Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance Review

The single-player game adds a new storyline, which is passable. However, the actual missions (I believe there are 5 or 6) are vast and time-consuming. As before, some mission maps expand as you complete objectives (A side note on this: save before you complete major objectives). More often than not, map expanding means your are about to get attacked by the enemy. If you aren't ready, you are as good as dead. So, again, save your game often. Which brings up a gripe, many of the missions seem to rely on trial and error as much as skill. "So that's what happens next? I guess I will do that differently this time!" You can adjust the difficulty, but you will still have to learn what everything means and how it works.

The multiplayer is brutal. Don't go there until you have a thorough understanding of the mechanics of this game. I got my ass kicked in all of the games I attempted to play online. I don't want to be that good. I have no desire to spend the time and effort to be that good. If you do have the discipline and desire, then there is a lot of game here to dig into. Hope you're hungry... and fairly patient. FYI, there are new skirmish modes that you can customize quite a bit. You can even "cheat" if your opponent agrees to it, albeit it doesn't change the game much.

As mentioned above, Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is a true expansion as this game is still Supreme Commander. Even with all the improvements, the core game is definitely the same. For the uninitiated, this is a standalone game (meaning you do NOT have to have the original game installed to play this one). If you're new to SC, buy this version. The improvements to the interface, speed, etc. make this a superior game to the original without adding significant difficulties (which it already contained in spades). It doesn't make the game easier to learn, but if it's your cup of tea, consider this a bigger, nicer looking cup. Personally, I don't like tea, but I can appreciate what this game has brought to the table. They set out to make a game with real depth, and in that respect, they certainly succeeded.