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 in the RTS genre and was inspired by Westwood Studios' earlier strategy game, Dune II. It introduced features that became part of the series, such as full-motion video scenes 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 of the studio's employees joined 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. The magazine explained that the programmers were tired of working with sand and that the new game would have "new terrain and enemies." It also noted that the design team was focused on creating a multiplayer version.

Command & Conquer was released worldwide by Westwood in 1995. The story takes place in a near-future world where Earth is polluted by a mysterious 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 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, which keeps a science fiction and serious style. The first game is sometimes called Tiberian Dawn.

After the original game, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun was released in 1999 along with its expansion pack, Firestorm. In 2002, Westwood Studios launched Command & Conquer: Renegade, a first-person shooter game. Renegade was praised for its online features. A spin-off game, Command & Conquer: Generals, was released in 2003. This game is set in a more 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 pack Yuri's Revenge, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 in 2008. This version introduced 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 made for personal computers running Microsoft Windows. Some titles have been released on video game consoles and Apple Macs. Games for platforms like iOS and web-based systems have also been developed. As of July 2010, the Command & Conquer franchise included eleven 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 be released in 2013. However, after a short testing phase, the game was canceled, 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 Command & Conquer: Renegade, which is a first-person shooter. A common feature of the series is that different groups, or factions, work toward the same central story. All games in the series allow players to compete against each other through local area networks (LAN), modem connections, and online play. Players can also battle AI enemies in "skirmish" matches.

Most Command & Conquer real-time strategy games, except Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansions, use a "side bar" 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 collect resources to fund the creation of military units to attack and defeat the opponent's base. Structures are built at a special location called a "construction yard," which is usually a large vehicle known as an MCV (Mobile Construction Vehicle). Once a construction yard finishes building a structure, the player can place it near an existing building, and the structure will quickly unfold from its prefabricated form.

In all games except Command & Conquer: Generals and its expansion Zero Hour, players gather resources using "harvester" units. These units collect materials like Tiberium (in the Tiberian series) or ore and gems (in the Red Alert series) and bring them to a "refinery" to convert them into usable money, called credits. Before Red Alert 2 and Command & Conquer 3, these materials needed to be stored in refineries or "storage silo" structures if there was an excess. In Generals and Zero Hour, players collect money through two methods: using specialized units to gather supplies and convert them into money at "supply centers," or by having specialized units, buildings, or tech buildings produce money at set times.

Each faction in the series has structures and units that perform similar tasks, but they are designed to match the faction's theme and have slightly different abilities. Units are divided into infantry, vehicles, and aircraft, with further categories in some games, such as naval units in the Red Alert series. Units follow a "rock-paper-scissors" system, where each type has strengths and weaknesses against others.

Most structures in the series act as steps in a technology progression, called a "tech tree." As players build new structures, they unlock more units, buildings, and special abilities. If key structures are destroyed or not powered properly by "power plant" buildings, advanced units and abilities may become unavailable.

Every Command & Conquer game allows players to compete against others in multiplayer games. Each game box included two CDs, making it possible for two players to play together with one purchase. Westwood Studios promoted 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, a major reason for its success. Up to Red Alert 2, all games included two CDs for multiplayer use, but later games did not.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 was the first real-time strategy game to allow players to complete campaigns together online, 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 later switched to EA's own servers, ending support for Westwood Online. GameSpy's servers shut down 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. According to the Command & Conquer: Renegade manual, the game takes place between 2017 and 2020. It helped create and popularize a type of game called real-time strategy. The game 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." The game earned a score of 94% from Metacritic. Its expansion pack, Covert Operations, received a 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 substance called Tiberium. Westwood Studios, the developers of Tiberian Sun, was bought by Electronic Arts in 1998, but EA did not help create the game. Tiberian Sun uses more science fiction technology and a new game engine that makes the environment look like it is in three dimensions.

The full-motion video scenes in Tiberian Sun are different from earlier games. While previous games used first-person camera angles for cutscenes, Tiberian Sun used traditional movie-style shots with actors like James Earl Jones and Michael Biehn.

Command & Conquer: Renegade, released on February 26, 2002, takes place near the end of the events in Command & Conquer. It was the last game made by Westwood Studios before the company closed in 2003. Unlike other games in the series, Renegade is a first-person shooter. It received average reviews, with a score of 75% on Metacritic. Critics praised its online features, noting that the multiplayer mode 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 an average score of 85% from critics. 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 reserved score of 82%.

After Tiberium Wars, an expansion pack called Kane's Wrath was released on March 24, 2008. It focuses only on the Brotherhood of Nod in the main story but includes other factions in 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 the gameplay style. It removed resource gathering and base building, which were in earlier games. It is a sequel to Kane's Wrath and takes place in 2062, when Tiberium has evolved and is spreading across Earth.

Renegade X is a free, fan-made remake 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 was announced in November 2018 and released on June 5, 2020. It includes remastered versions of the original game and Red Alert. It 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 custom modifications.

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 groups, the Allies and the Soviets, based on Cold War alliances. Red Alert received high scores from critics, with an average of over 90%. Its two expansion packs, Counterstrike and The Aftermath, received lower scores of 63% and 70%. A PlayStation version called Retaliation included all the content from the expansions plus new cutscenes. Red Alert sold over three million copies before being released as freeware in 2008.

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 directly connect to the Tiberium series, though some creators suggest it takes place in a parallel universe linked to time travel. It received a score of 86% from critics.

An expansion pack, Yuri's Revenge, was released on October 10, 2001. It follows a former Soviet leader named Yuri, who uses psychic powers to take over the world. The expansion received mostly positive reviews, with an average score of 85%.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, released on October 28, 2008, continued the story from Red Alert 2. It introduced new, humorous units and a faction based on Japan, called the Empire of the Rising Sun. The game focused on making each group unique and adding playful elements to their designs.

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 for the series. 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 an intense and dramatic effect. The track was first planned to be the theme for the Brotherhood of Nod faction in an expansion to the original 1995 Command & Conquer game. However, it became a popular part of the Red Alert series instead. A second version of "Hell March" was later made specifically for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.

— Frank Klepacki, Senior Composer

Reception

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

Games in the series usually received high scores on websites like GameRankings and Metacritic, which collect reviews from many sources. 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%. Overall, Command & Conquer games have averaged about 80% when including expansion packs and about 84% when excluding them.

The long history of the series earned it 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. He has played the role of Kane, the villainous leader of the series, for 15 years.