Command & Conquer (C&C) is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game series first created and developed by Westwood Studios. It is now owned by Electronic Arts. The first game in the series was among the earliest examples of the RTS genre, inspired by Westwood Studios' earlier strategy game, Dune II. It introduced features that became common in later games, such as full-motion video cutscenes with a group of actors to tell the story, rather than using computer-generated images. Westwood Studios was bought by Electronic Arts in 1998 and shut down in 2003. Some members of the studio and its projects were joined by EA Los Angeles, which continued making games in the Command & Conquer series.

History

In 1993, Computer Gaming World reported that Westwood Studios, the company that created the highly praised game Dune II, would not use the Dune license for its next strategy game. The magazine explained that the decision was "mostly because the programmers are tired of sand." It mentioned that the new game would have "new terrain and enemies" and that the design team planned to create a multiplayer version.

In 1995, Westwood released Command & Conquer worldwide. The game is set in the near future, where Earth becomes polluted by a strange substance called Tiberium. A global war breaks out between the UN-formed Global Defense Initiative, which tries to control Tiberium, and the Brotherhood of Nod, a group led by a mysterious leader named Kane, who wants to use Tiberium for power. The game was very successful and was followed by Command & Conquer: Red Alert in 1996. This game is set in an alternate universe where the Soviet Union fights the Allies. Red Alert became a separate, lighthearted series, while the original Command & Conquer games and their sequels remained part of the "Tiberium" series, keeping their serious science fiction tone. The first game is sometimes called Tiberian Dawn.

After Tiberian Dawn, Westwood released Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun in 1999 and its expansion pack Firestorm. In 2002, the company launched Command & Conquer: Renegade, a first-person shooter game that received praise for its online features. In 2003, Command & Conquer: Generals was released. This game is set in a realistic near-future and includes the United States, China, and the Global Liberation Army. It was followed by an expansion pack called Zero Hour. In 2007, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars was released, along with its expansion pack Kane's Wrath. In 2010, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight was released as the final game in the Tiberium series. It received mixed reviews because it changed traditional gameplay and story elements.

The Red Alert series continued with Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 in 2000, its expansion Yuri's Revenge, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 in 2008. This last game introduced a new faction, the Empire of the Rising Sun, which resembles Japan and uses futuristic robotic technology.

Most Command & Conquer games are designed for personal computers running Microsoft Windows. Some titles have also been released for video game consoles and Apple Macs. Games for platforms like iOS and web-based systems have also been developed. As of July 2010, the series included eleven main games and eight expansion packs. The first three games were made available as free downloads to promote later games. A free-to-play version of Command & Conquer was being developed by Victory Games in 2013, but the project was canceled, and Victory Games closed down.

The Command & Conquer series has sold over 30 million copies as of 2009, making it a commercial success.

Gameplay

The Command & Conquer games are real-time strategy games, except for Command & Conquer: Renegade, which is a first-person shooter. A common feature of the series is the parallel stories of different groups working toward a shared main story. All games in the series allow players to compete against each other in multiplayer modes, either through local area network or modem connections. Every game in the series also includes online play and "skirmish" matches where players can fight against computer-controlled enemies.

All Command & Conquer real-time strategy games, except Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansions, use a "side bar" for navigation and control. This is different from many other similar games, which place the control bar at the bottom of the screen.

In Command & Conquer games, players typically build a base and gather resources to fund the production of units and structures to attack the opponent's base. Structures for each group are built at a special location called a "construction yard." These construction yards are usually large vehicles called MCVs, or Mobile Construction Vehicles, that can deploy themselves to create the construction yards. Once a construction yard is built, players can choose a spot near an existing structure to place a new building, which will quickly unfold in a unique way.

In all games except Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansion, Zero Hour, players earn money by using special "harvester" units that collect resources like Tiberium (in the Tiberian series) or ore and gems (in the Red Alert series). These resources are taken to a "refinery" to be turned into usable funds called credits. Before Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer 3, these resources needed to be stored in refineries or "storage silo" structures. In Generals and Zero Hour, money is collected either by gathering supplies and converting them into money at "supply centers" or by having units, buildings, or tech buildings produce money at set times.

