original Command & Conquer of 1995,^[2][3][4][5] and takes place in the alternate early history of Command & Conquer when Allied Forces battle an aggressive Soviet Union for control over the European mainland.

It was initially available for PC (MS-DOS and Windows 95 versions included in one package) and was subsequently ported to PlayStation. The PlayStation version was also re-released as a download on the PlayStation Network for PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3.^[6] On August 31, 2008, Electronic Arts, who acquired Westwood Studios in 1998, rendered Command & Conquer: Red Alertfreeware.^[7]

In collaboration with Petroglyph Games and Lemon Sky Studios, EA announced a remaster of Red Alert along with the original Command & Conquer on November 14, 2018. The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, released on June 5, 2020 through the services Origin and Steam, contains a graphically rebuilt Red Alert, the expansions Counterstrike and The Aftermath, additional missions and briefing videos that were exclusive to the PlayStation's Retaliation port, and an unlockable gallery of unused and "making-of" materials.^[8]

Gameplay[edit]

Players can queue commands, create unit groups that can be selected by a number key, and control numerous units at a time. The game features two factions with differing styles of play.^[9] Like Tiberian Dawn, the game has split routes for most missions. The objective stays the same but the map layout differs. The single-player campaign is complemented by live-action cinematic sequences.

Red Alert requires each player to use their side's strengths in order to compensate for their weaknesses, in contrast to games such as Total Annihilation or Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, in which both sides have units with similar abilities and rely on outnumbering or possessing a better-balanced force than their opponent.

Players acquire credits to purchase structures and equipment by mining for ores and minerals (as Tiberium in the regular C&C series has not yet arrived on Earth). Rare gems are worth significantly more credits, but unlike ores, they do not regenerate within the map. Players can gain more credits and increase their buying power by building more ore refineries and ore trucks, while excess resources require storage in special 'ore silos' that can be constructed.

In-game beta screenshot of a Soviet base on the PC version.

The Soviets' vehicles tend to be more durable and powerful than Allied vehicles, but are usually slower-moving and more expensive. The Soviets also have superior defensive capabilities against ground attacks, with Flame Towers (guard towers outfitted with heavy flamethrowers) and weaponized Tesla coils, with the latter being able to destroy most Allied armour in 1-2 hits, although it has very high power consumption and cannot function without a sufficient and continuous supply of power. The Soviets' main weakness is at sea; their only offensive naval unit is the submarine, which only exists to counter Allied warships and gain intelligence. It is normally invisible except when surfacing to attack when it is vulnerable to destroyers and gunboats. They also have a wide selection of air units for assault; the Yak-9 attack plane, MiG-27 tactical bomber (though erroneously depicted as a MiG-29 in cut-scenes), and Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunship. In addition, the Soviets also have access to periodic map revelation through spy planes, and can deploy infantry by air through paratroopers or via transport helicopters (the latter only present in multiplayer/skirmish mode). In the latter half of the Soviet campaign (but not in multiplayer/skirmish mode), they also have access to periodic airstrikes from Badger bombers. The Soviets' secret weapon is the Iron Curtain, a device that renders a selected unit invulnerable to attacks for a short period of time. The Soviet 'tank rush' was a popular strategy online, involving building many heavy tanks and overwhelming the opponent with sheer numbers.

The Allies' forces are generally cheaper, faster to build and more agile. Their infantry can survive longer with good use of their Medic unit. The Allies' strongest tank (the Medium Tank) is weaker in a one-on-one engagement against the Soviets' starting tank (the Heavy Tank), but it is also slightly faster and less expensive. The Allies also have anti-tank minelayers to counter superior Soviet armour. The Allies have only one air unit, the anti-tank AH-64 Apache attack helicopter (erroneously called 'Longbow' despite lacking the distinctive FCR of the same name), compared to three Soviet air units; however, the Allies also have anti-aircraft guns (more powerful but shorter-ranged than Soviet Surface to Air Missiles). Allied defenses against ground assaults — pillboxes and turret emplacements — are less powerful than the Soviets' Tesla Coil, but much less dependent on power. On maps with water, Allies possess a major advantage in naval power thanks to the Destroyer, a versatile warship capable of engaging all targets on land, sea and air, and the Cruiser, a heavy artillery ship which has the longest-ranged and most powerful surface-to-surface attack in the game, and can potentially destroy entire bases by bombarding them with its array of 8-inch naval cannons. They also possess several other tools of subterfuge and military intelligence, such as spies to gain information on or disable enemy facilities, and thieves for stealing enemy resources, hiding their own units and structures from detection via the 'gap generator' (a special tower outfitted with electronic warfare equipment, which prevents enemy players from being able to see the tower or anything else in a large radius around itself), and revealing the whole game map with a prototype GPS satellite. The Allies' secret weapon is the Chronosphere, which temporarily teleports a selected unit to another part of the map.

In online play and computer skirmish, both Allied and Soviet forces have access to the atomic missile silo, which is not available to either side in single-player mode, although it is present in some Soviet bases in the latter half of the Allied campaign. In online play and computer skirmishes, the Soviets have access to two of the Allied side's infantry: the Rocket Soldier (for anti-air and anti-tank fighting) and Tanya, a commando capable of easily killing infantry and destroying structures with explosives.

