Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Encyclopedia
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is a 2008
real-time strategy
video game developed by EA Los Angeles
and published by Electronic Arts
. Announced on February 14, 2008, it was released on October 28, 2008 in the United States for Microsoft Windows
-based PCs
and three days later in Europe. A version for the Xbox 360
console was released in the U.S. on November 11. The PlayStation 3
version was delayed due to difficulties with the system's architecture. On January 21, 2009 EA officially announced Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Ultimate Edition, the PS3 version which contains bonus material extra to that of the Xbox 360 and PC versions. The Ultimate Edition has been released on March 23, 2009. Also announced for a late March release is the Mac OS version, converted to that platform by TransGaming
. The game forms a part of the Red Alert
sub-series within the Command & Conquer
series of games. In early January, EA Los Angeles
announced a new addition to the game: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising, a stand-alone single player expansion pack that was released for Windows
in March 2009. It was offered via digital distribution.
The game is set in a parallel universe
in which World War II
never happened—in the original Red Alert, Albert Einstein
travelled back in time and removed Hitler
in the 1920s. After an Allied victory in Red Alert 2, the Soviet leaders travelled back in time and removed Albert Einstein
in 1927, preventing the Allies from creating atomic weapons while the Soviet Union
rose to power, battling the Allies in the 1950s. In this game, the Empire of the Rising Sun
rises to power as a threat as well (an unintentional result of the Soviets' time travelling). All three factions are playable, with the main gameplay involving constructing a base, gathering resources, and training armies composed of land, sea, and airborne units to defeat other players. Each faction has a fully co-operative campaign, playable with an artificial intelligence
partner or with another human player online. These campaigns follow a storyline, with specific mission objectives and unit restrictions applied. Unrestricted skirmish play against the computer and multiplayer via LAN or online is also available.
The game received mostly positive reviews, with reviewers citing the co-operative and multiplayer components as strengths, along with the enhanced role of naval combat compared to other real-time strategy games. Commonly cited weaknesses included aspects such as unit pathfinding.
s. Weapon types are specialized to the point where a rifleman can withstand direct hits from an anti-tank cannon. Red Alert 3s major refinements are the addition of the Empire of the Rising Sun to the factions of the sub-series (similar to what Tiberium Wars
did with the Scrin faction), a co-operative campaign, and expanded naval warfare.
The "single-player" campaign is now fully co-operative. Each mission is played alongside an ally. When played online, this is another human player. Offline it is one of several computer-controlled characters. Teams share income and generally start with the same forces. Computerized characters can be given simple commands, such as an order to take a specific position or to strike a specific target. The campaign has nine missions for each side. Each side's plotlines are mutually exclusive, unlike Tiberium Wars and its preceding and following
expansion packs, but like the rest of the Command & Conquer games.
Naval warfare is emphasized as another front. Executive producer Chris Corry has stated that many units are now amphibious, trading effectiveness for increased flexibility. Buildings and entire bases can be constructed on water, save for such things as ground or naval unit production facilities (e.g. tank factories are ground-only, but Tsunami tanks are amphibious and can be produced in Naval Yards), and players who "ignore the ocean [are] likely forfeiting a significant part of their potential economy to their opponents." Further stressing this is the fact that, despite some campaign maps being entirely land based, all multiplayer maps have significant bodies of water in them.
The use of naval units and various unit abilities also helped players counter attack their opponent's units specific to that units strongpoint, for example a Soviet Stingray's second ability Tesla Surge sends a surge of electricity in the tesla boat's area, damaging units from attack dolphins to terror drones.
Manually controlled secondary abilities are common to each and every unit in the game. Their usage varies: some are toggled on or off, others are targeted, and still others are triggered the instant one presses the button. Imperial construction vehicles is able to deploy into buildings at any specified locations, a Soviet Hammer tank can leech HP from enemies (and allies as well) and, upon their destruction, their weapons to augment itself, and an Allied artillery piece can engage its shields with a button press but with a cooldown period before they can be used again. All abilities are bound to the same key. The game also features experience points that are used to upgrade unit types and to buy "commander abilities," which call in air strikes, recon sweeps, magnetic satellite beams, etc. Commander abilities have no resource costs but do have significant cooldown periods.
Ore fields as resource sites have been removed. These originated in the first Red Alert as a functionally identical equivalent to tiberium
, and what were ostensibly strip mines had ore growing out of the ground. Gameplay mechanics haven't changed a great deal since fields have been replaced with stationary ore mines. Strategic ore-refinery placement and covert refining are impacted to an extent.
revolved around a down-to-earth World War II between the Allies
(including Germany) and the Soviet Union
, with some high-tech esoterica, such as weaponized tesla coil
s linked to Tesla
's abortive death rays, limited time travel
linked to the rumored Philadelphia Experiment
, and force fields. Red Alert 2 featured a Soviet invasion of North America with tanks, conscripts, gargantuan airship
s, and psychic
ally dominated anti-ship giant squid
s; its expansion, Yuri's Revenge
, escalated matters up to UFO
s and Soviets on the Moon
. Executive producer Chris Corry stated in a pre-release interview that Red Alert 3 will further differentiate the playable factions from each other and "[play] up the silliness in their faction design whenever possible."
The Soviets and Allies have a mix of old and new features. Soviet units lean towards ruthlessness and brute force: giant Kirov airships are retained and flak troopers are now penal troops
, while attack dogs are an Allied unit that the Soviets have replaced with functionally identical armored attack bears. New units include heavy tanks known as "Hammer Tanks" that can tear weapons from the enemies they destroy with a magnetic beam, light anti-infantry walkers known as "Sickles" that can jump over terrain elevations, the amphibious "Stingray" attack boats with twin-mounted tesla coils, and amphibious AA-only "Bullfrog" transports that can only shoot their passengers out of a "man cannon". The Soviets have lost their nuclear technology due to the events of the backstory, but can leverage their simple tech, cheap units and "quick fix" structures like the Super Reactor and Crusher Crane, enabling them to easily overwhelm enemy bases. Soviet armour are considerably tougher than Allied and Japanese on the whole, and augmented with their infamous Iron Curtain, can be extremely dangerous.
A major revampment from Red Alert 2 is the Soviet airforce: in addition to Kirovs, the Soviets have access to MiG (Mikevich and Guroyan) fighters and versatile attack helicopters. In lieu of nuclear bombs, the Soviets have developed the Vacuum Imploder, a warhead which sucks humans, vehicles and damage buildings into a dense hole before exploding.
