hi all, this is my game review for Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. kinda of late since the hype is over but why not?
I would give this game a 2/5, 2 for being a playable game... well when their server is running ok and you actually have an internet connection.
1.0 Title, creator, year, intended audience, genre
The game that I’m going to review is Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. It is a real time Strategy video game that is part of the popular Command and Conquer franchise. It was released on 16 March 2010.
Due to the falling number of players who play RTS, EA had decided to totally redo the command and conquer 4 core mechanics and gave it a new set of rules. This is intended so that players who are not hard core fans or those are new to RTS can still get to enjoy Command and Conquer 4 without much instruction or experience. I would say that the genre for command and conquer 4 is no longer just RTS, but it is a mix of action, RTS and RPG.
2.0 Description of the game
The player takes the role of commander Parker, a GDI military officer who receives an eye implants after his battle wounds. The player will be present with a possibility to aid either GDI or Nod side during the Fourth Tiberium War, or the Final War.
The game play of Command and Conquer 4 is like Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War in which there is no more building of structure instead the players have to capture or complete certain objection to win the mission.
During single player mission, the player can ask help from another player in co-op mode or play the mission himself. The goals of the missions range from protecting structures, units or just destroy the enemy AI units.
During multi player mode, the players have to capture goal structure or kill enemy’s units to earn points. The first teams that can gather the enough points win the game.
There are 3 types of classes that a player can choose; they are Offense, Defense, or Support classes. Each class comes with their own units and their own armor class and special abilities. Offense class have units that deal more damage but move slower, defense class are able to build structure to defend certain area and support class is make up of mostly air borne unit and some healing unit.
3.0 Role of the story
The role of the player is to play the commander park. The player will take command of the units on the battle field and complete missions. During the course of the mission, the player will level up and gain more units and abilities.
4.0 Quality and appropriateness of graphics, sounds, and music
Graphics are average with current game graphic. It is sharp and detailed enough to make out which unit is which but it does it in a cartoon way which make it seem out of place with all those killing and destruction but with its special effects and explosions, it help to bring out the feeling of a battlefield.
The music is great, from the menu screen to the game play; music has been orchestral to let the player have the sense that they are going to have an epic war on their hands.
The sound is also great, from the realistic sound of laser shooting “pew pew pew” to the explosions cause by tanks, all this add considerable value to the game play.
5.0 Features versus chrome
5.1 Features
One of the best features of this game is that it is build around team work and this involves players choosing 3 types of classes; they are Offense, Defense, or Support classes at the start of the mission. Each class has it own specialized units and powers which give players lots of interactions between other players. This is fun and provide interesting game player against other player.
5.2 Chromes
The chromes of this game have to be the cut scene which happens at the end each of the single player mission. In the past command and conquer series, the cut scenes add stories and interesting characters into the game, but with command and conquer 4. The cut scene seem to be nothing more than showy special effect.
6.0 Game play
6.1 Decisions
The player need choose which units is the best to complete the mission, which range from defending certain unit to destroying other player crawler unit. As there is no resources to collect and no building involve, the player can quickly change their units without much effort needed. This gives the player more option during battles and also during mission. But without much planning needed and replacing units is simple, player no longer need to give thoughts about unit placement and also planning which structure to use, this reduce the depth of Command and Conquer 4 as a RTS game when compare to another RTS game like Starcraft.
6.2 Game objects and resources
In this game, the players get to control quite a lot of objects, mostly is units, but as there is no more resource collection or building structure, the actually objects that the player can control is limited to the units they produce. And since there is no resource limit or structure limitation, players lost the resource management which is present in other RTS game like Age of empire. This reduce the some of the aspect of normal RTS game like limiting other player resources or gather low level units to launch an sudden attack in the start of the game. The good side of removing resource collection is that the game is faster and more intensive even in the start of the game. The game designer had ignore the experience gain from previous games and decided to ignore this aspect of the game so had fail to achieve an RTS game, instead they have created a new brand of game which is a mix of RTS, action game and role playing.
6.3 Goal
The goal of this game range from surviving attacks to killing certain enemy unit. This might sound interesting but due to the fact that is not much planning needed and no resource control, the game is just basically spamming units till the player complete the mission. The player would not have any sense of achievement as this game lack planning which RTS player normally look for in a RTS game.
