We knew it was coming...we just didn't expect it so soon.
April 28, 2000
Last
night, Westwood held the first public showing of Red Alert 2 (and when I
say public I mean it was a private viewing to a few select members of
the press). I have to say what I saw was pretty impressive. The team has
been working on the game in secrecy for over a year and, while it's
based on the original Red Alert engine, the game looks completely
updated compared to its classic ancestor.
The story behind Red Alert 2 begins, not surprisingly, a few years after the end of the original. After Stalin was defeated in Red Alert, the Allies installed a puppet dictator, General Romanov, to oversee the Soviet reconstruction. Unfortunately, Romanov had plans of his own. Romanov rebuilds the Soviet army in his vision -- one of world domination. Since they just defeated their most feared enemy, the Allies have become complacent and relaxed during this time of peace, dropping their guard in the process. Romanov picks this time to attack the Allies...on their own soil.
Unlike the original Red Alert game, in which the battles took place on unrecognizable tracts of land, Red Alert 2 will take place in locales familiar to all. Expect to see battles in and around Washington D.C., Pearl Harbor, Chicago, New York City, Berlin, and Paris. How will you recognize these cities while you're duking it out? As Executive Producer Mark Skaggs explains it, "One thing we wanted to do with Red Alert 2 is let you fight around some familiar landmarks." And they've certainly accomplished this goal. In the demonstration last night we saw the White House get decimated by a nuke, the Statue of Liberty under attack by a horde of Soviet Kirov airships, and the Washington Monument fall to a massive tank rush. Just think how degrading it must be to see your national treasures fall to the might of a massive Soviet invasion!
One of the first things you'll notice about Red Alert 2 is that the camera has moved much further in on the action. "We wanted Red Alert 2 to be more in your face," explains Lead Designer Dustin Browder. Not only does this get you right into the thick of the battle, but it also let's you admire the game art in a way you never have before. Although the game is still a 2D RTS (which, personally I still prefer) with a mixture of sprite and voxel based units, the building and unit art is colorful and well detailed in Red Alert 2, and you just can't appreciate it as much when the camera is zoomed out as far as it was in its predecessor. Plus you'll be able to play the game in resolutions up to 1024x768, making for some tight graphics indeed.
The team has also updated the game interface to make it even easier to use. The interface now includes a tab feature to make it easier to find structures and units to build. The folks at Westwood have included a command bar at the bottom of the screen which makes many of the most commonly used commands -- such as select specific unit types, guard, deploy, setting beacons, and producing units -- available at the click of a mouse.
All of you RTS players out there know that the basis of any good RTS game boils down to the buildings and military units. It's these components that set the stage for the strategies that can be used in the game, and Westwood certainly isn't going to let us down when it comes to shear numbers of each. While Red Alert 2 will include many of the units and buildings we saw in the original, there's also a buttload of new additions to keep the tactics fresh and new. Here's an exhaustive list of just some of the units and structures we saw at last night's unveiling of Red Alert 2:
Allied Units
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GI
This armored, machine-gun toting unit is the standard Allied foot soldier. Better trained than the Soviet Conscript, the GI is more deadly than their Soviet counterparts. If no movement orders are given, GIs will deploy their bi-pod Browning .50 caliber machine guns and hold their ground.
Rocketeer
Similar to the Jump Jet infantry in Tiberian Sun, these bazooka armed
units can fly using their rocket packs.
Navy SEALs
Elite troopers that can swim. Watch out around the Soviet Giant Squid,
though, as the SEALs appear to be mighty tasty to the
gargantuan beasties.
Chrono Legionnaire
While there's an old saying, "Enjoy life, there's plenty of
time to be dead." The catch phrase of the Chrono Legionnaires may
very well be, "Enjoy life, for we have plenty of time to kill you
with." While the Chrono Legionnaire can't fire as fast as other
infantry units, a single hit can wipe a foe from history. Because of
their advanced time-warping technology, the Chrono Legionnaires can
also teleport around the map.
