Wreaking Havoc.
Let’s face it: everyone wants to be Rambo (minus the cheapo headband – that’s
soooo 80’s), a one-man army who can single-handedly turn the tide of battle just
by his sheer presence. Though the whole Chuck Norris-with-bigger-muscles/Arnold-without-that-silly-accent
dream has died out a bit in the theaters, it’s a staple in gaming, particularly
first-person shooters. From Wolfenstein
and Serious Sam to classics
like Half-Life and even Doom,
fragging is often a dish best served by a rebel without a pause button.
When Westwood decided to expand upon its hallowed Command and Conquer
franchise by cranking out an action-oriented romp called Command & Conquer:
Renegade, we were all very excited. When they announced that it was both
a first-and third-person game and would allow you to run amuck in the classic
C&C universe, we were all very thrilled. When they unveiled the unique
multiplayer C&C Mode that would, essentially, allow the whole GDI/Nod conflict
to take on real-world proportions, we were as stoked as Robert Duvall surfing
the break in Nam.
Unfortunately, a rather large Obelisk of Light almost fries your ride to ashes
before you even reach the barracks. So you park it a safe distance away and
go about finding another way in. You slip in the back door of an adjacent building
and wind your way through the insides, wiping out the pesky engineers lurking
within, and emerge right next to the obelisk. You enter the base of the obelisk,
do away with some more guards, and blow the puppy up with some explosives from
the inside out. Then back to the buggy and on to the barracks for a final assault.
So yeah, this game should rock. But in case you need more convincing, check
out the brilliant multiplayer mode. Though the game also comes with standard
Deathmatch and Capture the Flag games, C&C Mode is the stunner.
The premise is obvious: two teams square off in a classic Command and Conquer
battle, GDI vs. NOD style. Two bases, plenty of vehicles and tons of soldiers
make for the kind of team-based multiplayer that’s all the rage, except this
one takes place in a universe that we all already know and love.
The laws of C&C govern the game – namely, harvesting and processing
Tiberium to keep the base functioning and the reliance on power plants to keep
buildings operational. You can play as a number of different units for each
side, though it costs points to upgrade, similar in a sense to the weapon purchasing
in a game like Counter-strike.
There are four ‘levels’ of advancement, though the specific units differ between
GDI and Nod.
Basic units include Engineers (who can heal and repair buildings), Grenadiers
and Base Troops, but eventually you’ll earn enough points (if you’re good enough,
that is) to ‘purchase’ higher level units. Playing multiplayer as Havoc, who
comes armed with a wicked sniper rifle, or Sydney Mobius, who totes around a
portable Ion Cannon, can sway the tide of battle. Likewise, Nod biggies like
General Raveshaw and his rail gun can quickly turn the tide back.
We see a lot of multiplayer games that make big promises but wind up delivering
a marginal experience. In a class move, Westwood has taken great care to ensure
that the multiplayer will be just about flawless by the time Renegade
ships. The beta test has been going on for several months now and works very
well. By the time Renegade makes it into your hard drive, getting online
and kicking some real person ass should be a snap.
In the meantime, let’s hope the folks behind Renegade put the proper
finishing touches on what is certainly an impressive rocket in their pocket.
Expect this elite soldier to ignite store shelves in late February.