The Allies come with a wide variety of gadgetry (mostly nonlethal), much of it as a comeback of Red Alert 2' s advanced units. New units include Hydrofoil
s with weapon-scrambling rays, unarmed helicopters with freeze and shrink rays, and an amphibious destroyer with treads and magnetic armor that can draw enemy fire. Allied units have a variety of different accents and "good guy" overtones: their basic infantry unit is the Peacekeeper, which seems to have been derived from riot police. Red Alert 2s advanced chrono-technology has been largely but not completely lost, so that the Chronosphere unit remains and the returning Tanya unit is now equipped with a "time belt" that allows her to wind her location and health back a few seconds. Allied advances are driven by the FutureTech corporation in Einstein's absence. Since the tech and base building takes some time the Allies are more patience-friendly. The Allies' predominant strength is in air forces, with the best selection of aircraft available ranging from bombers to air superiority fighters.
The Allies' ultimate weapon is now the Proton Collider, a cannon which utilises unknown physics to cause great destruction at an atomic level.
The Empire of the Rising Sun has infantrymen in samurai
armor with energy rifles and lightsaber
katana
s, giant transforming mecha
, ninja
s, a psionic schoolgirl, and submersible planes/flying submarines. Several of the Empire's key units can change forms to switch from land-to-air or sea-to-air, giving them much greater versatility than Allied or Soviet units. Conversely, some of their "core units" are weaker than their counterparts, forcing the player to produce them in large numbers or use them effectively with support.
Japanese naval units however are considerably capable, from dedicated anti-ship cruisers to heavy battleships. Their forward bases are easy to build and fully functional bases don't take much power. Their buildings also have no proximity requirements, allowing the Empire to expand its bases much more quickly and efficiently—and by extension to nab ore mines faster. Being in the altered timeline, the Japanese are now masters of psychic/psionic weaponry, not only in their commando, but in the Psionic Decimator. This ultimate weapon launches a wave of energy which can level a base. They are also equipped with a Nanoswarm, a machine that generates a nanoparticle shield, similar to an Iron Curtain, but is non-moving and prevents anything coming in or out.
The campaign mode maintains the theme of camp
warfare played perfectly straight, with the occasional secret volcano lair, android infiltrator (Empire of the Rising Sun campaign) or an anti-Soviet madman (Allies; has to be killed) as the President of the United States
, and more than one thing shooting lasers out of its eyes. It also uses Full motion video
s featuring real-life actors. Filming started in April 2008.
beneath the Kremlin to travel back to Brussels in the year 1927 at the International Physics Conference and eliminate Albert Einstein
. This prevents him from creating the technology that allowed the Allies to defeat the Soviet Union in the previous games. Returning to the present, General Krukov discovers that Cherdenko is the Premier of the Soviet Union and that the Soviets are on the brink of conquering Europe. However in this alternate timeline a new faction,
the Empire of the Rising Sun, has risen in Japan who declare war on the Soviets and Allies desiring complete world domination, something they perceive as their Divine Destiny. The world is then plunged into a three-way war between the Soviet Union, the Allies and the Empire.
and various Soviet territories like Vladivostok
and the outskirts of Moscow
, subsequently invading Japan and killing Emperor Yoshiro before continuing the attack against the Allies. The Soviet invasion force lands on Mt. Fuji, although nearly all of it is destroyed. However, it turns out to be a decoy like the second mission and the Japanese revealed a huge base further north, and three Japanese Commanders appear, intent on destroying the Soviet forces there. As the Emperor's palace is destroyed, an armoured trooper appears and it turns out to be Yoshiro. As he advances on the player's base, the ally finishes off the Japanese bases. Soon Yoshiro is dead.
in order to force the Allies to surrender under President Ackerman. The war ends with the player becoming the next Premier of the Soviet Union, which encompasses the entire world as there is no one left to stop a huge Soviet expansion.
Robert Bingham first ordering the player to secure European Allied borders. The player repels the Soviet invasion at Brighton Beach, then recaptured Cannes to rescue Allied leaders and destroying the Soviet HQ at Heidelberg. However, these battles leave both sides vulnerable, allowing the Empire of the Rising Sun to send its floating fortresses to blockade the Allies and the Soviets. This prompts the Allies and Soviets to join forces to counter the Empire (despite the protests of American President Ackerman). The player-led coalition is able to retake the port of Gibraltar. The coalition then mounts an attack on the fortress in the North Atlantic and successfully disables it. At this time, Ackerman becomes angry at Bingham for his allying with the Soviets, instead of destroying them. He takes the initiative to destroy Moscow
with a laser superweapon controlled in Mount Rushmore
. Bingham sends the player to disable the weapon and its defenses, destroy the firebase and kill Ackerman.
in order to stop Cherdenko from fleeing to outer space. In the end, Cherdenko and his General are placed in a Cryo-prison for life due to crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, Lt. Eva and Tanya both ask the Commander out to a date. The Vice President of the United States, played by David Hasselhoff
, then accepts power as the new American President in a public speech.
celebrating New Year. When the ruse is discovered, the city is ordered to be sacked. Emperor Yoshiro's tactics initially involve striking at symbolic targets such as important monuments to affect the will and morale of the Soviets—and later, the capturing of broadcasting stations in the United States for use in broadcasting propaganda against the Allies. On the other hand, the Emperor's less-traditional son, Crown Prince Tatsu, advocates the attacking of true military targets—though his father would typically overrule him and instead fight elsewhere. Crown Prince Tatsu is a robotic hedonist, and immerses himself in all things technological in his efforts of modernising the army.
As the Empire of the Rising Sun surges into Allied and Soviet territory the Allies make a desperate pact and try to gain enough forces to counterattack. The Emperor believes he has crushed all hope of freedom for the Allies. The Empire's forces take over much of western Russia and brutally massacre anyone who resists. Moskvins in the city of Odessa refuses to surrender and the city is destroyed by a three legged prototype robot named the Shogun Executioner. Landmarks such as a cathedral, an opera hall, and a hospital are targets for destruction. However, the Emperor's complacency soon forces the Empire onto the defensive against the forces of the Allies, who still had enough strength to mount full-scale attacks on Pearl Harbor
at the Imperial islands of Hawaii
and on one of the Empire's Floating Fortresses in the Pacific. Though both attacks are repelled and Hollywood taken, a joint Allied+Soviet task force successfully gains a foothold in Yokohama.
