Command & Conquer - The First Decade

Command & Conquer - The First Decade is a compilation pack, containing every single game in one of the world’s greatest game series ever made. And what more, it’s not even at the price of a full, new game. There is no excuse for any gamer not to own this piece of gaming history, let alone a RTS fan. After all, CnC has always been one of the greatest RTS series with great games spawning over a entire decade.

This is just the first decade though, as the title of this game compilation form heaven suggests more CnC games will come in the future, and we can only hope they will. I know some people complained about some of the later games in the series, but as far as I know, all the games in the CnC series have been well above decent and had tons of value for any RTS fan. If you truly appreciate a good game, any CnC game will deliver.

CnC was also the game series to show us that FMV’s in games, was not necessary a bad thing. Sure, they never won and Oscar, but they absolutely helped put a lot of attitude and style into the games. I also want to mention the music of the games in the series, music that really made you feel like you could take on the world and that send a shiver down your spine even though you heard them about a 100 times.

So, what about the actual gameplay? Straight RTS at its best! The games was for the most part balanced (with a few exceptions of course), and each sides had its personality in all three universes of the CnC universe. You just can’t forget Kane, or the Global Defence Initiative in the Tiberian universe. Or what happens if you erase Hitler from time, only to have Stalin take his place in the history books in Red alert. Or just the Generals of the modern battlefield, complete with the almighty USA, some mad terrorists and off course he communistic China.

As for units and scenarios, everyone has their favourites. I always liked the Tesla Coil, and who doesn’t? Another favourite of mine is the Helix helicopter in Generals. And who didn’t walk their troops into a Stealth Tank squadron at the least once? The units were always both innovative and interesting. Most of them really representing that their army stood for, and as far as other gameplay features go, buildings had a system that worked well, resource gathering was often well thought of and really evolved over the years. Not to mention all the value in playing several intense and well made campaigns, as well as hectic multiplayer matches against your friends and enemies.

Command & Conquer - The First Decade is something you should really owe yourself own. Considering for what you get for the money, it should be worth you money no mater if you’re a old-time fan back from the Tiberian Dawn days, or a new RTS fan that tried some of the newer RTS games, like perhaps CnC Generals, this is a great opportunity to appoint yourself with games that helped make the genre what it is and that have pleased fans of RTS and gaming in general, for well over a decade. The games aren’t new, you have probably been playing them before and RTS might not be everyone’s coup of tea. But hey, this is a part of gaming history, to a low price and that easily can give any gamer, new or old, hours of fun even today.

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“He who controls the past, commands the future. He who commands the future, conquers the past.”

-Kane