Unlike the standard Allied/Soviet factions in the single-player campaigns, in multiplayer/skirmish, players choose a particular country to play as, each with its own unique advantage over the others. Allied countries consist of Germany (greater firepower), England (better durability) and France (faster rate of fire), while Soviet countries consist of Russia (lower costs) and Ukraine (faster movement speed).

In addition to the single-player and multiplayer campaigns, Red Alert includes a map editor and the bonus software Westwood Chat.^[10]

Plot[edit]

Command & Conquer: Red Alert takes place in a parallel universe. At the Trinity Site in New Mexico in 1946, Albert Einstein prepares to travel backward in spacetime. He activates his experimental time machine to find himself in Landsberg, Germany, on December 20, 1924, where he meets a young Adolf Hitler just after the latter's release from Landsberg Prison. Following a brief conversation between the two, Einstein shakes Hitler's hand, which erases him from the timeline.

Hitler's death prevents him from rising to power as leader of Nazi Germany, which creates a new timeline. Without Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union grows powerful under the rule of Joseph Stalin. The USSR seizes land from China and then invades Eastern Europe, to achieve Joseph Stalin's vision of a Soviet Union stretching across the entire Eurasian landmass. In response, the countries of Europe (including an already-rearmed Germany) form the Allied Nations and start a guerrilla war against the invading Soviet Army. Over the course of the game's story, the Allies and Soviets fight for control over the European mainland in an alternate World War II.

• Allied ending: Following the siege of Moscow, an Allied platoon discovers Stalin buried alive in the rubble of the Kremlin. As they begin attempting to remove the debris from the fallen Soviet leader, General Stavros unexpectedly enters the room and stops them. He "convinces" them that they saw nothing and orders them to leave the premises. Stavros then stuffs a handkerchief into Stalin's mouth before covering his head with a large stone and walking away. This ending leads into the game's expansions and its sequel, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2.
• Soviet ending: As the Soviets celebrate their victory in the newly captured Buckingham Palace, Stalin commends the Commander (the player), but is poisoned by Nadia, who guns him down as the poison overcomes his body. Following Stalin's death, Nadia tells the Commander that the Soviet Union is now under the rule of the Brotherhood of Nod, who plan to return to the shadows again and reemerge in the 1990s, leaving the player as the puppet ruler of the USSR, ready to do the Brotherhood's bidding for "the foreseeable future." She is betrayed and shot in the back by Kane, who reveals to "Comrade Chairman" (the player) that he is the true mastermind.

Connection to the Tiberian games[edit]

Kane (standing) advises Joseph Stalin (center), with Nadia (left) and Gradenko (right).

Westwood Studios designed Command & Conquer: Red Alert to be the prequel of Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn,^[2][3][4][5] and by proxy of the Tiberian series as a whole.

During the course of the Soviet's campaign, Kane is seen to make infrequent appearances as a mysterious counselor to Joseph Stalin, and the story implies that he has in fact been the instigator of the world war between the USSR and the Allied nations in order to further the long-term goals of the Brotherhood of Nod.^[11] Indeed, Nadia, the head of the NKVD, Stalin's mistress and evidently a secretive member of the Brotherhood herself as early as the 1950s, instructs the player to "keep the peace" until Nod would "tire of the USSR in the early 1990s" upon the campaign's successful conclusion.^[12] Kane, however, shoots her without warning and proclaims to the player that he "[is] the future".^[13] Moreover, during the fifth cutscene of the Allied campaign, a news announcer reporting on the Allies' loss of Greece is suddenly heard stating that the United Nations are in the process of bringing about a unique military task force aimed at preventing future globalized conflicts.^[14] This task force is heavily implied to have been "Special Operations Group Echo: Black Ops 9"—the covert and international peace enforcing unit of the United Nations and the precursor of the Global Defense Initiative,^[15] one of the two main and iconic factions of the Tiberian series alongside the Brotherhood of Nod.

A much debated theory intended to resolve the apparent timeline error which came to exist between Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is to consider Red Alert as the genesis of two parallel storylines. If the Soviet campaign were to be completed in Red Alert, the USSR would emerge as the dominant Eurasian power and Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod would subsequently take control of this new empire. Conversely, if the Allied campaign were to be completed, the Allies would emerge victorious and the timeline would instead lead into the events of Red Alert 2 (though Red Alert 2 completely ignores anything that could connect it to the Tiberium timeline). However, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn has the Brotherhood of Nod start out as an underground terrorist organisation, not as a political force in control of the late Soviet empire. This is further confirmed by former C&C designer Adam Isgreen, who confirms that Tiberian Dawn in fact follows on the conclusion of Red Alert's Allies campaign,^[16] while Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge take place in a second parallel universe, created by a new attempt to alter history in "Tiberian Incursion",^[17] the working title of Westwood Studios' cancelled version of Command & Conquer 3.^[18] Isgreen also implied that Nikola Tesla may have been responsible for inadvertently having attracted the attention of the Scrin through his experiments, and thus for the arrival of Tiberium on Earth.^[19]

