Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Preview

Back to the new faction. The Empire of the Rising Sun has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. They are technologically advanced and boast dominant naval power. For them, the aforementioned transformation capabilities represent an essential role. They are a whole lot different from the opposing forces - Soviet Union and Allies. Normally, the Soviets and Allies have their own strengths and weaknesses. If you've played Red Alert 2, you should recognize most of the facets of these factions.

These similarities with older RA games were intentional and, according to EA reps, they were important for establishing a familiar atmosphere (suitable for the hardcore RA fan-base that is). They also emphasized that each faction gets a range of new powers and units to utilize in battle.

For now, it's a bit too early to estimate whether EA is taking this one in the right direction. One thing we know for certain is that the game should boast plenty of features to entangle you regardless if you prefer single-player or multiplayer. The story-driven campaign denotes over an hour of HD, live-action cutscenes. Each faction involves a set of 8-10 missions, all of which gamers can play solo or with a friend in co-op.

On the whole, the development team might just have what it takes to bring back the Red Alert franchise to its former splendor. You'll be able to get immersed into a world where war zeppelins dominate the skies and armored Tesla Troopers blast everything in sight with electricity-based weaponry.

Then again, the effort to acclimatize to modern-day industry tendencies is always a tricky business, especially when EA attempts to bring a franchise such as Red Alert closer to casual gamers. We can only hope the developers succeed in their endeavor to make an exciting strategy game which appeals to gamers across the board.