In the final mission, the player is ordered to launch an attack against the remaining Allied forces in Amsterdam as they make their last stand defending the Allied Headquarters as well as FutureTech, the company responsible for much of the Allied technological advances. Fierce house to house fighting results in destroying all of the city and millions of deaths (including Bingham, Giles and Warren). Despite the Allies being outnumbered at least four hundred to one, most of the Japanese invasion force is annihilated. Despite Dr. Zelinsky's arrival with Soviet reinforcements and the deployment of a prototype FutureTech ultraweapon that annihilates everything in the city, the Empire succeeds in defeating the Allies and destroying FutureTech and what remains of the Soviets leaving the Empire of the Rising Sun, free to rule the world. The Commander is given the title of "Supreme Shogun
". The commander's briefer, Intelligence Officer Suki Toyama, invites the commander to a private spot on the north shore of Oahu
for some time off, heavily implying that she has romantic feelings for him.
returned to write three tracks for the game. When interviewed regarding the matter, Klepacki indicated a strong desire to contribute more, but admitted that due to the fact that he is no longer being employed by Electronic Arts and currently works for Petroglyph Games, this may be contractually impossible. At the RA3 Community Summit in June 2008, Klepacki showed a video to the entire C&C community in which he stated that he had been hired to work on Red Alert 3, and that he was composing Hell March 3, the most recent update of Red Alerts iconic theme.
In November 2008, Crispy Gamer reported that James Hannigan
and Timothy Michael Wynn
wrote the bulk of the game's remaining 114 minutes of music, with Hannigan composing the 'Soviet March' menu theme along with music for the Empire of the Rising Sun Faction, and Wynn the music of the Allies and the remaining Soviet tracks. Music4Games has also covered the game's music score.
The band From First to Last
composed several remix versions of "Hell March" and "Hell March 2", featured on the Red Alert 3 soundtrack shipped with the Red Alert 3 'Premier Edition'.
A song in the soundtrack by James Hannigan
is called "All Your Base Are Belong To Us
", a reference to Zero Wing
and the internet meme
.
' then executive producer
and C&C lead Mark Skaggs in December 2004, shortly after the release of Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth. However, Mark Skaggs left Electronic Arts for reasons unspecified shortly thereafter, and there was no mention of a "Red Alert 3" until February 12, 2008, when the US PC Gamer
's April issue cover was published on the Internet featuring the cover story "Red Alert 3". Red Alert 3 was then officially announced by Electronic Arts on February 14, 2008. On May 17 the first trailer was released.
or Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection by September 15, 2008 could participate in a multiplayer beta test. From July 24, 2008, people who registered their beta key started to receive an e-mail stating that the participants would start receiving their Key and Client Download link throughout late-July and August. FilePlanet
members were also able to participate in the beta, with keys available on a first-come, first-served basis from August 22, 2008. The Red Alert 3 Beta servers were closed on September 29, 2008.
software. The game will have to be activated the first time online, but can be activated and installed only five times per serial. Note that an activation is system targeted, so users can reinstall as often as they want on one computer but activate only on five different computers. After the fifth activation, consumers will be required to contact EA Customer Service for every additional activation. He has also stated that uninstalling the game will not return the used installation back to the user. However, after several patches released by EA, in the released game, uninstalls do return the installation back to the user.
In the aftermath of Spores SecuROM controversy, there was an outcry amongst some circles of customers who began threatening to boycott Red Alert 3 if this game was bundled with such digital rights management
mechanisms as well. In response, EA announced that in Red Alert 3 the activation limit would be increased from 3 to 5 activations per machine. Many customers remained unsatisfied, stating that for all intents and purposes they will be "renting" the game from EA at full price. The 1.05 patch provided users the ability to de-authorize the game in the game settings menu.
Prior to the game's release, Corry noted the longevity of other Command & Conquer titles and acknowledged that it was unlikely that authentication servers would remain online in years to come, which would prevent future users from authenticating. Corry stated that "once the game has lived its natural life and the risk for piracy has died down, we... [will] decide to decommission the authentication servers [and] we will first make a patch available that will disable copy protection from the game."
On January 8, 2009, the game became available via the Steam platform with SecuROM
. However on February 19, 2009 a patch was released removing SecuROM from the game, it remains protected by the Steam DRM.
Later EA opened a page where the missing digit can be obtained without need to contact the support, but a free account on the EA site is required.
game, an exclusive multiplayer map, a bonus DVD containing various films, and Red Alert 3 desktop wallpapers.
.
In Taiwan
, an exclusive limited Premier Edition was released, featuring an additional item, the Dicota Red Alert 3 backpack.
On September 18, 2008, EA announced that copies of Red Alert 3 would include a code to unlock an exclusive item in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
known as the "Kossar's Helm" for a limited time.
EA Singapore as well as 'Gamers.com.my' had also announced that they would be launching an exclusive Red Alert 3 Commander's Pack in Singapore
and Malaysia. It was launched on October 27, 2008 for Singapore and October 28, 2008 for Malaysia. This Commander's Pack includes the C&C Red Alert 3 Premier Edition, C&C Red Alert 3 Dicota Notebook BacPac, and a Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard with Garskin Red Alert 3 decals. Exclusive posters and Soviet T-Shirts were given to those who arrived earliest at the game's launch. A smaller and cheaper edition of the Commander's Pack called the Officer's Pack was also released. The Officer's Pack contained the C&C Red Alert 3 Premier Edition and C&C Red Alert 3 Dicota Notebook BacPac.
in March. According to senior development director David Seeholzer the visual quality of the game would stand up to HD Blu-ray definition.
According to EA, Red Alert 3 would have better graphics and performance on PlayStation 3 than the Xbox 360, thanks to the complex renderer from the PC version.
However, the request of many potential customers to take advantage of the PlayStation's capability of using a mouse and a keyboard for gaming purposes, even with threats of not buying the product, does not seem to be fulfilled. Seeholzer rather refers to the "step forward" made in developing the control interface for console, than giving a clear answer to the question in an interview with IGN.
. The decision by developers to use more "strip mines" instead of the traditional ore field has been met with mixed response.
2008 in video gaming
Notable events of 2008 in video gaming. See also history of video games. The release dates listed in this article are the games' original release dates.-Events:...
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
video game developed by EA Los Angeles
EA Los Angeles
EA Los Angeles is a video game developer founded originally in 1995 as DreamWorks Interactive LLC, a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG....
and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. Announced on February 14, 2008, it was released on October 28, 2008 in the United States for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based PCs
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and three days later in Europe. A version for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console was released in the U.S. on November 11. The PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version was delayed due to difficulties with the system's architecture. On January 21, 2009 EA officially announced Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Ultimate Edition, the PS3 version which contains bonus material extra to that of the Xbox 360 and PC versions. The Ultimate Edition has been released on March 23, 2009. Also announced for a late March release is the Mac OS version, converted to that platform by TransGaming
TransGaming Technologies
TransGaming Inc. is a company specialized in video game portability technology. The company has its head office in Toronto and a research hub in Ottawa. It was founded by Gavriel State, who ran the Linux product division at the Corel Corporation...