When the Command & Conquer: The First Decade compilation pack was released in February 2006, Electronic Arts adopted the policy of considering the C&C franchise to consist of three distinct universes, with this decision apparently violating the storyline connections between Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn established by Westwood Studios. With the release of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars in March 2007 however, Electronic Arts published a document wherein an implicit reference to Kane's appearance in Red Alert is made—revealing that GDI's "InOps" intelligence division is in the possession of photos of Kane which were taken by CIA that, if genuine, would mean that Kane's age by year 2030 is close to 125.^[20]

Freeware release[edit]

To mark the 13th anniversary of Command and Conquer and the announcement of Red Alert 3, EA released Command and Conquer: Red Alert as freeware.^[7] After the promotion ended they allowed third-party mirrors to pick up and also ship the addons for free.^[21] The community has started repackaging it to installers that do not require burning the original ISO images and included their latest fan patches that modernize the renderer, remove duplicate files, fix bugs and include content from the PlayStation release. Those repacks typically also include modding tools as well as network utilities for multiplayer matches.^[22][23][24]

Soundtrack[edit]

The game's original score was composed by Frank Klepacki and was voted the best video game soundtrack of 1996 by PC Gamer and Gameslice magazines.^[25]

Reception[edit]

Sales[edit]

In the United States, Command & Conquer: Red Alert debuted at #2 on PC Data's computer game sales chart for November 1996, behind Microsoft Flight Simulator.^[26] Following a third-place finish in December,^[27] it became the United States' seventh-best-selling computer game of 1996 as a whole. According to PC Data, its domestic sales totaled 347,844 units during the period, which drew revenues of $16.5 million.^[28] In 1997, Red Alert held a position in PC Data's top 3 for the first four months of the year, peaking at #2 in April.^{[29][30][31][32]} It was ultimately the fourth-biggest seller of 1997's first half in the United States,^[33] after finishing at #4 in May and June.^[34][35] While the game remained in the top 10 through September,^[36][37][38] it was absent from the top 20 by October.^[39]Red Alert ended 1997 as the United States' eighth-best seller among computer titles, with sales of 363,207 units for the year.^[40] The game's lifetime sales rose to 869,623 copies in the United States by September 1999. At the time, PC Data declared it the country's 17th-best-selling computer game released since January 1993.^[41]

In August 1998, Red Alert received a "Platinum" sales award from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD),^[42] indicating sales of at least 200,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.^[43] | work=Next Generation | url-status=dead | archivedate=June 6, 1997 }}</ref>^[44] It sold close to 2 million copies by mid-February 1997.^[45]-->

Critical reviews[edit]

The PC version of the game scored 90.91% on GameRankings based on 11 reviews,^[46] while the PlayStation version scored 81.40% based on 5 reviews.^[47] A reviewer for Next Generation commented that Command & Conquer: Red Alert retains the gameplay elements of the outstanding original game while enhancing the graphics, expanding warfare to both air and sea, and rebalancing the gameplay so that players cannot succeed by simply using the same tactics which worked in the original. He concluded that "in a holiday season swamped with C&C clones, discerning gamers won't go wrong by sticking to the real thing."^[52] Vince Broady of GameSpot also commented on the saturation of real-time strategy games in the 1996 holiday shopping season and concluded Red Alert to clearly be the best choice. He praised the unit design and variety, particularly that "the units of the two opposing sides aren't mere copies of each other, but instead maintain a sort of karmic balance." Additionally complimenting the level design, cutscenes, graphics, sound effects, and music, he judged that, "Red Alert belongs in the same category as Civilization II and Quake, games that followed legendary predecessors and immediately eclipsed them."^[9] In a review for PC Games which was also published in its sister magazine GamePro, Rob Smith summarized, "The new units, the great story, and the variety of mission styles make up for the limited improvement in the A.I." He also noted that the control interface allows players to quickly and easily select units and order them into combat.^[10]

Command & Conquer won the 1996 Spotlight Award for "Best Strategy/War Game" from the Game Developers Conference.^[54]Computer Gaming World gave it the Strategy Game of the Year award (Readers' Choice).^[55] The game was a finalist for Computer Gaming World's 1996 "Strategy Game of the Year" award,^[56] which ultimately went to Civilization II.^[57]

The PlayStation version was also positively received, but generally not as enthusiastically as the PC original. IGN hailed it as "one of the best PC to PlayStation ports we've ever seen", citing the inclusion of PC version's entire content, the control with the PlayStation Mouse, and the PlayStation Link Cable support.^[51] Most reviewers, however, noted that the PlayStation Mouse was difficult to find at this time, and that control with the standard PlayStation controller takes a good deal of time and patience to master.^[49][50][58] In addition to its being even rarer than the PlayStation Mouse, they noted that the PlayStation Link Cable was not a practical option for most gamers.^[49][58] Some also found this version's inability to save mid-mission to be frustrating.^[50][58]GamePro ultimately recommended it, though only to those for whom the PC version is not an option, citing the addictive gameplay, engaging cutscenes, "both exciting and subtle" music, and improved A.I. over the PC version.^[58]GameSpot also recommended it, while advising that it is more of a tweaking and expansion of the original Command & Conquer than a "true sequel".^[50]Electronic Gaming Monthly's team of four reviewers all gave it an 8.5/10 or better, particularly noting its strategic depth and high quality FMV cutscenes, with Kraig Kujawa concluding, "Although Red Alert isn't as good as its PC counterpart, you won't find a better realtime strategy game on the PlayStation."^[49]

In 1998, PC Gamer declared it the 14th-best computer game ever released, and the editors called it "a perfectly balanced and action-packed epic that functions brilliantly in both the multi-play and the solo campaigns".^[59]

Expansion packs[edit]

Counterstrike and The Aftermath (1997)[edit]

In 1997, two expansion packs for Red Alert were released for the PC, Command & Conquer: Red Alert: Counterstrike and Command & Conquer: Red Alert: The Aftermath. The expansion packs were designed by Westwood Studios with the "apprenticeship" of Intelligent Games, a London-based game developer. Much of the development on multiplayer maps was undertaken by players from the Compuserve Red Alert ladder. New units, missions, maps, and music were included in the expansions.