Spy
The spy returns in Red Alert 2. Like the name implies, the spy
specializes in espionage and subterfuge. Since the spy looks friendly
to enemy units, he can sneak into enemy bases undetected and interrupt
the enemies' power supply, steal technology, or transfer credits to
your account. The only good defense against the Allied spy is attack
dogs, who can smell the true face behind the façade.
Tanya
What would a Command & Conquer RTS be like without Tanya? The
cocky Tanya carries over much of the abilities she had in the previous
game, but now has the ability to swim and attach her deadly C4 charges
to enemy naval vessels as well as ground units and structures.
Chrono Miner
Everyone who has played any of the C&C games knows the Harvester
well. It's the vehicle that carries resources back to your base for
conversion into credits. The Harvesters in Red Alert 2 will see the
addition of a chrono generator that will allow it to move from the
mineral-rich fields to base in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, the
technology doesn't work in reverse, so you still have to drive back to
the field to extract resources.
Light Tank
While it doesn't pack the punch of the Grizzly Battle Tank, the Light
Tank is fast and fires quickly, making it a deadly foe en masse.
Grizzly Battle Tank
The Grizzly Battle Tank is the medium armored unit of the Allied
forces. It moves slow, hits hard, and is well armored.
Mine-Layer
Have you guessed what this unit does yet? That's right, you use it to
distribute ice cream to all the kiddies in the neighborhood. I mean it
lays mines. I always get those confused.
Intruder
The standard light aircraft used by the Allied side.
BlackHawk
The Allied attack helicopter.
Aircraft Carrier
Aircraft Carriers can launch an unlimited stream of planes from their
decks to fight the enemy forces.
Aegis Cruiser
The Aegis Cruiser is a naval unit that's the bane of air units
and missiles. While it's expensive, the Aegis can knock flying units
and missiles out of the air with one shot.
Dolphin
This ain't your standard ocean-bound, blowhole-equipped sea mammal.
These dolphins have been specially trained by the Allied forces to
emit a powerful sonic attack that can shake enemy units to pieces.
They can also use their sonic abilities to detect hidden enemy
submarines.
Soviet Units
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Attack Dogs
Trust us, their bite is much worse than their bark. Soviet attack dogs look at enemy troopers and see nothing but a walking, juicy steak. They can also be used to sniff out Allied spies.
Conscript
The basic foot soldier of the Soviet army. They're cheap, moderately
effective in groups, and expendable.
Paratrooper
Similar to the Conscript but with a big sheet of nylon strapped to his
back. As the Weather Girls would say, "It's raining men."
Tesla Troopers
While the shocking Tesla Troopers aren't new to the C&C universe,
they can now work in groups to transfer energy to the Soviet Tesla
Coils to increase their range and power.
Crazy Ivan
It's not yet known if Ivan actually has a malfunctioning brain or if
he's just constantly drunk on vodka. No matter though, as Crazy Ivan
is best known for the destructive bombs he likes to leave lying around
the battlefield.
Yuri
Yuri's not quite as crazy as Ivan, but he's just as deadly…just in a
different way. Yuri has mastered the mental arts and can produce a
psychic wave that instantly kills surrounding enemy infantry. Yuri has
also been known to take control of enemy units and bend their will to
his bidding. And you thought bending spoons with your mind was
impressive.
Terror Drone
Resembling a giant mechanical spider, the Terror Drone can invade
enemy mechanical units and tear them to pieces in a matter of seconds.
The only thing that can remove an implanted Terror Drone is a trip to
the Service Depot, so you better act quick if you value your units.
War Miner
The Soviet Harvester has been upgraded with more armor and a heavy gun
to ward off tank attacks in the field.
Amphibious MCV
The Amphibious MCV can move over land and water in the search for
suitable land on which to build remote Soviet bases.
Tesla Tank
Like the Tesla Troopers and Telsa Coil, the Tesla Tank uses electrical
energy to zap enemy units.
