Set in 2047, the story takes place on an Earth devastated by a mysterious, self-replicating crystalline substance called Tiberium. Though it originated in Italy, this glowing green material has spread across the planet - consuming all natural resources it touches and wreaking havoc on the ecosystem.
The world is now divided into distinct environmental zones: Red Zones have been ravaged by Tiberium, with ion storms and radiation coverage making them completely inhospitable to any life form. Yellow Zones have experienced decades of warfare, but they still harbor the majority of the population. A shadowy international terrorist organization known as NOD lurks in these Yellow Zones, ready to pounce upon the remnants of the civilized world living in the pristine Blue Zones. The latter are under the protection of the Global Defense Initiative, a high-tech branch of the former United Nations that has become the premier superpower on the planet.
As "Tiberium Wars" begins, NOD and GDI have been at relative peace for over a decade. When NOD destroys the space station "Philadelphia" with most of GDI's leadership aboard, however, the world spirals into violence again and the Third Tiberium War ignites.
Thus begins the fast-paced strategic explosion-fest that "Command and Conquer" fans have come to love. For those who are unfamiliar with real-time strategy games, the formula goes something like this: The player has an overhead view of the battlefield, and can command various structures and military troops with the cursor.
Generally, the goal of such games is to construct a base consisting of various resource buildings (e.g. refineries, power-plants), production facilities (e.g. barracks, construction yards) and base defenses (e.g. sentry towers, missile platforms). Then, using the resources collected from the surrounding terrain, the player builds a force of various units - ranging from Mammoth Tanks to Orca scout planes to Attack Bikes to suicidal Fanatics - and fights with the enemy commander for control of the battlefield.
What makes the "Tiberium Wars" formula such an enduring one is its ability to combine frantic action with complex strategy, and to weave it all together with an entertaining (if not always convincing) storyline.
Amazing graphics immediately stick out as the most notable feature of "Tiberium Wars.'" Though it is sometimes difficult to appreciate well-crafted effects amidst the cacophony of action, the whole experience is about as visually thrilling as it gets. NOD's Flame Tanks spout beautifully rendered firestorms, GDI's Anti-Air Batteries fill the sky with machine-gun streaks, and Tiberium deposits lend the battlefield an almost eerie glow of post-apocalyptic pertinence.
But the visual power of "Tiberium Wars" would quickly wane without its extremely well-designed strategy elements. The game offers a huge variety of units, all of which fill a unique niche on the battlefield. Most importantly, it manages to avoid the annoying "rock-paper-scissors" formula that has plagued strategy gaming since time immemorial (i.e. a system in which each type of unit is only effective against one other specific type). Instead, most troops have a variety of combat roles that a skillful gamer can use in conjunction to devastating effect.
That said, a few of the units remain overpowered. Mammoth tanks, for example, wield railguns that are effective against both infantry and tanks, as well as ground-to-air missiles for flying targets. Combine this with nearly impenetrable armor, and it's possible to win a mission by simply building a massive group of Mammoths and rolling over the competition. Given that most of the game is very well-balanced, it's surprising that the developers allowed such an overpowered unit to go unchecked.
Overall, though, both factions have a unique unit selection - and the game experience is different depending on which you play. NOD features a number of low-tech, stealthy units that excel at sabotage, combined with advanced Tiberium-fueled technologies that can be devastating once acquired. GDI, on the other hand, focuses more on direct combat, sporting large tanks and well-armored infantry that prefer open battle to subterfuge.
Midway through the game, a third faction makes an appearance. Though specific details about this mysterious force would ruin the plot, suffice it to say that it adds layers of depth to an already profound strategic experience.
"Tiberium Wars" also features over an hour of live-action cut-scenes interspersed between the missions. These advance the plot nicely, and they boast a surprisingly large number of semi-big-name actors. Michael Ironside ("Top Gun," "Starship Troopers") provides a solid performance as GDI's General Granger, while the hilarious Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian from the "Star Wars" trilogy) lights up the screen as Director Redmond Boyle. These clips feature near movie-quality special effects and cinematography, but the acting and writing are far too laughably corny to be considered on a Hollywood scale. Still, the footage is an entertaining addition that serves its purpose, and admittedly, spurts of inspired acting do occasionally manage to break through the frenzy of cliched dialogue and flamboyant performances.
In sum, "Tiberium Wars" is a visually satisfying and strategically challenging experience. It boasts an amazing single-player experience, and there are hoards of die-hard "Command and Conquer" fans available to challenge through online multi-player matches. Newcomers to the real-time strategy genre (or to PC gaming in general) will find its simple, exciting game-play easy to pick up. Veterans, on the other hand, will surely be hard-pressed to put down this worthy successor to the "Command and Conquer" throne.