By October 1997, Counterstrike had sold 650,000 copies worldwide after its launch in April of that year. According to Westwood, this made it the all-time fastest-selling expansion pack for a computer game by that point.^[60] The Counterstrike add-on included the secret Ant Missions titled "It Came from Red Alert", where the player battles against an army of giant, mutant ants with Allied Forces and Soviet units (Representing GDI forces).

The Aftermath add-on contained many new units available in single and multiplayer modes. New Allied units include the Field Mechanic and the Chrono Tank. New Soviet units include the Missile Sub, the Shock Trooper, the M.A.D Tank and the Tesla Tank. In addition, both sides receive the Demolition Truck. The add-on also includes hundreds of new maps as well as a new, significantly larger, map size.

Retaliation (1998)[edit]

On August 28, 1998, Westwood Studios released Command & Conquer Red Alert: Retaliation for the PlayStation, a compilation of the two PC expansion packs, including the secret Ant Missions. It is almost identical to the PlayStation port of the original Red Alert, except it introduced some new units like Tesla Tank, Shock Trooper, Chrono Tank and Mechanic, and included 105 skirmish maps. The gameplay also included an in-game sidebar code called Soylent Green Mode. In this mode, all ore fields turn to people/civilians, and ore trucks harvest them with grisly sound effects.

It also included 19 exclusive briefing FMV (full-motion video) clips that were not in any of the PC expansion packs, which had none. All of the videos are shown when the player either starts playing through the operational theatre from the beginning or when all the missions of the theatre are accomplished. In other cases, the briefing text is shown. The FMVs include a general for each side, telling the player the mission objectives; The Allied General Carville later appears in Red Alert 2 while Soviet General Topolov has made no further appearances in the Red Alert series.

The Retaliation videos are available for the PC Red Alert in the Red Alert modification The Lost Files.^[61] This modification adds the Retaliation videos to the Counterstrike and Aftermath missions. It requires Red Alert patch v3.03 or Red Alert patch v3.03 TFD (for the Red Alert version of the C&C The First Decade package).

Red Alert Retaliation was released as a download for PSP and PS3 from the PlayStation Network in Europe on March 27, 2008 and in North America on December 3, 2009.^[62][63]

Open source remake[edit]

OpenRA is a modern video game remake and game engine recreation created by fans. It adds gameplay elements from successors such as fog of war. The focus is primarily on skirmish/multiplayer gaming with partial support for the single-player missions.^[64]

References[edit]

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is a real-time strategy video game developed by EA Los Angeles and published by Electronic Arts. It was released on October 28, 2008 in the United States for Microsoft Windows and October 30, 2008 in Europe. An Xbox 360 version was released on November 11. On January 21, 2009 EA announced Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Ultimate Edition,^[10] the PlayStation 3 version which contains additional material was released on March 23, 2009 along with the OS X version by TransGaming. The game is a continuation of the Red Alert games within the Command & Conquer series. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising, a stand-alone expansion pack, was released for Microsoft Windows in March 2009. It was offered via digital distribution.^[11]

Like the previous entries in the Red Alert series, the game is set in an alternate reality from World War II, in which the Western Allies fight the Soviet Union. In Red Alert 3 the Soviet leadership, facing defeat, goes back in time to kill Albert Einstein and prevent his assistance to the allies, paving the way for Soviet domination in the present. However, as an unintended consequence, a third world power, the Empire of the Rising Sun, is created and all three sides go to war. The three factions are playable, with the gameplay involving constructing a base, gathering resources and training armies to defeat other players. Each faction has a fully co-operative campaign, playable with either an artificial intelligence partner or with another player online. The game intersperses strategy missions with full motion video footage featuring an ensemble cast starring J.K. Simmons, Tim Curry and George Takei as the leaders of the three factions.

The game received mostly positive reviews, with reviewers citing the co-operative and multiplayer components as strengths, along with the enhanced role of naval combat compared to other real-time strategy games. Commonly cited weaknesses included aspects such as unit pathfinding and an unstable netcode.

Gameplay[edit]

Almost all structures can now be built offshore, out of reach of some enemy units – and in reach of others

Red Alert 3 retains the core real-time strategy mechanics of the Command & Conquer series. Warring factions harvest resources using vulnerable collectors and use those resources to construct military bases and forces on-site. Structures form a shallow but wide tech tree with a variety of units and elusive superweapons. Weapon types are specialized to the point where a rifleman can withstand direct hits from an anti-tank cannon. Red Alert 3's major refinements are the addition of the Empire of the Rising Sun to the factions of the sub-series, a co-operative campaign, and expanded naval warfare.

