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

History

After Westwood Studios created the highly praised game Dune II, Computer Gaming World reported in 1993 that the company would not use the Dune license for its next strategy game. This was mostly because the programmers wanted to move away from the desert setting. The magazine said the new game would have "new terrain and enemies" and that the design team was working on a multiplayer version.

Command & Conquer was released worldwide in 1995. The story takes place in a near-future world where Earth becomes polluted by a strange substance called Tiberium. A global war breaks out between the United Nations-formed Global Defense Initiative, which tries to control Tiberium, and the Brotherhood of Nod, a group led by 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 was developed as a prequel to the original game but later became its own series with a lighter, more humorous tone. The original game and its sequels are known as the "Tiberium" series and keep their serious science fiction style. The first game is sometimes called Tiberian Dawn.

After Tiberian Dawn, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun and its expansion pack Firestorm were released in 1999. In 2002, Westwood Studios launched Command & Conquer: Renegade, a first-person shooter game that was praised for its online features. In 2003, Command & Conquer: Generals was released. This game is set in a realistic near-future and features 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 the traditional gameplay and story style. 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 added a third faction, the Empire of the Rising Sun, which is inspired by Japan and uses futuristic robotic technology.

Most games in the series are designed for personal computers running Microsoft Windows. Some titles have also been released on video game consoles and Apple Mac computers. Games for platforms like iOS and web-based systems have also been made. As of July 2010, the Command & Conquer franchise included eleven main games and eight expansion packs. The first three games were made available for free to promote later games. A free-to-play version of Command & Conquer was being developed by Victory Games and was expected to release in 2013. However, the game was canceled after a short testing phase, and Victory Games was shut down by EA. The Command & Conquer series has sold over 30 million copies worldwide as of 2009.

Gameplay

The Command & Conquer games are real-time strategy games, except for the first-person shooter Command & Conquer: Renegade. A key feature of the series is that different groups, or factions, have their own storylines that connect to a main central story. The games also allow players to compete against each other through local area network (LAN) connections, modems, or online. All games in the series have included online play and "skirmish" matches, where players can fight against computer-controlled enemies.

Most Command & Conquer real-time strategy games, except for Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansions, use a "side menu" for navigation and control, unlike many other games that place the control bar at the bottom of the screen.

In Command & Conquer, players typically build a base and gather resources to fund the creation of forces to attack the opponent's base. Structures for each faction are built on-site at a "construction yard." These yards are usually large vehicles called Mobile Construction Vehicles (MCVs) that can deploy themselves into construction yards. Once a structure is built, players can place it near an existing building, and the prefabricated building will quickly unfold in a unique way.

In most games, except for Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansion Zero Hour, players collect resources using specialized "harvester" units. These units carry raw materials, such as Tiberium (from the Tiberian series) or ore and gems (from the Red Alert series), to a "refinery" structure. The refinery converts the raw materials into usable resources, measured in credits. Before Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer 3, storage for raw materials required refineries and, in cases of excess, "storage silo" structures. In Generals and Zero Hour, players collect funds in two ways: either by gathering supplies and converting them into money at "supply centers" or by producing money directly through specialized units, buildings, or tech buildings at set time intervals.

All factions have structures and units with similar functions, but these are adapted to fit each faction's theme and have slightly different properties. Units are divided into infantry, vehicles, and aircraft, each with subcategories. In the Red Alert series, naval units are also available. Unit effectiveness follows the "rock-paper-scissors" principle, where each type of unit has strengths and weaknesses against others.

Most structures in the series act as steps in a technology tree, unlocking new units, structures, and faction-specific abilities as players build and place structures. If required structures are destroyed or not powered properly by "power plant" structures, access to advanced units and abilities may be blocked.

Every Command & Conquer game has allowed players to compete against each other. Each game box included two CDs, enabling multiplayer play with a single purchase. Westwood Studios promoted this with the slogan, "A second copy, so you and your friend can destroy each other." This feature made Command & Conquer the first real-time strategy game to support competitive online play, a key factor in 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 cooperative online play of its campaigns, unlike previous games that only supported single-player stories. However, this feature required connecting through EA's servers and did not support LAN play.

Westwood Studios used its own system, Westwood Online, to enable multiplayer games over the Internet. Renegade also supported GameSpy. Games developed by EA continued to use GameSpy but stopped supporting Westwood Online, switching to EA's own servers. The GameSpy master 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, as stated in the Command & Conquer: Renegade manual. This game helped define and popularize the real-time strategy genre. It introduced two opposing 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." The game earned a score of 94% on Metacritic. Its expansion pack, Covert Operations, received a score of 72%.