. The game forms a part of the Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert series
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a series of real time strategy video games set within the Command & Conquer universe. The series is well known for having some of the most quirky and outlandish units in the genre....
sub-series within the Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer, abbreviated to C&C and also known as Tiberian Dawn, is a 1995 real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios for MS-DOS and published by Virgin Interactive. It was the first of twelve games to date to be released under the Command & Conquer label, including a...
series of games. In early January, EA Los Angeles
EA Los Angeles
EA Los Angeles is a video game developer founded originally in 1995 as DreamWorks Interactive LLC, a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG....
announced a new addition to the game: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – Uprising, a stand-alone single player expansion pack that was released for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
in March 2009. It was offered via digital distribution.
The game is set in a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
in which World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
never happened—in the original Red Alert, Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
travelled back in time and removed Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in the 1920s. After an Allied victory in Red Alert 2, the Soviet leaders travelled back in time and removed Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
in 1927, preventing the Allies from creating atomic weapons while the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
rose to power, battling the Allies in the 1950s. In this game, the Empire of the Rising Sun
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
rises to power as a threat as well (an unintentional result of the Soviets' time travelling). All three factions are playable, with the main gameplay involving constructing a base, gathering resources, and training armies composed of land, sea, and airborne units to defeat other players. Each faction has a fully co-operative campaign, playable with an artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
partner or with another human player online. These campaigns follow a storyline, with specific mission objectives and unit restrictions applied. Unrestricted skirmish play against the computer and multiplayer via LAN or online is also available.
The game received mostly positive reviews, with reviewers citing the co-operative and multiplayer components as strengths, along with the enhanced role of naval combat compared to other real-time strategy games. Commonly cited weaknesses included aspects such as unit pathfinding.
Gameplay
Red Alert 3 retains the core RTS mechanics of the Command & Conquer series. Warring factions harvest resources using vulnerable collectors and then use those resources to construct military bases and forces on-site. Structures form a shallow but wide tech tree with a variety of units and elusive superweaponSuperweapon
A superweapon is an extremely powerful weapon by the standards of its time and its scale. Examples include the Tsar Bomba , various superguns and other various weapons employed to give a decisive advantage over opposing countries or forces. The given advantage is usually based on intimidation and...
s. Weapon types are specialized to the point where a rifleman can withstand direct hits from an anti-tank cannon. Red Alert 3s major refinements are the addition of the Empire of the Rising Sun to the factions of the sub-series (similar to what Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007...
did with the Scrin faction), a co-operative campaign, and expanded naval warfare.
The "single-player" campaign is now fully co-operative. Each mission is played alongside an ally. When played online, this is another human player. Offline it is one of several computer-controlled characters. Teams share income and generally start with the same forces. Computerized characters can be given simple commands, such as an order to take a specific position or to strike a specific target. The campaign has nine missions for each side. Each side's plotlines are mutually exclusive, unlike Tiberium Wars and its preceding and following
Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is an expansion pack for the 2007 real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Developed by Electronic Arts Los Angeles and BreakAway Games studios, it was released on March 24, 2008 in the United States and on March 28, 2008 in Europe by...
expansion packs, but like the rest of the Command & Conquer games.
Naval warfare is emphasized as another front. Executive producer Chris Corry has stated that many units are now amphibious, trading effectiveness for increased flexibility. Buildings and entire bases can be constructed on water, save for such things as ground or naval unit production facilities (e.g. tank factories are ground-only, but Tsunami tanks are amphibious and can be produced in Naval Yards), and players who "ignore the ocean [are] likely forfeiting a significant part of their potential economy to their opponents." Further stressing this is the fact that, despite some campaign maps being entirely land based, all multiplayer maps have significant bodies of water in them.
The use of naval units and various unit abilities also helped players counter attack their opponent's units specific to that units strongpoint, for example a Soviet Stingray's second ability Tesla Surge sends a surge of electricity in the tesla boat's area, damaging units from attack dolphins to terror drones.
Manually controlled secondary abilities are common to each and every unit in the game. Their usage varies: some are toggled on or off, others are targeted, and still others are triggered the instant one presses the button. Imperial construction vehicles is able to deploy into buildings at any specified locations, a Soviet Hammer tank can leech HP from enemies (and allies as well) and, upon their destruction, their weapons to augment itself, and an Allied artillery piece can engage its shields with a button press but with a cooldown period before they can be used again. All abilities are bound to the same key. The game also features experience points that are used to upgrade unit types and to buy "commander abilities," which call in air strikes, recon sweeps, magnetic satellite beams, etc. Commander abilities have no resource costs but do have significant cooldown periods.
Ore fields as resource sites have been removed. These originated in the first Red Alert as a functionally identical equivalent to tiberium
Tiberium
Tiberium or Ichor is a fictional substance that is central to the plot of much of the Command & Conquer series of real-time strategy video games...
, and what were ostensibly strip mines had ore growing out of the ground. Gameplay mechanics haven't changed a great deal since fields have been replaced with stationary ore mines. Strategic ore-refinery placement and covert refining are impacted to an extent.
Design
The first Red AlertCommand & Conquer: Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy computer game of the Command & Conquer franchise, produced by Westwood Studios and released by Virgin Interactive in...
revolved around a down-to-earth World War II between the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
(including Germany) and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, with some high-tech esoterica, such as weaponized tesla coil
Tesla coil
A Tesla coil is a type of resonant transformer circuit invented by Nikola Tesla around 1891. It is used to produce high voltage, low current, high frequency alternating current electricity. Tesla coils produce higher current than the other source of high voltage discharges, electrostatic machines...
s linked to Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
's abortive death rays, limited time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
linked to the rumored Philadelphia Experiment
Philadelphia Experiment
The Philadelphia Experiment is the name of an alleged naval military experiment said to have been carried out at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA sometime around October 28, 1943. It is alleged that the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Eldridge was to be rendered...
, and force fields. Red Alert 2 featured a Soviet invasion of North America with tanks, conscripts, gargantuan airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s, and psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
ally dominated anti-ship giant squid
Giant squid
The giant squid is a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, represented by as many as eight species...
s; its expansion, Yuri's Revenge
Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge
In Command and Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, the true story starts off assuming the Allies won in Red Alert 2. The plot is based around Yuri, the former head of the Soviet Psychic Corps, coming out of hiding to take over the world by using his Psychic Dominators...