The single-player campaign is fully co-operative. Each mission is played alongside an ally. These can be played online, with another player. Offline it is one of several computer-controlled characters. Teams share income and generally start with the same forces. Computerized characters can be given simple commands, such as an order to take a specific position or to strike a specific target. The campaign has nine missions for each side. Each side's plotlines are mutually exclusive.

Naval warfare is emphasized as another front. Executive producer Chris Corry has stated that many units are amphibious, trading effectiveness for increased flexibility. Buildings and entire bases can be constructed on water, save for such things as ground or naval unit production facilities (e.g. tank factories are ground-only, but tsunami tanks are amphibious and can be produced in Naval Yards),^[12] and players who "ignore the ocean [are] likely forfeiting a significant part of their potential economy to their opponents." Further stressing this is the fact that, despite some campaign maps being entirely land based, all multiplayer maps have significant bodies of water in them. The use of naval units and various unit abilities also helped players counterattack their opponent's units specific to that unit's strongpoint.

Almost every unit in the game has a secondary ability. Their usage varies: some are toggled on or off, others are targeted, and still others are triggered the instant one presses the button. The Imperial King Oni can bull-rush enemy units as a secondary ability, a Soviet Hammer Tank can toggle between a tank gun and a laser beam that can leech HP from enemies, and an Allied Athena Cannon can engage its energy shields with a button press but with a cooldown period before they can be used again. All abilities are bound to the same key. The game also features experience points that are used to upgrade unit types and to buy "commander abilities," which call in air strikes, recon sweeps, magnetic satellite beams, etc. Commander abilities have no resource costs but do have significant cooldown periods.

Ore fields as resource sites have been removed. These originated in the first Red Alert as a functionally identical equivalent to Tiberium, and what were ostensibly strip mines had ore growing out of the ground. Gameplay mechanics have not changed a great deal since fields have been replaced with stationary ore mines. Strategic ore refinery placement and covert refining are impacted to an extent.

Design[edit]

The first Red Alert revolved around a different World War II between the Allies (including Germany) and the Soviet Union, with some high-tech esoterica, such as weaponized tesla coils linked to Tesla's abortive death rays and limited time travel linked to the rumored Philadelphia Experiment. Red Alert 2 featured a Soviet invasion of North America with tanks, conscripts, gargantuan airships, and psychically dominated anti-ship giant squids; its expansion, Yuri's Revenge, escalated matters up to UFOs and Soviets on the Moon. Executive producer Chris Corry stated in a pre-release interview that Red Alert 3 will further differentiate the playable factions from each other and "[play] up the silliness in their faction design whenever possible."^[13]

The Soviets and Allies have a mix of old and new features. Soviet units lean towards ruthlessness and brute force: giant Kirov airships are retained and flak troopers are now penal troops, while attack dogs are an Allied unit that the Soviets have replaced with functionally identical armored war bears. New units include heavy tanks known as "Hammer Tanks" that can tear weapons from the enemies they destroy with a magnetic beam, light anti-infantry walkers known as "Sickles" that can jump over terrain elevations, the amphibious "Stingray" attack craft with twin-mounted tesla coils, and amphibiousAA-only "Bullfrog" transports that can only shoot their passengers out of a "man cannon". The Soviets have lost their nuclear technology due to the events of the backstory, but can leverage their simple tech, cheap units and "quick fix" structures like the Super Reactor and Crusher Crane, enabling them to easily overwhelm enemy bases. Soviet armour are considerably tougher than Allied and Japanese on the whole, and augmented with their infamous Iron Curtain, can be extremely dangerous.

A major change from Red Alert 2 is the Soviet Air Force: in addition to Kirovs, the Soviets have access to MiG ("Mikevich and Guroyan", a play on the real-life Mikoyan and Gurevich) fighters and versatile attack helicopters. In lieu of nuclear bombs, the Soviets have developed the Vacuum Imploder, a warhead which sucks humans, vehicles and damaged buildings into a dense hole before exploding.

The Allies come with a wide variety of gadgetry (mostly nonlethal), much of it as a comeback of Red Alert 2's advanced units. New units include Hydrofoils with weapon-scrambling rays, unarmed helicopters with freeze and shrink rays, and an amphibiousdestroyer with treads and magnetic armor that can draw enemy fire. Allied units have a variety of different accents and "good guy" overtones: their basic infantry unit is the Peacekeeper, which seems to have been derived from riot police. Red Alert 2's advanced chrono-technology has been largely but not completely lost, so that the Chronosphere superweapon remains and the returning Tanya unit is now equipped with a "time belt" that allows her to wind her location and health back a few seconds. Allied advances are driven by the FutureTech corporation in Einstein's absence. Since the tech and base building takes some time the Allies are more patience-friendly.^[14] The Allies' predominant strength is in air power, with the best selection of aircraft available ranging from bombers to air superiority fighters. The Allies' ultimate weapon is now the Proton Collider, a cannon which fires five bolts of energy that explodes in a series of atomic-scale explosions.