Each group in the series has structures and units with similar functions, but they are adjusted to match the group's theme and have slightly different abilities. Units are divided into infantry, vehicles, and aircraft, with some subcategories. In the Red Alert series, naval units are also available. Units have strengths and weaknesses against other units, following the rock-paper-scissors principle found in most real-time strategy games.

Almost every structure in the series acts as a step in the "tech tree," which unlocks new units, buildings, and abilities as players build more structures. If a structure needed for advanced units or abilities is destroyed or not properly powered by a "power plant," players may temporarily lose access to those units or abilities.

Every Command & Conquer game allows players to compete against others in multiplayer games. Each game box included two CD copies, making it possible for two players to play together with one purchase. Westwood Studios advertised this with the slogan "A second copy, so you and your friend can destroy each other." This feature helped Command & Conquer become the first real-time strategy game to support competitive online play, which was a major reason for its success. Up to Red Alert 2, all games included two CDs for multiplayer use. Later games did not.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 was the first real-time strategy game to allow players to complete campaigns together online. Other games only supported single-player campaigns. However, players could only connect to others through EA's servers, not through local area network play.

Games made by Westwood Studios used their own system, Westwood Online, to support multiplayer games over the internet. Renegade also used GameSpy. Games developed by EA continued to use GameSpy but stopped supporting Westwood Online, switching to EA's own servers. The GameSpy servers closed in 2013, but some games can still be played through Gameranger.

Games

Command & Conquer, released on September 26, 1995, is the first game in the series. It takes place between 2017 and 2020, according to the Command & Conquer: Renegade manual. This game helped create and popularize the real-time strategy genre. It introduced two warring groups: the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod. Critics praised the game highly. One reviewer said, "Command & Conquer is one of the finest, most brilliantly-designed computer games I have ever seen." It received a score of 94% on Metacritic. The expansion pack, Covert Operations, released in 1996, received a lower score of 72%.

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, released on August 27, 1999, takes place in the year 2030. Unlike the original game, which focused on world politics, Tiberian Sun uses a science fiction setting. The game shows Earth being taken over by a dangerous substance called Tiberium. Westwood Studios, the developers of Tiberian Sun, was bought by Electronic Arts in 1998. However, EA did not help create the game. Tiberian Sun uses science fiction technology and a new game engine that makes the environment look more like 3D. The full-motion videos in this game use traditional movie-style shots, unlike the first game, which used first-person perspectives.

Command & Conquer: Renegade, released on February 26, 2002, takes place near the end of the events in the original Command & Conquer. It was the last game made by Westwood Studios before the company closed in 2003. Renegade is different from other games in the series because it is a first-person shooter. It received average reviews, with scores of 75% on GameRankings and Metacritic. However, it was praised for its online features. GameSpy gave it a 2002 award called "Wish it had been better," saying the single-player mode was weak but the multiplayer mode was fun and encouraged teamwork.

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, released on March 29, 2007, returned to the real-time strategy style of earlier games. It is a direct sequel to Tiberian Sun and takes place in 2047. A new group, the Scrin, is introduced. The game received scores of 85% on GameRankings and Metacritic. PC Gamer U.S. called it "one of the greatest RTS franchises of all time returning to glory," while PC Gamer UK gave it a more cautious rating of 82%.

After Tiberium Wars was released, an expansion pack called Kane's Wrath was announced. Released on March 24, 2008, Kane's Wrath focuses only on the Brotherhood of Nod in its campaign mode. However, players can use the original factions and six new sub-factions in other game modes. It takes place in 2052. The expansion received mostly positive reviews, with an aggregate score of 77%.

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, released on March 16, 2010, changed the gameplay by removing resource gathering and base building, which were in earlier games. It also removed the Scrin faction. The game is a direct sequel to Kane's Wrath but does not follow its story directly. It is set in 2062, when Tiberium has evolved and is spreading rapidly across Earth.

