Kane lives on my PC
Well, I got fed up with playing the same two missions and skirmish map over and over in the demo release of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium War, so I decided to pony up and pick up the retail version. It arrived yesterday, and I've been spending this evening playing through the first few single player missions, as well as trying my hand at some skirmish maps.
(Incidentally, the version I picked up was the so-called "Kane Edition", which includes five additional maps, as well as a bonus DVD containing behind the scenes material, wallpaper and strategy videos. I didn't actually realise this was the version I'd ordered, so it was a nice surprise. For a supposed special edition, though, you really don't get anything that feels very special: just a standard amaray case with the game disc and manual, and the bonus disc crammed into a paper sleeve. Oh well, we can't always get the Blizzard treatment.)
Anyway, so far my observations from the demo version still stand. This is a very polished game in every sense, from the delightfully cheesy high definition FMV sequences to the slick user interface and neat, compact graphics. Presentation may not be the most important aspect of a game, but you can really tell when the developers have taken the time to add a little spit and polish, and it usually translates into a more enjoyable experience.
Above: "Commander, in my spare time I cure life-threatening diseases with Hugh Laurie."
What really matters, of course, is the gameplay, and, while I'm still not "getting it" in the way that I "get" the likes of Warcraft III and Starcraft, now that I'm beginning to learn the various quirks and tricks, I'm starting to enjoy things a lot more. Skirmish maps tend to be rather frustrating in that it's possible to get a fully upgraded base laid down in a matter of minutes, which means that things tend to be over rather quickly (with me laying waste to the CPU at the lower difficulty settings, and vice versa if I crank up the slider), but I expect that'll change once I've learned enough to be able to hold my own against a reasonably skilled adversary. At any rate, the single player campaign is delightfully silly, replete with hammy acting, plastic sets and computer-generated extras in the background, and is holding my attention as I work my way through the single player missions.
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