The Empire of the Rising Sun has infantrymen in samurai armor with energy rifles and katana, giant transforming mecha, ninja, a psionic schoolgirl, and submersible planes/flying submarines. Several of the Empire's key units can change forms to switch from land-to-air or sea-to-air, giving them much greater versatility than Allied or Soviet units. Conversely, some of their "core units" are weaker than their counterparts, forcing the player to produce them in large numbers or use them effectively with support. Japanese naval units, however, are considerably capable, from dedicated anti-ship cruisers to heavy battleships. Their forward bases are easy to build and fully functional bases don't take much power. Their buildings also have no proximity requirements, allowing the Empire to expand its bases much more quickly and efficiently—and by extension to nab ore mines faster. Being in the altered timeline, the Japanese are now masters of psychic/psionic weaponry, not only with their commando, but with their Psionic Decimator. This ultimate weapon launches a wave of psionic energy which can easily level a base. They also have the Nanoswarm Hive, a machine that generates a nanoparticle shield, similar to an Iron Curtain, but is stationary and prevents anything coming in or out.

The campaign mode maintains the theme of camp warfare played perfectly straight, with the occasional secret volcano lair, android infiltrator (Empire of the Rising Sun campaign) or an anti-Soviet madman (Allies; has to be killed) as the President of the United States, and more than one thing shooting lasers out of its eyes. It also continues the use of full motion video cutscenes featuring real-life actors. Filming started in April 2008.

Multiplayer[edit]

The game features online multiplayer, originally via GameSpy servers. Due to the shutdown of GameSpy, original Red Alert 3 online services are no longer available. A separate online solution, provided by Revora, is called C&C Online.

Plot[edit]

As the Soviet Union faces defeat at the hands of the Allied Nations, Soviet General Nikolai Krukov and Colonel Anatoly Cherdenko use a time machine beneath the Kremlin to travel back to Brussels in the year 1927 at the Solvay International Physics Conference and eliminate Albert Einstein, thus changing the future.^[15] Returning to the present, they discover that Cherdenko is the Premier of the Soviet Union, much to General Krukov's chagrin; the Soviets are on the brink of conquering Europe, when the Empire of the Rising Sun, in Japan, declares war on both the Soviet Union and the Allies with a desire for complete world domination, something they perceive as their divine destiny. Due to the elimination of Einstein, nuclear weapons have not been invented and the Soviet Union is unable to stop the invasion. This begins the War of Three Powers, a three-way war between the Soviet Union, the Allies and the Empire.

Soviet Union[edit]

In the Soviet campaign, the player assumes the role of a Soviet commander whose first task is to expel the Imperial Japanese forces from Soviet territory by defending the city of Leningrad, securing a satellite launch facility and eventually re-taking a Soviet naval base on the Pacific coastline in the city of Vladivostok.

Afterwards the Allies are rallied together by U.S. President Ackerman, forcing the commander to lead attacks in Europe on their HQ in Geneva, and later capturing and securing a research lab in Mykonos; during these assaults, an attempt is made on Premier Cherdenko's life. The fight against the Allies in Europe culminates in a strike against the Von Esling Airbase in Iceland; during the conflict, Cherdenko names General Krukov as the traitor who tried to take his life, ordering the commander to kill him.

Next, the Soviets launch an invasion of Japan, in order to kill Emperor Yoshiro in his palace at Mt. Fuji. Despite an initial setback, the commander successfully defeats all three Imperial commanders and kills the emperor on board his large battle mecha, effectively eliminating the empire from the war. Dr. Gregor Zelinsky, the scientist who created the time machine, contacts the commander and tries to reveal the events that has altered the past, but the communication link is abruptly cut and Zelinsky soon disappears.

The Premier orders the commander to Easter Island, to arrange a trap for the Allies, under the ruse of a peace treaty, effectively removing the Allied Military leaders from action, only for Cherdenko to finally declare that the commander has outlived his usefulness and launch a surprise attack against him; fortunately, he is defeated and killed at his volcano fortress. The Soviet commander launches a final invasion on New York City, destroying the Statue of Liberty. The war ends with the player becoming the next Premier of the unopposed Soviet Union.

Allies[edit]

In the Allied campaign, the player takes on the role of an Allied commander, who must first repel a Soviet invasion of Great Britain. Later, the Allies launch operations on the European continent, retaking Cannes and saving Allied leaders there, followed by destroying the Soviet HQ in Heidelberg, Germany. The campaign, however, leaves both sides vulnerable to the Empire of the Rising Sun, who make their move by sending a floating fortress to blockade the Allies and the Soviets from entering the North Atlantic.

This prompts a joint attempt between the Allies and the Soviets to repel the Japanese, retaking a naval base in Gibraltar and destroying the Imperial fortress in the North Sea. U.S. President Ackerman, who did not approve of such a coalition, goes rogue, and attempts to destroy Moscow with a laser superweapon in Mount Rushmore. The Allied commander defeats Ackerman's forces and kills the president himself when he attempts to escape.

With the alliance secured, the coalition plans a joint attack on Tokyo to wipe out the entire Imperial Japanese military leadership with one stroke. This critical battle gets complicated when the Soviet forces fail to show up, leaving the Allied forces to fend for themselves. Despite the overwhelming odds, the commander succeeds again, wiping out the Empire's forces and vital structures required to maintain their war effort.

