![]() ![]() It's currently under debate how long this aquatic wreckage will remain on the map, but I'm hoping EA at least includes an option for it to linger permanently since it adds greatly to each map's ambiance. When boats are blown apart, they sink to the bottom where they remain visible. Realistically depicted wake, foam, flotsam and jetsam, and underwater wreckage is all present and at every level of magnification looks as near to the real thing as possible. Without any hyperbole or exaggeration I can say that the water in Red Alert 3 tops every previous effort. Those who yearn for some hot boat-on-boat action will be pleased to hear that the game complements its new naval focus with the finest looking computer-generated water ever. I can see why players looking for something, anything to set the game apart from other strategy titles would be excited by this, but honestly I have no special attachment to boats, so I'm apathetic at best to the naval direction. It's such a huge change that it's entirely possible to play the game on maps without any land. Every map we were shown had a large water component, and it's obvious from the number of units that can move on both land and water that the game is meant to depict equal parts land and sea battles. Most games are quickly decided with a few tanks or infantry units well before you have time to develop the upgrades necessary for the more expensive weaponry.Īside from the Empire, RA3's focus on naval combat is its most glaring change. It's not that the higher-power tier-two and -three units aren't cool - they are, particularly the Empire's gigantic King Oni mech - but you'll rarely see them in play. If it sounds like I'm focusing purely on the game's tier-one units, there's a good reason for that. As anti-infantry units, it's expected that they'd decimate troops, but as it stands they have no trouble ripping apart buildings and tanks either. A favorite tactic of players at the EA preview was to simply construct three Sickles, then let them loose in the middle of the opponent's base. Seemingly to counteract this deficient ursine problem, the Soviets are given robotic walkers called "Sickles" that simply destroy everything in front of them in the early game. ![]() Bizarrely, the bears themselves are less able in combat than the Allied dogs, but to EA's credit the company was quick to point out that the dogs were "very well trained." To match the Allied attack dogs, the Soviets were given Attack Bears. Of special note is the addition of Soviet anti-infantry units that, at least for the moment, are a bit too effective. Many stalwart units remain largely unchanged from Red Alert 2, including homicidal (mysterious blonde) commando Tanya, the Allied attack dogs, Soviet Tesla Troops, Terror Drones and the mammoth Apocalypse Tank. ![]() On the other hand, both the Allies and the Soviets remain largely unchanged, aside from minor balance tweaks to make sure the factions play nice with their new Asian counterparts. Look for swarms of cheap Empire troops (particularly the transforming robotic Tengu jets) to fill early game rushes. While the Japanese God-Emperor back story crafted for the game is reminiscent of the zealotry of Starcraft's Protoss, tactics for the group feel like a more colorful version of that same game's Zerg. The Empire's engineer even mimics Dance Dance Revolution when left alone too long.īefitting the Empire's hypertechnophilic slant, the faction relies almost entirely on machine-assisted, quick-expansion tactics. From stereotypical Evangelion-style anime mechs, to ninjas, to efficient salarymen, the Empire covers every stereotype Americans have about our Eastern brethren. Red Alert games have traditionally been about the tension between Soviet and Allied (read: American) forces, but Red Alert 3 branches out by adding a group called the Empire of the Rising Sun.Īs you might expect from the name, the new faction is based heavily on a wide range of Japanese influences. The biggest addition to Red Alert 3 is obviously the third faction. ![]()
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