, escalated matters up to UFO
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
s and Soviets on the Moon
Soviet space program
The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991...
. Executive producer Chris Corry stated in a pre-release interview that Red Alert 3 will further differentiate the playable factions from each other and "[play] up the silliness in their faction design whenever possible."
The Soviets and Allies have a mix of old and new features. Soviet units lean towards ruthlessness and brute force: giant Kirov airships are retained and flak troopers are now penal troops
Penal military unit
Penal battalions, penal companies, etc., are military formations consisting of convicted persons for which military service in such units was either the assigned punishment or an alternative to imprisonment or the death penalty.-Nazi Germany:...
, while attack dogs are an Allied unit that the Soviets have replaced with functionally identical armored attack bears. New units include heavy tanks known as "Hammer Tanks" that can tear weapons from the enemies they destroy with a magnetic beam, light anti-infantry walkers known as "Sickles" that can jump over terrain elevations, the amphibious "Stingray" attack boats with twin-mounted tesla coils, and amphibious AA-only "Bullfrog" transports that can only shoot their passengers out of a "man cannon". The Soviets have lost their nuclear technology due to the events of the backstory, but can leverage their simple tech, cheap units and "quick fix" structures like the Super Reactor and Crusher Crane, enabling them to easily overwhelm enemy bases. Soviet armour are considerably tougher than Allied and Japanese on the whole, and augmented with their infamous Iron Curtain, can be extremely dangerous.
A major revampment from Red Alert 2 is the Soviet airforce: in addition to Kirovs, the Soviets have access to MiG (Mikevich and Guroyan) fighters and versatile attack helicopters. In lieu of nuclear bombs, the Soviets have developed the Vacuum Imploder, a warhead which sucks humans, vehicles and damage buildings into a dense hole before exploding.
The Allies come with a wide variety of gadgetry (mostly nonlethal), much of it as a comeback of Red Alert 2
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
s with weapon-scrambling rays, unarmed helicopters with freeze and shrink rays, and an amphibious destroyer with treads and magnetic armor that can draw enemy fire. Allied units have a variety of different accents and "good guy" overtones: their basic infantry unit is the Peacekeeper, which seems to have been derived from riot police. Red Alert 2s advanced chrono-technology has been largely but not completely lost, so that the Chronosphere unit remains and the returning Tanya unit is now equipped with a "time belt" that allows her to wind her location and health back a few seconds. Allied advances are driven by the FutureTech corporation in Einstein's absence. Since the tech and base building takes some time the Allies are more patience-friendly. The Allies' predominant strength is in air forces, with the best selection of aircraft available ranging from bombers to air superiority fighters.
The Allies' ultimate weapon is now the Proton Collider, a cannon which utilises unknown physics to cause great destruction at an atomic level.
The Empire of the Rising Sun has infantrymen in samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
armor with energy rifles and lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
s, giant transforming mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
, ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
s, a psionic schoolgirl, and submersible planes/flying submarines. Several of the Empire's key units can change forms to switch from land-to-air or sea-to-air, giving them much greater versatility than Allied or Soviet units. Conversely, some of their "core units" are weaker than their counterparts, forcing the player to produce them in large numbers or use them effectively with support.
Japanese naval units however are considerably capable, from dedicated anti-ship cruisers to heavy battleships. Their forward bases are easy to build and fully functional bases don't take much power. Their buildings also have no proximity requirements, allowing the Empire to expand its bases much more quickly and efficiently—and by extension to nab ore mines faster. Being in the altered timeline, the Japanese are now masters of psychic/psionic weaponry, not only in their commando, but in the Psionic Decimator. This ultimate weapon launches a wave of energy which can level a base. They are also equipped with a Nanoswarm, a machine that generates a nanoparticle shield, similar to an Iron Curtain, but is non-moving and prevents anything coming in or out.
The campaign mode maintains the theme of camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
warfare played perfectly straight, with the occasional secret volcano lair, android infiltrator (Empire of the Rising Sun campaign) or an anti-Soviet madman (Allies; has to be killed) as the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, and more than one thing shooting lasers out of its eyes. It also uses Full motion video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
s featuring real-life actors. Filming started in April 2008.
Plot
The central premise of all three campaigns is the same, although each follows a different variation of the storyline. Facing defeat at the hands of the Allies (presumably after the end of Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge), Soviet General Nikolai Krukov and Colonel Anatoly Cherdenko use a time machineTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
beneath the Kremlin to travel back to Brussels in the year 1927 at the International Physics Conference and eliminate Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
. This prevents him from creating the technology that allowed the Allies to defeat the Soviet Union in the previous games. Returning to the present, General Krukov discovers that Cherdenko is the Premier of the Soviet Union and that the Soviets are on the brink of conquering Europe. However in this alternate timeline a new faction,
the Empire of the Rising Sun, has risen in Japan who declare war on the Soviets and Allies desiring complete world domination, something they perceive as their Divine Destiny. The world is then plunged into a three-way war between the Soviet Union, the Allies and the Empire.
Soviet Union
In the Soviet campaign, Cherdenko first sends the newly appointed Soviet Commander to expel the Japanese forces from Soviet territory in LeningradLeningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
and various Soviet territories like Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
and the outskirts of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, subsequently invading Japan and killing Emperor Yoshiro before continuing the attack against the Allies. The Soviet invasion force lands on Mt. Fuji, although nearly all of it is destroyed. However, it turns out to be a decoy like the second mission and the Japanese revealed a huge base further north, and three Japanese Commanders appear, intent on destroying the Soviet forces there. As the Emperor's palace is destroyed, an armoured trooper appears and it turns out to be Yoshiro. As he advances on the player's base, the ally finishes off the Japanese bases. Soon Yoshiro is dead.
No Alliance with the Allies
The Allied base and research facilities at Geneva and Mykonos are crushed to death. Faking an attempt on his life as an excuse to remove his enemies, Cherdenko has the player kill General Krukov at the Von Esling Airbase, along with the deceased Giles Price at his side. Dr. Gregor Zelinsky, the scientist who created the time machine informs the player that the events that occurred happened only because the Soviets tried to alter the past, and that Cherdenko was originally not the Soviet Premier. Cherdenko tries and fails to kill the player after this, feeling that the player knowing that information is too dangerous. Cherdenko is presumed dead after the player destroys his volcano-fortress after Field Marshal Bingham is killed at Easter Islands in a treaty turning out to be luring him. After dealing with Cherdenko, the player follows with an attack on New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in order to force the Allies to surrender under President Ackerman. The war ends with the player becoming the next Premier of the Soviet Union, which encompasses the entire world as there is no one left to stop a huge Soviet expansion.