After the battle of Tokyo, Dr. Zelinsky defects to the Allies and informs them of the time machine he created and what the Soviets did; he also warns them of Cherdenko's secret gathering of force in Havana, Cuba, prompting the Allies to investigate further. Discovering that the Soviets have constructed secret Kirov Hangars beneath sporting arenas, the Allied commander eradicates the Soviet forces in Cuba, preventing specially modified Kirovs from leaving Cuba's airspace.

Following this, the commander and his forces are teleported to Leningrad, and ordered to bring the Soviet leaders to justice. Cherdenko and his General attempt to escape to the Moon but are captured and placed in a Cryo-prison for life. The Vice President of the United States accepts power as the new American President in a public speech informing of Ackerman's treachery and saying that he was only trying to "protect us" and thanks the Allied Commander for his heroic deeds.

Empire of the Rising Sun[edit]

In the Empire's campaign, the player takes on the role of a military vassal of Crown Prince Tatsu. Emperor Yoshiro's strategy involves striking at symbolic targets, such as important monuments, and employing fear to deteriorate the morale of the enemy. On the other hand, the Emperor's son, Crown Prince Tatsu, advocates direct strikes on true military targets, although his father would overrule him. The validity of the emperor's strategy however is soon challenged by the Allied full-scale attacks on Pearl Harbor at the Imperial islands of Hawaii and on one of the Empire's Floating Fortresses in the Pacific. Though both attacks are repelled and Hollywood is taken with an assault on Santa Monica supported by the Floating Fortress attacked previously, a joint Allied-Soviet task force gains a foothold in Yokohama.

Having replaced President Ackerman with an androiddoppelganger, the Emperor learns of Zelinsky's defection and Cherdenko's time travel. This devastates the Emperor, as he thinks there can be no divine destiny if history can be altered. He surrenders the leadership of the Empire's military to his son. Under Prince Tatsu's command, the joint Allied-Soviet invasion of Yokohama is repelled and a full-scale attack on the Kremlin results in the deaths of Premier Cherdenko and General Krukov. Finally, the Empire invades Amsterdam, which holds the Allied Headquarters as well as FutureTech, the company responsible for much of the Allied technological advances. At the brink of defeat, Dr. Zelinsky deploys a prototype FutureTech ultraweapon that annihilates almost everything in the city, yet the remaining Imperial forces succeed in destroying what is left of the Allied and Soviet forces. Thus the war ends and the Imperial Commander is given the title of "Supreme Shogun".

Cast[edit]

Soviet Union[edit]

Allied Nations[edit]

Empire of the Rising Sun[edit]

• George Takei as Emperor Yoshiro
• Ron Yuan as Crown Prince Tatsu
• Kelly Hu as Intelligence Officer Suki Toyama
• Bruce Asato Locke as Commander Shinzo Nagama
• Jack J. Yang as Commander Kenji Tenzai
• Lydia Look as Commander/Admiral Naomi Shirada
• Lisa Tamashiro as Imperial Commando Yuriko Omega

Additionally, Marnie Alton, Paul Eiding, Shin Koyamada, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, Minae Noji, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, and Stelio Savante appear in supporting roles. Smokey Miles portrays Albert Einstein.

Development[edit]

In comparison to previous games, Red Alert 3 features a major upgrade on the naval warfare

A third Red Alert game was unofficially announced by Electronic Arts' then executive producer and Command & Conquer lead Mark Skaggs in December 2004, shortly after the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth.^[16] However, Mark Skaggs left Electronic Arts for reasons unspecified shortly thereafter, and there was no mention of a Red Alert 3 until February 12, 2008, when the PC Gamer's April issue cover was published on the Internet featuring the cover story Red Alert 3.^[17]Red Alert 3 was officially announced by Electronic Arts on February 14, 2008.^[18] On May 17, the first trailer was released.

Public beta testing[edit]

A public beta test was announced on February 2008, stating that PC users who registered a code contained in Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath or Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection by September 15, 2008 could participate in a multiplayer beta test.^[18][19] From July 24, 2008, people who registered their beta key started to receive an e-mail stating that the participants would start receiving their Key and Client Download link throughout late-July and August.^[20]FilePlanet members were also able to participate in the beta, with keys available on a first-come, first-served basis from August 22, 2008.^[21] The Red Alert 3 Beta servers were closed on September 29, 2008.

SecuROM[edit]

Executive producer Chris Corry stated that Red Alert 3 would come bundled with the controversial^[22][23][24]SecuROM software. The game will have to be activated the first time online, but can be activated and installed only five times per serial.^[25] Note that an activation is system-targeted, so users can reinstall as often as they want on one computer but activate only on five different computers. After the fifth activation, consumers will be required to contact EA Customer Service for every additional activation. He has also stated that uninstalling the game will not return the used installation back to the user.^[26] However, after several patches released by EA, in the released game, uninstalls do return the installation back to the user.^[27]

In the aftermath of Spore's SecuROM controversy, there was an outcry amongst some circles of customers who began threatening to boycott Red Alert 3 if this game was bundled with such digital rights management mechanisms as well. In response, EA announced that in Red Alert 3 the activation limit would be increased from 3 to 5 activations per machine. Many customers remained unsatisfied, stating that for all intents and purposes they will be "renting" the game from EA at full price.^[28][29] The 1.05 patch provided users the ability to de-authorize the game in the game settings menu.

