It was only a matter of time before
an expansion was released for the phenomenal game Command and Conquer: Red Alert
3. Surprisingly it only took less than six months for it to be delivered into
gamers’ hands, instead of the normal one-year turnaround time. Even though this
new expansion adds new content and gameplay modes, players will wish the
developers waited longer to release this game just to include the multiplayer
modes.
This new expansion pack offers four
mini-campaigns as well as a new mode entitled Commander’s challenge. The
mini-campaigns offers several missions apiece that follow the aftermath of the
original game. The Soviet one deals with the consequences of losing the war and
taking on a new corporation that is causing havoc to its people. The Allies
campaign is about dealing with the Pacific Island and trying to restore peace.
The Rising Sun campaign deals with the renewed Soviet aggressiveness.
The fourth campaign adds something
new that has never been seen in a Red Alert game. It is entitled the Yuriko
campaign and it is about a young girl who is given vast psychic powers. In other
words it is about a young school-age girl that has been turned into a super
weapon. These missions are like a vast dungeon crawler (a.k.a. an action RPG).
Players must go through various areas destroying all that is in their way to
reach their goal. While this mode seems watered down in comparison to full
dungeon crawlers it is a nice addition that helps keep any redundancy away.
The Commanders Challenge is the
newest mode in this game and also the biggest. In this mode players will be
given a small set of troops and their goal is to complete a mission to get
access to the next set of missions. Most of the missions are very enjoyable and
easy to beat. The game really only gets difficult with some of the later
missions that will have players grinding their teeth hoping they can complete
the mission, since the enemy will spam players with endless legions of troops.
The main problem with this mode is the AI is pretty predictable so players will
not have to hard of a time defeating the enemy, if they can understand how the
AI works.
Just as in all expansion packs,
there are several new units each side gets access to. The Soviets get the
Desolator trooper, which spurts radioactive waste destroying all infantry and
vehicles in its path. The Mortar Cycle is funny to see in action, as two people
are riding on a motorcycle throwing mortars and Molotov cocktails at enemies.
The Grinder really shows off how the Soviets feel as it is very fast and can
crush any feeling unit in the area.
The Allies have the Cryo
Legionnaire, which is able to freeze multiple enemies at once and a jump pack
that allows them to leap in the air and crush any frozen enemies in site. The
Pacifier FAV is a twin artillery gun that can do devastating damage to anyone in
its sights; it is made even more dangerous since it has a very long range of
fire. The FutureTank XI has a death ray that lives up to its name.
Not to be left out, the Empire of
the Rising Sun has a few new units up their sleeve as well. First if the Archer
Maiden that have powerful high-tech energy arrows that can bring down aircraft
as well as infantry. The Steel Ronin is a powerful robot that has a large enemy
weapon. The Giga Fortress is a huge platform that transforms from a boat to a
flying siege platform and can crush almost anything in sight. All of these new
units provide additional firepower that is needed to fight the enemies that will
threaten players.
The graphics for this expansion
still retain the comic-book style, and it still looks great. It is a treat to
see the various local surroundings that players do battle in and see how it
looks before it gets scared by the flames of battle. The animations are still a
trip to see in action, especially the transforming Japanese units. Needless to
say this game still has what it takes to compete with other newly released
games. The musical score still really ties in well with the game. The voiceovers
for each of the units fit very well, and it is a treat to hear what funny
one-liners they will say.
One of the biggest complaints
players will have about this game is the lack of multiplayer options. Command
and Conquer: Red Alert 3 provided many different options, the best being the
cooperative missions, which have mysteriously vanished. That would be forgivable
but players cannot even log online to try some of the new units against fellow
gamers.
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3:
Uprising is rated Teen. It costs $19.95 and is available only by
download.
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Gameplay: 8.2
Just like in the previous game, players must try
to destroy all enemies that stand in their way with outlandish weapons that are
fun to see in action. The new dungeon crawler section is a nice addition to the
game and helps breathe in some fresh air. The real gem is the new challenge mode
that will keep players on their toes as they try to complete the various
assignments.
Graphics: 8.7
Players will still love the graphics in this game. The colorful backgrounds and
the character models make it seem like it is still a comic book that has come to
life. It is very pleasing to the eyes.
Sound: 8.3
The music for this game is extremely well done. The voice-over work is
still good, but it does not retain the same flair as the first game. Players
will still love the actors chosen to do all of the corny cut scenes that really
brings life into this game.
Difficulty: Easy
If you have played any of the previous Command and Conquer games then
you will feel right at home here and understand what to do and get adjusted to
the new things pretty quickly.
Concept: 7.0
The dungeon crawler is an interesting addition to the game as is the
challenge mode. The only issue is the lack of multiplayer to utilize all the new
units! What were the developers thinking?
Overall: 7.8
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising is a great expansion pack.
It adds new units that everyone is sure to love. The only bad thing is the lack
of multiplayer and co-op that made the original so fun. After players get
through all the single-player missions and the challenge mode there is nothing
left, and that is a true shame.