Allies
The Allied campaign sees Field MarshalField Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Robert Bingham first ordering the player to secure European Allied borders. The player repels the Soviet invasion at Brighton Beach, then recaptured Cannes to rescue Allied leaders and destroying the Soviet HQ at Heidelberg. However, these battles leave both sides vulnerable, allowing the Empire of the Rising Sun to send its floating fortresses to blockade the Allies and the Soviets. This prompts the Allies and Soviets to join forces to counter the Empire (despite the protests of American President Ackerman). The player-led coalition is able to retake the port of Gibraltar. The coalition then mounts an attack on the fortress in the North Atlantic and successfully disables it. At this time, Ackerman becomes angry at Bingham for his allying with the Soviets, instead of destroying them. He takes the initiative to destroy Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with a laser superweapon controlled in Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States...
. Bingham sends the player to disable the weapon and its defenses, destroy the firebase and kill Ackerman.
From Tokyo to Leningrad
With the alliance secured, the Allies plan an attack on Tokyo in order to wipe out the entire Empire military leadership with one stroke. It's a critical battle because the Japanese High Command is about to order the destruction of several Western cities. Around this time, the Soviets led by General Krukov and Anatoly Cherdenko were supposed to bring the "entire might" of the Soviet navy to assist the Allied forces. After a delay, the Soviets noted that with their fleet so far away and with them experiencing "personnel troubles", they decided not to participate and would leave the player alone to deal with the Empire's forces. After the battle, Dr. Zelinsky defects to the Allies, informing them of the Soviet Premier having traveled back in time to alter the present, the complications due to the use of the time machine, and warns them of a Soviet invasion force building up in Cuba, proving that Ackerman was right in his belief before his death and that the Soviets have betrayed them. After destroying the invasion force in Cuba, the Allies teleported their forces to destroy Premier Cherdenko's fortress in LeningradLeningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
in order to stop Cherdenko from fleeing to outer space. In the end, Cherdenko and his General are placed in a Cryo-prison for life due to crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, Lt. Eva and Tanya both ask the Commander out to a date. The Vice President of the United States, played by David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
, then accepts power as the new American President in a public speech.
Empire of the Rising Sun
The Empire of the Rising Sun campaign begins with a full-scale invasion of the Soviet Union, just as the Soviets are pushing the Allies to the brink of defeat at Brighton Beach in southern England. The invasion starts with a disguised transport slipped into a coastal Soviet city of VorkutaVorkuta
Vorkuta is a coal-mining town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin at the Usa River. Population: - Labor camp origins :...
celebrating New Year. When the ruse is discovered, the city is ordered to be sacked. Emperor Yoshiro's tactics initially involve striking at symbolic targets such as important monuments to affect the will and morale of the Soviets—and later, the capturing of broadcasting stations in the United States for use in broadcasting propaganda against the Allies. On the other hand, the Emperor's less-traditional son, Crown Prince Tatsu, advocates the attacking of true military targets—though his father would typically overrule him and instead fight elsewhere. Crown Prince Tatsu is a robotic hedonist, and immerses himself in all things technological in his efforts of modernising the army.
As the Empire of the Rising Sun surges into Allied and Soviet territory the Allies make a desperate pact and try to gain enough forces to counterattack. The Emperor believes he has crushed all hope of freedom for the Allies. The Empire's forces take over much of western Russia and brutally massacre anyone who resists. Moskvins in the city of Odessa refuses to surrender and the city is destroyed by a three legged prototype robot named the Shogun Executioner. Landmarks such as a cathedral, an opera hall, and a hospital are targets for destruction. However, the Emperor's complacency soon forces the Empire onto the defensive against the forces of the Allies, who still had enough strength to mount full-scale attacks on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
at the Imperial islands of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and on one of the Empire's Floating Fortresses in the Pacific. Though both attacks are repelled and Hollywood taken, a joint Allied+Soviet task force successfully gains a foothold in Yokohama.
The Last Three Battles
Having replaced President Ackerman with an android doppelganger, the Emperor learns of Zelinsky's defection and how he helped Cherdenko alter history through time-travel. This devastates the Emperor, as there can be no Divine Destiny if history can be altered. He surrenders command of the Shogunate (the Empire's military leader) to his son, destroying the android Ackerman in the process before the eyes of Cherdenko's scientist and Bingham were very surprising. Under Prince Tatsu's command, the Allied+Soviet invasion of Yokohama is repelled, and a full-scale attack on the Kremlin results in the deaths of Premier Cherdenko and General Krukov. Despite a last minute attempt to airlift the time machine to safety after the Kremlin's destruction on a KA-65 Twinblade. This ends the battle against the Soviets with the Soviet Union (and their allies) surrendering to the Empire. The Empire's continued success allows Yoshiro to overcome his guilt and opens him to Tatsu's idea that the Empire can create its own destiny.In the final mission, the player is ordered to launch an attack against the remaining Allied forces in Amsterdam as they make their last stand defending the Allied Headquarters as well as FutureTech, the company responsible for much of the Allied technological advances. Fierce house to house fighting results in destroying all of the city and millions of deaths (including Bingham, Giles and Warren). Despite the Allies being outnumbered at least four hundred to one, most of the Japanese invasion force is annihilated. Despite Dr. Zelinsky's arrival with Soviet reinforcements and the deployment of a prototype FutureTech ultraweapon that annihilates everything in the city, the Empire succeeds in defeating the Allies and destroying FutureTech and what remains of the Soviets leaving the Empire of the Rising Sun, free to rule the world. The Commander is given the title of "Supreme Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
". The commander's briefer, Intelligence Officer Suki Toyama, invites the commander to a private spot on the north shore of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
for some time off, heavily implying that she has romantic feelings for him.
