First impressions...

[TRxKhrin]

So after a couple of hours dabble...

1) The graphics are quite horrific, even on utter max the most anti-alising it allows is "setting 3" and even then it somehow manages the remarkable feat of being both jagged and blurry. It also won't go above whatever res you have your desktop set to, which is annoying. The camera is a bit "in your face" too, it would be nice to be able to zoom out a little. On the flip side, it does run smooth as butter (even on max) but when "max" is "average" that's not saying much.

2) I knew the cut scenes were going to be cheesy but not to the level of feeling physically uncomfortable watching them. A text-based narrative could evoke more interest in these moronic clichéd characters. Also your "wife" looks a tiny bit like alanis morissette. Yeah I said it.

3) The actual gameplay seems fairly alright. However for some utterly unspeakably EA-related design choice; you're essentially starting the campaign able to build about 4% of what's avaiable while the comp. is skipping about with at least medium level toys from the get go. This leads to quite a tedious attrition grind; there's a mission fairly early on where you're protecting refugee trucks and all you have is some crappy tanks or some worthless infantry against not only a greater number of enemies, but ones that out-tech you as well. Quite a chore.

4) The whole "must be online" thing isn't really an issue for me; but having a constant chatbox on display even as you cruise the options menu is a bit annoying when it's a large density of confused, disgruntled or whiney "level me! level me!" people.


In Short:

-- Looks ugly (even on max)
-- Tedious early gameplay due to techs being locked
-- Worst-case scenario you can imagine for bad cutscenes
-- No keybindings (wtf!)

++ Online thing really isn't a problem if you have reliable internet
++ It's not so bad I'm running to the hills and not wanting to play anymore


I knew there was oodles of bad press and I was trying my best to ignore it all and give the game a fair chance; but as it stands now C&C 3 is better in every respect, including most disappointingly, graphics and atmosphere.
Hopefully after a few more hours and getting used to the repulsive gfx will change my mind a bit...

[Bazooka301]

I was hoping the single player on this world be ok but my first view is god it bad not good at all i always loved C&C but god this sucks and it last one way to go on mucking the last game up they did a bad job with this it like instead of going fowerd they gone back and made it cheese but i will play it still to much of a C&C fan lol. :D :D

[razputin123]

Point one is kind of subjective, your maximum resolution might be lower than ours (e.g., 19" 1280x1024 vs. 24" 1920x1200); what is the actual resolution you played at? and video card do you have? Yes, it actually does make a difference...

[TRxKhrin]

I was actually mistaken about the res thing :P

I play on a 32" tv so my desktop is 1360 x 768 (which is weird but that's tvs) however for games I either use 1600 x 900 or 1920 x 1060.

The game was actually changing res, it just makes hardly any visual difference when you do. I'm pretty shocked none of the reviews mentioned how vile it looks :P - But I suppose you get used to it...

[Bazooka301]

i play at 1360 x 768 res on my 19 inch LG W1943SB so it good pic just the game looks like nothing like C&C but it no biggy just strange.

[poet]

I was expecting/hoping for one final, fabulous blowout of a game to end the series. Unfortnately for me, all the game mechanics that I liked about C&C are gone. No more base building, no more carefull directing of battles and opening up multiple fronts. I must admit that the game is smooth, and lends itself well to a quick playing style, but the fact that my army is limited to about 10 units, and there is no base to build, means that I don't feel like I'm commanding and conquering, but rather that I am blitzkrieging my was across every map scorched-earth style (not as cool as it sounds by the way).
Also, I must admit that, even though I wasn't expecting any Oscar winning performances in the cutscenes, I was crestfallen by the total lack of passion, urgency, or even humour in the scenes. Kane has, and forever will remain, one of my favourite baddies, ("yes... Power shifts more quickly then some people think." - Kane C&C1) but in C&C4 not even the cutscenes are enough to keep me playing. Even though I feel that the whole tiberium story is fantastic in it's scope and potential, and I really want to know how it ends, I think I'd rather wonder at what might have been then sit through this game's tedious dialogue and have the story ruined for me.

I know I'm goint to sound like a whining fan, but I'll say it anyway. This game is so far removed from the glittering gemstone that was Command & Conquer that it feels wrong to even have it bear that monniker. Just as Command and Conquer Tiberium Dawn got me hooked on RTS, Tiberium Twilight might well be the game that puts me off RTS for good. A sad end to the Tiberium universe indeed.