Rhino Heavy Tank
Big, slow, and powerful…just like the animal it's named for.
Apocalypse Atomic Tank
The Rhino may be big, but it's no Apocalypse. This is the largest
Soviet tank in existence, carrying a weapons compliment that includes
two cannons and a rocket launcher. Be scared little Allies, be very
scared.
V3 Rocket Launcher
The V3 is light, fast, and carries a powerful missile compliment which
can be used to quickly reduce enemy structures to rubble. Watch out
though, as the rockets aren't as accurate as some other means of
attack.
Kirov Airship
While it's slow, this blimp is fairly well armored and packs a hefty
payload of never-ending bombs. This makes the Kirov Airship the
perfect offense against Allied bases with no anti-air protection.
HIND Transport
If you want to move troops and take out a few enemy units in the
process, then this is the air unit you're looking for.
Typhoon Attack Sub
The Attack Sub is one of the stealthiest Soviet units. While
submerged, the Typhoon is almost undetectable. And when it surfaces,
watch out for its torpedoes and its heavy-caliber deck gun.
Dreadnought
A massive Soviet warship that fires devastating long range missiles.
The best defense against a force of Dreadnoughts is a number of Aegis
Cruisers.
Sea Scorpion
Like the Allied Aegis Cruiser, the Sea Scorpion fires anti-air
projectiles. They can also discharge explosive mines that can blow a
hole in the hull of naval units.
Giant Squid
Ever see 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? Well that squid was a wus
compared to these Soviet-trained, tentacle-endowed monstrosities.
These mind-controlled squid can attach themselves to Allied ships and
slow them down or even drag them to the briny depths.
Allied Structures
Construction Yard
The Construction Yard is the foundation of all bases. You must have a
Construction Yard to begin building, and if it gets destroyed or
captured, you're not going to be able to build any new structures.
Concrete Walls
Big walls made out of concrete. 'Nuff said.
Power Plant
Another building you're all probably already familiar with. This one
is really a no-brainer...it produces power for your base.
Advanced Power Plant
An enhanced Power Plant that -- surprise, surprise -- provides even
more power to your base than the regular Power Plant.
Barracks
The Barracks in Red Alert 2 serves the same function as it did in the
original. This is where you'll produce your infantry units.
War Factory
Like the Barracks, this is a carry over from the original game. This
is where all of your vehicle units will be built.
Battle Lab
An enhanced version of the War Factory which gives the Allied side
access to advanced vehicles.
Service Depot
The Service Depot repairs damaged vehicles and pulls double duty as a
re-supply depot for the Allied BlackHawk and Mine-Layer.
Naval Yard
Like the War Factory, but for building naval units.
Refinery
The Refinery is where your Chrono Miner will dock to convert resources
into credits. These credits can then be used to purchase units and
buildings.
Ore Purifier
The Allies have figured out a way to conserve resources for future
generations. With the ore purifying, each load of ore or gems will
yield 20% more credits than normal.
Pill-Box
A defensive structure that's most effective against infantry units.
Think big hole, big machine-gun, and lots of sandbags.
Patriot Missile Site
Another defensive structure that can take down enemy aircraft.
Solar Refractor
The Solar Refractor is a huge mirror and a lens that can divert the
energy of the sun and use it to melt enemy units. The beam of light
will continue to bounce until all of the energy is absorbed, causing
damage to several units in the process.
Prism Cannon
Like the Solar Refractor, the Prism Cannon is an offensive structure
which blasts enemy units with burning beams of light. These Prism
Cannons can be used in conjunction to create a more powerful beam of
energy.
Spy Satellite Uplink
This building clears the fog of war, revealing all of the terrain and
the entirety of the enemy units. Of course, if the Spy Satellite
Uplink is destroyed, the battlefield will once again be shrouded in
darkness.
Gap Generator
The Gap Generator can cloak any number of Allied units within a
limited radius. You can also deploy the Gap Generator, locking it in a
stationary position. While this increases the area of effect, it will
cost you more energy to operate.