Cast
[UR] means this character also appears in Red Alert 3 – Uprising.Soviet Union
- Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
as Premier Anatoly Cherdenko - Andrew DivoffAndrew DivoffAndrew Daniel Divoff is a Venezuelan film and television actor, best known for playing the evil Djinn in the two first Wishmaster films and the villains Cherry Ganz in Another 48 Hrs., Boris Bazylev in Air Force One, Ivan Sarnoff in CSI: Miami and Mikhail Bakunin in Lost.- Early life :Divoff was...
as General Boris Krukov - Peter StormarePeter Stormareis a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
as Dr. Gregor Zelinsky - Ivana MiličevićIvana Milicevic-Early life:Miličević was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to a Croatian family, the daughter of Tonka, a homemaker, and Damir Miličević, a slaughterhouse worker and entrepreneur. She emigrated to the United States at the age of five and was raised in Michigan...
as Dasha Fedorovich [UR] - Gina CaranoGina CaranoGina Joy Carano is an American model, actress, and mixed martial arts fighter. Carano appeared as the Gladiator "Crush" on American Gladiators...
as Natasha Volkova - Dimitri Diatchenko as Commander Oleg Vodnik [UR]
- Gene Farber as Commander Nikolai Moskvin [UR]
- Vanessa BranchVanessa BranchVanessa Lynn Branch is a British-American actress and model. She is best known in North America as the Orbit Gum television commercial woman .-Life and career:...
as Commander Zhana Agonskaya - Stelio SavanteStelio SavanteStelio Savante is a South African actor, producer, and writer living in the United States. He is a native English speaker and fluent in Afrikaans and Greek. In 2007 he became the first male South African born SAG award nominee. For his recurring role on Ugly Betty...
as Sergei
Allied Nations
- Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
as Field Marshal Robert Bingham - J. K. SimmonsJ. K. SimmonsJonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television as Dr. Emil Skoda in NBC's Law & Order , Assistant Police Chief Will Pope in TNT's The Closer, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, on film as J...
as President Howard T. Ackerman - Jenny McCarthyJenny McCarthyJennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
as Special Agent Tanya - Gemma AtkinsonGemma AtkinsonGemma Louise Atkinson is an English actress, television personality and glamour and lingerie model.-Personal life:...
as Lieutenant Eva McKenna [UR] - Autumn ReeserAutumn ReeserAutumn Alicia Reeser is an American actress and blogger. She has portrayed Taylor Townsend on the Fox series The O.C., Lizzie Grant on HBO's Entourage and most recently appeared as Katie Andrews on ABC's No Ordinary Family....
as Commander Lissette Hanley - Randy CoutureRandy CoutureRandy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
as Commander Warren Fuller - Greg EllisGreg Ellis (actor)Greg Ellis is an English actor known for his TV, movie, and video game voice over work. He has appeared in films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the 2009 Star Trek film , Titanic, Beowulf, To End All Wars, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith...
as Commander Giles Price [UR]
Empire of the Rising Sun
- George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
as Emperor Yoshiro - Ron YuanRon YuanRonald Winston "Ron" Yuan is an American actor, martial artist and stunt choreographer.Yuan was born in New York City, New York, the son of Theresa and Joseph Yuan, and the brother of actor Roger Yuan.-Filmography:...
as Crown Prince Tatsu [UR] - Kelly HuKelly HuKelly Ann Hu is an American actress and former fashion model. She was Miss Teen USA 1985 and Miss Hawaii USA 1993.-Early life:Hu was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Juanita, an engineering drafter for Honolulu, and Herbert Hu, a salesman and exotic bird breeder; the two divorced during...
as Intelligence Officer Suki Toyama - Bruce Asato Locke as Commander Shinzo Nagama [UR]
- Jack J. YangJack J. Yang-Filmography:*The Yellow Truth as Jack *Shadow Chaser *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Ricky Yao *Skin Trade as The Designer *The Seat Filler as Page *CSI: Miami as Shawn Kimsey...
as Commander Kenji Tenzai [UR] - Lydia Look as Commander Naomi Shirada
- Lisa Tamashiro as Yuriko Omega (voice only) [UR]
Soundtrack
Composer Frank KlepackiFrank Klepacki
Frank Klepacki is an American musician, video game music composer and sound director best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series. Having learned to play drums as a child, he joined Westwood Studios as a composer when he was only 17 years old...
returned to write three tracks for the game. When interviewed regarding the matter, Klepacki indicated a strong desire to contribute more, but admitted that due to the fact that he is no longer being employed by Electronic Arts and currently works for Petroglyph Games, this may be contractually impossible. At the RA3 Community Summit in June 2008, Klepacki showed a video to the entire C&C community in which he stated that he had been hired to work on Red Alert 3, and that he was composing Hell March 3, the most recent update of Red Alerts iconic theme.
In November 2008, Crispy Gamer reported that James Hannigan
James Hannigan
James Hannigan is an award-winning British film, television and video game composer who has composed music for various entries in the Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Command & Conquer, Wing Commander, Warhammer and Grand Prix series' of games.-Career:Notable early game credits of Hannigan...
and Timothy Michael Wynn
Timothy Michael Wynn
Timothy Michael Wynn is a musical composer for films, television shows, and video games.His past and current projects include Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, The Simpsons Game, Red Faction Guerilla, Warhawk, Odyssey: Driving Around the World TV Series, Tiberium, The Punisher, Gun , Supernatural, Dr...
wrote the bulk of the game's remaining 114 minutes of music, with Hannigan composing the 'Soviet March' menu theme along with music for the Empire of the Rising Sun Faction, and Wynn the music of the Allies and the remaining Soviet tracks. Music4Games has also covered the game's music score.
The band From First to Last
From First to Last
From First to Last was an American rock band based out of Los Angeles, originally hailing from Valdosta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida. The band released their first EP titled Aesthetic in 2003 with vocalist Phillip Reardon, followed by Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count in 2004 and Heroine in...
composed several remix versions of "Hell March" and "Hell March 2", featured on the Red Alert 3 soundtrack shipped with the Red Alert 3 'Premier Edition'.
A song in the soundtrack by James Hannigan
James Hannigan
James Hannigan is an award-winning British film, television and video game composer who has composed music for various entries in the Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Command & Conquer, Wing Commander, Warhammer and Grand Prix series' of games.-Career:Notable early game credits of Hannigan...
is called "All Your Base Are Belong To Us
All your base are belong to us
"All your base are belong to us" is a broken English phrase that became an Internet phenomenon or meme in 2000–2002...
", a reference to Zero Wing
Zero Wing
is a 1989 side-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Toaplan and published by Taito. The player is a lone hero who will save the universe from an evil force....
and the internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
.
Development
A third Red Alert game was unofficially announced by Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
' then executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and C&C lead Mark Skaggs in December 2004, shortly after the release of Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth. However, Mark Skaggs left Electronic Arts for reasons unspecified shortly thereafter, and there was no mention of a "Red Alert 3" until February 12, 2008, when the US PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
's April issue cover was published on the Internet featuring the cover story "Red Alert 3". Red Alert 3 was then officially announced by Electronic Arts on February 14, 2008. On May 17 the first trailer was released.