7.0 AI
The AI of Command and conquer 4 seem to be quite simple in this type of RTS game. As expected from an AI in RTS game, it was only able to stay in one area of the map or just randomly walking around. This might be enough for normal RTS game but command and conquer 4 require the player to constantly move and defend different points of the map and the AI had fail to do this. This make the AI seen simple and easy to win against, the developer should have add in more tactics for the AI. At one mission of the game the AI actually try to attack the objective that I was protecting but it does not attack me and this give me chance to defend it without much problem, the low AI reduce the replay value and also make it less engaging.
The AI seem to behave the same in different difficult setting, the only different that I can see is the AI seem to be able to produce unit faster.
8.0 User interface
The user interface is quite standard from a normal RTS game, there is mini map at the bottom left, and the bottom center hold the information of the unit you have selected and the right bottom side holds the building information of your units. The map is clear, the information is clear in the middle plane and the right hand side is also clear.
The design should be clear for most RTS player, even those who have no experience playing RTS should not have any problem with the interface because it is quite clear and no hidden meaning or hidden function.
8.0 Documentation and learning curve
8.1 Documentation
The documentation of the game involves a small instruction guide regarding the units and the basic control of the game. It is not complex and easy to read, and the information inside is quite informative and clear.
8.2 Learning curve
The learning curve for the game is actually quite low. There is not much objects that the players can control and the ability of the units is quite limited. So there is not much to understand other then which units to produce and how the scissor paper stone system work.
9.0 What could have been left out without hurting the game
The levelling aspect of the game should be removed. Player will need to play quite a lot to gain all the available unit type which is not good for this type of game where different type of unit is needed for the scissor paper stone system.
10.0 What should have been added to improve the game
Some high level unit have special abilities and I found this idea quite good as it allows greater interaction between units other than just attacking the other units. More abilities should be added as each there is a limit to the number of units each player is allow. This would allow the player to have a greater interaction between units and most importantly more variety to the game play.
Extra: Link to the game
http://www.commandandconquer.com/
I would give this game a 2/5, 2 for being a playable game... well when their server is running ok and you actually have an internet connection.
1.0 Title, creator, year, intended audience, genre
The game that I’m going to review is Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. It is a real time Strategy video game that is part of the popular Command and Conquer franchise. It was released on 16 March 2010.
Due to the falling number of players who play RTS, EA had decided to totally redo the command and conquer 4 core mechanics and gave it a new set of rules. This is intended so that players who are not hard core fans or those are new to RTS can still get to enjoy Command and Conquer 4 without much instruction or experience. I would say that the genre for command and conquer 4 is no longer just RTS, but it is a mix of action, RTS and RPG.
2.0 Description of the game
The player takes the role of commander Parker, a GDI military officer who receives an eye implants after his battle wounds. The player will be present with a possibility to aid either GDI or Nod side during the Fourth Tiberium War, or the Final War.
The game play of Command and Conquer 4 is like Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War in which there is no more building of structure instead the players have to capture or complete certain objection to win the mission.
During single player mission, the player can ask help from another player in co-op mode or play the mission himself. The goals of the missions range from protecting structures, units or just destroy the enemy AI units.
During multi player mode, the players have to capture goal structure or kill enemy’s units to earn points. The first teams that can gather the enough points win the game.
There are 3 types of classes that a player can choose; they are Offense, Defense, or Support classes. Each class comes with their own units and their own armor class and special abilities. Offense class have units that deal more damage but move slower, defense class are able to build structure to defend certain area and support class is make up of mostly air borne unit and some healing unit.
3.0 Role of the story
The role of the player is to play the commander park. The player will take command of the units on the battle field and complete missions. During the course of the mission, the player will level up and gain more units and abilities.
4.0 Quality and appropriateness of graphics, sounds, and music
Graphics are average with current game graphic. It is sharp and detailed enough to make out which unit is which but it does it in a cartoon way which make it seem out of place with all those killing and destruction but with its special effects and explosions, it help to bring out the feeling of a battlefield.
