Though it’s regarded as one of the all-time great strategy games, what defines Command and Conquer is its simplicity. The easy drag-and-click mechanics of Westwood’s classic mean that anyone can feel like a master general in seconds – there are tiers, and the further you fight through the Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert campaigns, the more sophisticated your tactics have to become, but compared to some of its contemporaneous rivals like Total Alliance and StarCraft, old-school C & C has a gratifyingly low barrier to entry. Upcoming RTS Fractured Alliance aims to capture that spirit. An unofficial, spiritual successor to Command and Conquer, its newly revealed skirmish map is also a direct nod (no pun intended) to Red Alert 2.
Gameplay wise, Fractured Alliance has plenty in common with Command and Conquer. You choose a faction, harvest resources, amass a huge army with land, armored, and air units, and use brute force to obliterate your opponent. But what it also captures is the C & C atmosphere. Tilt your head, and the soundtrack sounds like it could have been written by Frank Klepacki. The visuals are fully 3D, but still boast that old-school, isometric charm of the best RTS games of the ‘90s.
Developed by Tense Games, Fractured Alliance combines skirmish mode, multiplayer, and an objective-driven campaign. It also puts a greater emphasis on narrative, whereby your interactions with rival commanders can shape the trajectory of the story and lead to potential new alliances. Instead of farming scattered patches of crops, you have to capture and hold resource nodes. Different types of terrain offer specific damage and defensive boosts. Plus, you can mount turrets on walls.
Alongside standard military units, you can also build and deploy gigantic mechs. And the Red Alert 2 inspirations run even deeper. Tense has just announced an upcoming map named Winter Paradox. Designed for four-player battles, either every person for themselves or 2v2, it bears comparison to Red Alert 2’s classic Snow Valley. There’s also a hint of Supreme Commander’s Arctic Refuge.
We’re still waiting on a release date, but with Command and Conquer still officially MIA, Fractured Alliance could be the ideal spiritual successor. You can wishlist it right here.
Alternatively, take a look at some of the other best strategy games, or maybe the best 4X games ever made.
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