Renegade X is a free, fan-made remake of Command & Conquer: Renegade. It was approved by Electronic Arts and entered open beta on February 26, 2014. The game includes a short single-player campaign called Black Dawn.

The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, announced in November 2018, includes remastered versions of Command & Conquer, its expansions, and Red Alert. It was released on June 5, 2020. The collection received a score of 82/100 on Metacritic, with mostly positive reviews. EA also released the source code for the remastered games to allow players to create improved mods.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert, released on November 22, 1996, is set in an alternate 1950s and was meant to be a prequel to the original Command & Conquer. It introduced two factions, the Allies and the Soviets, similar to NATO and the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War. Red Alert received high scores, with an average of over 90% from GameRankings and Metacritic. However, its two expansion packs, Counterstrike and The Aftermath, received lower scores of 63% and 70%, respectively. A PlayStation version called Red Alert: Retaliation included content from the expansion packs and new cutscenes. Before becoming freeware in 2008, Red Alert sold over three million copies.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, released on October 23, 2000, features a Soviet invasion of North America with tanks, airships, and giant squid. It does not reference the Tiberium series, making its connection to the original Red Alert unclear. However, the game’s creators suggested it takes place in a parallel universe created by time travel. Red Alert 2 received a score of 86% on GameRankings.

An expansion pack, Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, was released on October 10, 2001. It follows an ex-Soviet leader named Yuri, who uses psychic technology to try to conquer the world. The expansion received mostly positive reviews, with an average score of 85% on GameRankings.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, released on October 28, 2008, continued the story from Red Alert 2. It introduced more humorous units and a new faction, the Empire of the Rising Sun, inspired by Japan. The game’s developers aimed to make each faction unique and emphasized fun, lighthearted designs.

Music

The music for the series was created by Frank Klepacki, a former sound director and composer from Westwood Studios, for the early games. After Westwood Studios closed in 2003, other composers took over the music-making tasks. Klepacki returned in 2008 to help create the soundtrack for Red Alert 3.

Critics have praised the music, with earlier games receiving more positive reviews.

The original music for Command & Conquer: Red Alert was composed by Klepacki. It was named the best video game soundtrack of 1996 by PC Gamer and Gameslice magazines. One of Klepacki’s most famous songs from the series is "Hell March," the theme for Red Alert. This song uses fast electric guitar sounds, the noise of marching feet, and synthesizers to create a dramatic chant. Originally, the song was meant to be the theme for the Brotherhood of Nod faction in the Covert Operations expansion of the original 1995 Command & Conquer game. Instead, it became a key part of the Red Alert series. A second version of "Hell March" was made specifically for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.

After the release of Command & Conquer, the team quickly released Covert Ops. Klepacki wrote additional background music and started working on a heavy metal song for the next major Command & Conquer game. Brett Sperry asked Klepacki if he had any music for the new game. Klepacki played the song and called it "Hell March." Sperry said, "That’s the signature song for our next game."

— Frank Klepacki, Senior Composer

Reception

The Command & Conquer series has sold more than 30 million copies by 2009. In 1997, Screen Digest called it the biggest PC CD-ROM entertainment franchise at that time. By 1999, it had sold over 10 million copies.

Games in the series usually received high scores on review websites like GameRankings and Metacritic, which collect ratings from many sources. As shown in the table below, the highest-rated game is Command & Conquer, with a 94% score from Metacritic. The highest-rated game when averaging scores from both sites is Command & Conquer: Red Alert, with an average of just over 90%. Overall, Command & Conquer games averaged about 80% when including expansion packs and about 84% when excluding them.

The long history of the series led to Guinness World Records giving it six world records in the 2008 Gamer's Edition. These records include "Biggest Selling RTS Series," "Most Number of Platforms for an RTS," and "Longest Time Playing a Video Game Character" for Joe Kucan, who played the role of Kane, the main villain, for 15 years.