Public beta testing
A public beta test was announced on February 2008, stating that PC users who registered a code contained in Command & Conquer 3: Kane's WrathCommand & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is an expansion pack for the 2007 real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Developed by Electronic Arts Los Angeles and BreakAway Games studios, it was released on March 24, 2008 in the United States and on March 28, 2008 in Europe by...
or Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection by September 15, 2008 could participate in a multiplayer beta test. From July 24, 2008, people who registered their beta key started to receive an e-mail stating that the participants would start receiving their Key and Client Download link throughout late-July and August. FilePlanet
FilePlanet
FilePlanet is a video game download service that provides demos, patches, mods and other gaming media and other gaming media downloads to its users. FilePlanet was launched, and is run by, GameSpy, which is now a subsidiary of IGN, and is one of the most used video game download sites on the...
members were also able to participate in the beta, with keys available on a first-come, first-served basis from August 22, 2008. The Red Alert 3 Beta servers were closed on September 29, 2008.
SecuROM
Executive producer Chris Corry stated that Red Alert 3 would come bundled with the controversial SecuROMSecuROM
SecuROM is a CD/DVD copy protection and digital rights management product developed by Sony DADC. SecuROM aims to resist home media duplication devices, professional duplicators, and attempts at reverse engineering software. It is most often used for commercial computer games running under the...
software. The game will have to be activated the first time online, but can be activated and installed only five times per serial. Note that an activation is system targeted, so users can reinstall as often as they want on one computer but activate only on five different computers. After the fifth activation, consumers will be required to contact EA Customer Service for every additional activation. He has also stated that uninstalling the game will not return the used installation back to the user. However, after several patches released by EA, in the released game, uninstalls do return the installation back to the user.
In the aftermath of Spores SecuROM controversy, there was an outcry amongst some circles of customers who began threatening to boycott Red Alert 3 if this game was bundled with such digital rights management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
mechanisms as well. In response, EA announced that in Red Alert 3 the activation limit would be increased from 3 to 5 activations per machine. Many customers remained unsatisfied, stating that for all intents and purposes they will be "renting" the game from EA at full price. The 1.05 patch provided users the ability to de-authorize the game in the game settings menu.
Prior to the game's release, Corry noted the longevity of other Command & Conquer titles and acknowledged that it was unlikely that authentication servers would remain online in years to come, which would prevent future users from authenticating. Corry stated that "once the game has lived its natural life and the risk for piracy has died down, we... [will] decide to decommission the authentication servers [and] we will first make a patch available that will disable copy protection from the game."
On January 8, 2009, the game became available via the Steam platform with SecuROM
SecuROM
SecuROM is a CD/DVD copy protection and digital rights management product developed by Sony DADC. SecuROM aims to resist home media duplication devices, professional duplicators, and attempts at reverse engineering software. It is most often used for commercial computer games running under the...
. However on February 19, 2009 a patch was released removing SecuROM from the game, it remains protected by the Steam DRM.
CD key
There has also been a stated issue with a "limited" number of copies of the game shipping with the last digit of the CD key missing from the manual. EA's initial response was to "Guess" the last digit as a workaround, but this was revised shortly after this was made public, to:If you are trying to install Command and Conquer Red Alert 3 and the code is only 19 characters long, then it is missing the last letter or number. This was due to a misprint on a small number of manuals and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
In order to get a replacement code, please click the "Contact Us" link on the left side of the page to send an e-mail to our team.
If you would like you can also contact us by phone using the number found on page 28 of your manual.
Later EA opened a page where the missing digit can be obtained without need to contact the support, but a free account on the EA site is required.
Marketing
Red Alert 3 could be preordered from August 20, 2008 and contained bonuses including the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a 2.5D real-time strategy computer game by Westwood Studios, which was released for Microsoft Windows on October 23, 2000 as the follow-up to Command & Conquer: Red Alert. Set in the early 1970s, Red Alert 2 supposedly picks up at the conclusion of the Allied...
game, an exclusive multiplayer map, a bonus DVD containing various films, and Red Alert 3 desktop wallpapers.
Premier Edition
The Red Alert 3 Premier Edition features a soundtrack CD (including remixes of "Hell March" and "Hell March 2"), and a bonus DVD containing making-of documentaries, footage from the developers, scenes from the shooting of the game's cinematics, and strategy tips. The game also includes a code for the download of exclusive multiplayer maps and a key for a beta of a future Command and Conquer game. It comes in a Soviet-themed tin case with a poster of the women in Red Alert 3. In the UK, the Premier Edition is exclusive to retailer GAMEGAME (retailer)
The Game Group plc is a British video games retail company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index....
.
In Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, an exclusive limited Premier Edition was released, featuring an additional item, the Dicota Red Alert 3 backpack.
On September 18, 2008, EA announced that copies of Red Alert 3 would include a code to unlock an exclusive item in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy setting. It was developed by Mythic Entertainment and simultaneously released in North and South Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand on September 18, 2008...
known as the "Kossar's Helm" for a limited time.
EA Singapore as well as 'Gamers.com.my' had also announced that they would be launching an exclusive Red Alert 3 Commander's Pack in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia. It was launched on October 27, 2008 for Singapore and October 28, 2008 for Malaysia. This Commander's Pack includes the C&C Red Alert 3 Premier Edition, C&C Red Alert 3 Dicota Notebook BacPac, and a Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard with Garskin Red Alert 3 decals. Exclusive posters and Soviet T-Shirts were given to those who arrived earliest at the game's launch. A smaller and cheaper edition of the Commander's Pack called the Officer's Pack was also released. The Officer's Pack contained the C&C Red Alert 3 Premier Edition and C&C Red Alert 3 Dicota Notebook BacPac.
Ultimate Edition
On January 21, 2009 EA announced that Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition would be released on PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in March. According to senior development director David Seeholzer the visual quality of the game would stand up to HD Blu-ray definition.
According to EA, Red Alert 3 would have better graphics and performance on PlayStation 3 than the Xbox 360, thanks to the complex renderer from the PC version.
However, the request of many potential customers to take advantage of the PlayStation's capability of using a mouse and a keyboard for gaming purposes, even with threats of not buying the product, does not seem to be fulfilled. Seeholzer rather refers to the "step forward" made in developing the control interface for console, than giving a clear answer to the question in an interview with IGN.
Reception
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 has received generally positive reviews, citing a strong cooperative and multiplayer component. Although the game does not innovate much on its two predecessors and basically follows the same road of Red Alert 2, this wasn't seen as a bad thing by everyone. It has been praised for seamlessly integrating naval warfare into gameplay, generally a neglected feature in real-time strategy games, though alternately excessive focus on this aspect has been criticized as well. The game has been praised for its less serious story and brighter, more colorful environments than those found in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007...
. The decision by developers to use more "strip mines" instead of the traditional ore field has been met with mixed response.