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, released on August 27, 1999, is set in the year 2030. Unlike the first game, which focused on world politics, Tiberian Sun uses a science fiction setting. It shows a world where a substance called Tiberium is taking over Earth's ecosystems. Westwood Studios, the game's developer, was bought by Electronic Arts in 1998, but EA did not help create the game. Tiberian Sun uses science fiction technology and a new game engine that creates a 3D-like environment. Its full-motion videos (FMVs) 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 first Command & Conquer game. It was the last game made by Westwood Studios before the company closed in 2003. Renegade is a first-person shooter, unlike other games in the series. It received average reviews, with a score of 75% on Metacritic. It was praised for its online features, which encouraged teamwork. One review said, "C&C: Renegade's multiplayer was innovative and fun."

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

After Tiberium Wars, an expansion called Kane's Wrath was released on March 24, 2008. It focuses only on the Brotherhood of Nod in its main story but includes other factions for other game modes. It takes place in 2052 and received a score of 77%.

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, released on March 16, 2010, changed gameplay by removing resource gathering and base building. It is set in 2062, a time when Tiberium has evolved and is spreading rapidly across Earth. It is a sequel to Kane's Wrath but not directly connected to its story.

Renegade X is a free, fan-made version of Command & Conquer: Renegade. It was approved by Electronic Arts and released in open beta on February 26, 2014. It includes a short single-player story called Black Dawn.

The Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, announced in November 2018, updated the original games and expansions for modern computers. It was released on June 5, 2020, and received a score of 82/100 on Metacritic. EA also shared the game's source code to allow players to create new versions of the game.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert, released on November 22, 1996, is set in an alternate 1950s and was meant to be a prequel to the series. It introduced two factions, the Allies and the Soviets, similar to Cold War groups. Red Alert received high scores, with an average of over 90% from critics. Its expansion packs, Counterstrike and The Aftermath, scored lower, at 63% and 70%. A PlayStation version called Retaliation included additional content. Red Alert sold over three million copies before being released as freeware in 2008.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, released on October 23, 2000, featured a Soviet invasion of North America with tanks, airships, and giant squid. It did not directly connect to the Tiberium series, but some creators suggested it takes place in a parallel universe. It received a score of 86% from critics.

An expansion called Yuri's Revenge, released on October 10, 2001, follows a Soviet leader named Yuri who uses psychic powers to take over the world. It received a score of 85% from critics and was the best-reviewed expansion in the series.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, released on October 28, 2008, continued the story of Red Alert 2. It added more humorous units and a new faction inspired by Japan, called the Empire of the Rising Sun. The game aimed to make each faction more unique and fun to play.

Chronology

• 1995: Command & Conquer
• 1996: Command & Conquer – The Covert Operations
• 1996: Command & Conquer: Red Alert
• 1997: Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Counterstrike
• 1997: Command & Conquer: Red Alert – The Aftermath
• 1998: Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Retaliation
• 1997: Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor
• 1999: Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
• 2000: Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun – Firestorm
• 2000: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
• 2001: Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge
• 2002: Command & Conquer: Renegade
• 2003: Command & Conquer: Generals
• 2003: Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour
• 2007: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
• 2008: Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
• 2008: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
• 2009: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising
• 2010: Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight
• 2012: Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances
• 2018: Command & Conquer: Rivals
• 2020: Command & Conquer Remastered Collection

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. 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 soundtrack 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 the Red Alert theme called "Hell March." This song uses fast electric guitar sounds, the noise of marching feet, and electronic instruments to create a powerful and dramatic melody. Originally planned as the theme for the Brotherhood of Nod faction in an expansion to the 1995 Command & Conquer game, "Hell March" became a key part of the Red Alert series instead. A second version of the song was made specifically for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.

— Frank Klepacki, Senior Composer

Reception

The Command & Conquer series has been successful in selling many games. As of 2009, over 30 million Command & Conquer games had been sold. In 1997, Screen Digest called it "probably the world's biggest PC CD-ROM entertainment franchise to date." By 1999, it had sold more than 10 million copies.

Games in the series have often received high scores on review websites like GameRankings and Metacritic, which collect ratings from many review sites. According to the table below, the highest-rated game is Command & Conquer with a score of 94% from Metacritic. The highest-rated game when averaging scores from both sites is Command & Conquer: Red Alert, with an average of just over 90%. As a series, Command & Conquer games have averaged about 80% when including expansion packs and about 84% when not including them.

The long history of Command & Conquer led to Guinness World Records giving the series six world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include "Biggest Selling RTS Series," "Most Number of Platforms for an RTS," and "Longest Running Actor in Video Game Role" for Joe Kucan, who played the role of Kane, the villain in the series, for 15 years.