The music is great, from the menu screen to the game play; music has been orchestral to let the player have the sense that they are going to have an epic war on their hands.
The sound is also great, from the realistic sound of laser shooting “pew pew pew” to the explosions cause by tanks, all this add considerable value to the game play.
5.0 Features versus chrome
5.1 Features
One of the best features of this game is that it is build around team work and this involves players choosing 3 types of classes; they are Offense, Defense, or Support classes at the start of the mission. Each class has it own specialized units and powers which give players lots of interactions between other players. This is fun and provide interesting game player against other player.
5.2 Chromes
The chromes of this game have to be the cut scene which happens at the end each of the single player mission. In the past command and conquer series, the cut scenes add stories and interesting characters into the game, but with command and conquer 4. The cut scene seem to be nothing more than showy special effect.
6.0 Game play
6.1 Decisions
The player need choose which units is the best to complete the mission, which range from defending certain unit to destroying other player crawler unit. As there is no resources to collect and no building involve, the player can quickly change their units without much effort needed. This gives the player more option during battles and also during mission. But without much planning needed and replacing units is simple, player no longer need to give thoughts about unit placement and also planning which structure to use, this reduce the depth of Command and Conquer 4 as a RTS game when compare to another RTS game like Starcraft.
6.2 Game objects and resources
In this game, the players get to control quite a lot of objects, mostly is units, but as there is no more resource collection or building structure, the actually objects that the player can control is limited to the units they produce. And since there is no resource limit or structure limitation, players lost the resource management which is present in other RTS game like Age of empire. This reduce the some of the aspect of normal RTS game like limiting other player resources or gather low level units to launch an sudden attack in the start of the game. The good side of removing resource collection is that the game is faster and more intensive even in the start of the game. The game designer had ignore the experience gain from previous games and decided to ignore this aspect of the game so had fail to achieve an RTS game, instead they have created a new brand of game which is a mix of RTS, action game and role playing.
6.3 Goal
The goal of this game range from surviving attacks to killing certain enemy unit. This might sound interesting but due to the fact that is not much planning needed and no resource control, the game is just basically spamming units till the player complete the mission. The player would not have any sense of achievement as this game lack planning which RTS player normally look for in a RTS game.
7.0 AI
The AI of Command and conquer 4 seem to be quite simple in this type of RTS game. As expected from an AI in RTS game, it was only able to stay in one area of the map or just randomly walking around. This might be enough for normal RTS game but command and conquer 4 require the player to constantly move and defend different points of the map and the AI had fail to do this. This make the AI seen simple and easy to win against, the developer should have add in more tactics for the AI. At one mission of the game the AI actually try to attack the objective that I was protecting but it does not attack me and this give me chance to defend it without much problem, the low AI reduce the replay value and also make it less engaging.
The AI seem to behave the same in different difficult setting, the only different that I can see is the AI seem to be able to produce unit faster.
8.0 User interface
The user interface is quite standard from a normal RTS game, there is mini map at the bottom left, and the bottom center hold the information of the unit you have selected and the right bottom side holds the building information of your units. The map is clear, the information is clear in the middle plane and the right hand side is also clear.
The design should be clear for most RTS player, even those who have no experience playing RTS should not have any problem with the interface because it is quite clear and no hidden meaning or hidden function.
8.0 Documentation and learning curve
8.1 Documentation
The documentation of the game involves a small instruction guide regarding the units and the basic control of the game. It is not complex and easy to read, and the information inside is quite informative and clear.
8.2 Learning curve
The learning curve for the game is actually quite low. There is not much objects that the players can control and the ability of the units is quite limited. So there is not much to understand other then which units to produce and how the scissor paper stone system work.
9.0 What could have been left out without hurting the game
The levelling aspect of the game should be removed. Player will need to play quite a lot to gain all the available unit type which is not good for this type of game where different type of unit is needed for the scissor paper stone system.
10.0 What should have been added to improve the game
Some high level unit have special abilities and I found this idea quite good as it allows greater interaction between units other than just attacking the other units. More abilities should be added as each there is a limit to the number of units each player is allow. This would allow the player to have a greater interaction between units and most importantly more variety to the game play.
Extra: Link to the game
http://www.commandandconquer.com/
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