'Command & Conquer': a rare strategy game that works on a console

Game Title: Command & Conquer

Platform: Xbox 360

Studio: Electronic Arts

T-for Teen

Rating: 8

THE CORPORATE LINE:

The critically-acclaimed Command & Conquer (C&C) series returns with Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (C&C 3). Setting the standard for the future of RTS (Real-time Strategy) gaming once more, C&C 3 takes you back to where it all began — the Tiberium Universe.

Featuring state-of-the-art, next-generation graphics, an epic story with live action, full-motion video sequences, and the classic fast-paced C&C style of play, C&C 3 sets the standard for the single player RTS experience — from www.commandandconquer.com

THE REVIEW

GAMEPLAY: An RTS game is a tough proposition on a gaming console. Such games were invented and developed for the PC and therefore use the many keys available for a keyboard combined with the quick scrolling allowed by a mouse. Both of the features are notably missing from a console controller and game history provides plenty of evidence that the translation doesn't work. But Command & Conquer 3 is a big step forward.

The scheme here is similar to Electronic Arts' "Battle For Middle Earth II: Rise of the Witchking," which took the concept of strategic combat unit war into J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional realm. EA's experience has benefited this game by using the same control scheme but with slight improvements. With a hand-held controller players can quickly get into menus to control troop and vehicle movement and production and send them around a map fairly efficiently. While still not as smooth as a PC version of this game type, the controls are never detrimental to enjoying the game.

The only thing preventing glowing praise of the control system is some frustration when combating the computer on the most difficult settings. It feels like the artificial intelligence is able to coordinate an overall strategy faster than a player can implement on-the-fly changes. Even when decisive, giving orders to a wide-spread array of vehicles and soldiers feels like it is slow. In fairness, it could have been a skill-level deficit on the part of the human player (me).

This slight grumble disappears in the player-against-player option since each participant has identical controllers.

No level of control perfection would even be relevant if the game weren't fun and this one is.