Prior to the game's release, Corry noted the longevity of other Command & Conquer titles and acknowledged that it was unlikely that authentication servers would remain online in years to come, which would prevent future users from authenticating. Corry stated that "once the game has lived its natural life and the risk for piracy has died down, we... [will] decide to decommission the authentication servers [and] we will first make a patch available that will disable copy protection from the game."^[30]

On January 8, 2009, the game became available via the Steam platform^[31] with SecuROM. However, on February 19, 2009 a patch was released removing SecuROM from the game;^[32] it remains protected by the Steam DRM.

CD key[edit]

There has also been a stated issue with a "limited" number of copies of the game shipping with the last digit of the CD key missing from the manual.^[33] EA's initial response was to "Guess" the last digit as a workaround,^[34] but this was revised shortly after this was made public, to:

If you are trying to install Command and Conquer Red Alert 3 and the code is only 19 characters long, then it is missing the last letter or number. This was due to a misprint on a small number of manuals and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

In order to get a replacement code, please click the "Contact Us" link on the left side of the page to send an e-mail to our team.

If you would like you can also contact us by phone using the number found on page 28 of your manual.^[33]

Later EA opened a page where the missing digit can be obtained without need to contact the support, but a free account on the EA site is required.^[35]

Soundtrack[edit]

Composer Frank Klepacki returned to write three tracks for the game. When interviewed regarding the matter, Klepacki indicated a strong desire to contribute more, but admitted that due to the fact that he is no longer being employed by Electronic Arts and currently works for Petroglyph Games, this may be contractually impossible. At the Red Alert 3 Community Summit in June 2008, Klepacki showed a video to the Command & Conquer community in which he stated that he had been hired to work on Red Alert 3, and that he was composing "Hell March 3", the most recent update of Red Alert's iconic theme.^[36][37]

James Hannigan and Timothy Michael Wynn wrote the bulk of the game's remaining 114 minutes of music, with Hannigan composing the "Soviet March" menu theme along with music for the Empire of the Rising Sun faction, and Wynn the music of the Allies and the remaining Soviet tracks. Music4Games has also covered the game's music score.^[38][1] The band From First to Last composed several remix versions of "Hell March" and "Hell March 2", featured on the Red Alert 3 soundtrack shipped with the Red Alert 3 'Premier Edition'.^[39] A song in the soundtrack by James Hannigan is called "All Your Base Are Belong To Us", a reference to Zero Wing and the internet memeof the same name.

Marketing[edit]

Promotion at IgroMir 2008

Red Alert 3 could be preordered from August 20, 2008 and contained bonuses including the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 game, an exclusive multiplayer map, a bonus DVD containing various films, and Red Alert 3 desktop wallpapers.^[40]

Premier Edition[edit]

The Red Alert 3 Premier Edition features a soundtrack CD (including remixes of "Hell March" and "Hell March 2"), and a bonus DVD containing making-of documentaries, footage from the developers, scenes from the shooting of the game's cinematics, and strategy tips. The game also includes a code for the download of exclusive multiplayer maps and a key for a beta of a future Command and Conquer game. It comes in a Soviet-themed tin case with a poster of the women in Red Alert 3. In the UK, the Premier Edition is exclusive to retailer GAME.^[41]

In Taiwan, an exclusive limited Premier Edition was released, featuring an additional item, the Dicota Red Alert 3 backpack.^[42]

On September 18, 2008, EA announced that copies of Red Alert 3 would include a code to unlock an exclusive item in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning known as the "Kossar's Helm" for a limited time.^[43]

EA Singapore as well as 'Gamers.com.my' had also announced that they would be launching an exclusive Red Alert 3 Commander's Pack in Singapore and Malaysia. It was launched on October 27, 2008 for Singapore and October 28, 2008 for Malaysia. This Commander's Pack includes the C&C Red Alert 3 Premier Edition, C&C Red Alert 3 Dicota Notebook BacPac, and a Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard with Garskin Red Alert 3 decals. Exclusive posters and Soviet T-shirts were given to those who arrived earliest at the game's launch. A smaller and cheaper edition of the Commander's Pack called the Officer's Pack was also released. The Officer's Pack contained the C&C Red Alert 3 Premier Edition and C&C Red Alert 3 Dicota Notebook BacPac.^[44][45]

Ultimate Edition[edit]

On January 21, 2009 EA announced that the Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition would be released on PlayStation 3 in March.^[46] According to senior development director David Seeholzer the visual quality of the game would stand up to high-definition Blu-ray definition. According to EA, Red Alert 3 would have better graphics and performance on PlayStation 3 than the Xbox 360, thanks to the complex renderer from the PC version.^[47]

However, the request of many potential customers to take advantage of the PlayStation 3's capability of using a mouse and a keyboard for gaming purposes, even with threats of not buying the product,^[48] does not seem to be fulfilled. Seeholzer rather refers to the "step forward" made in developing the control interface for console, than giving a clear answer to the question in an interview with IGN.^[49]

Reception[edit]

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 received generally favorable reviews with an average critic score of 82/100 on Metacritic, citing a strong cooperative and multiplayer component.^[50]

References[edit]