Air Force Command
This structure gives the Allies a limited radar and also gives the
Allies space to land four aircraft.
Chronosphere
The Chronosphere requires an incredible source of power, but it allows
your units to instantly teleport to any location on the map for a
limited amount of time.
Weather Control Device
This highly specialized device allows the Allies to unleash extremely
turbulent storms over enemy bases. These storms produce a copious
amount of deadly lightning, which can turn structures into ash after
only a few strikes.
Soviet Structures
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Since many of the Soviet structures -- such as the Construction Yard,
Barracks, War Factory, Battle Lab, Service Depot, Naval Yard, and
Refinery -- are identical to their Allied counterparts, I'm not going
to list them again. Just read above for a brief description of how
each functions.
Fortress Walls
Like the Allied Concrete Walls, only darker and more ominous looking.
Tesla Reactor
The Soviet equivalent of the Allied Power Plant.
Nuclear Reactor
The Soviet equivalent of the Allied Advanced Power Plant.
Cloning Vats
This ain't for no Canadian sheep. The Soviets use the Cloning Vats to
make exact duplicates of their infantry units. In an evil twist,
players can also use the vats to gain access to the creation of Allied
infantry units under Yuri's mind-control. Now that's cool!
Psychic Sensor
Yuri knows all and sees all. The Psychic Sensor allows the Soviet
forces to keep tabs on Allied units, their movements, and even what
building or vehicles they're going to attack over a limited range.
Sentry Gun
The Sentry Gun is a great way to protect your base from marauding
enemy infantry units. This robotic gun chews up troopers like Dan
chews on pen tops.
Tesla Coil
One of the most recognizable structures in the Red Alert universe.
These huge electrical coils, named for Nikola Tesla, can zap enemy
infantry into oblivion and cause massive damage to vehicles as well.
Of course, they require a lot of power to work properly.
Flak Cannon
The Flak Cannon is the Soviet answer to Allied air units. Intruders
and BlackHawks fall to the ground quickly after being hit by a few
pieces of scattered flak.
Nuclear Missile Silo
This is the building that gives little Allied children nightmares. The
Nuclear Missile Silo houses, you guessed it, nuclear missiles. These
missiles cause massive damage over a wide radius, and leave the
surrounding terrain radiated and deadly for a long, long time
thereafter.
Iron Curtain
Another building that most of you are probably already familiar with.
The Iron Curtain renders all Soviet units and buildings within a 3x3
square radius invulnerable for 45 seconds. Don't get your infantry
units too close during the process, however, as they'll melt due to
the excessive energy required for this process.
Whew, now that's a big list. And remember that it's only a partial catalogue of units and structures. With all of these new units, you can bet we'll see some strategies new to the RTS realm. As Mark Skaggs puts it, "One of the things we've done in Red Alert 2 is really focus on increased tactics and strategies." For example, one tactic we saw at the Red Alert 2 demo that utilizes Crazy Ivan's explosive tendencies in a very creative way without risking any of your own units involved mind-controlling a cow, attaching a bomb to the hapless bovine, and running it into an enemy base. Now that's going to create a lot of charbroiled burgers. And, it sure beats the inevitable tank rush when it comes to creativity, and offers some comic relief in the process.
One thing that gamers have come to expect from top-notch RTS games is a number of interesting multiplay styles and a slew of original maps. As of this writing, the Westwood team hasn't finalized their multiplay plans yet, but we do know that they're experimenting with a lot of creative and unique modes of play that go far beyond Worldwide Domination. Don't worry though, as soon as we hear more, we'll pass the info on to you.
Westwood is pretty adamant about getting Red Alert 2 out this November, so you shouldn't have to wait all that long to get your mouse hand on this one. But until then, take a look at some of the great concept art below as well as four in-game screenshots. And as always, expect future updates on Red Alert 2 in the pages of IGNPC.
-- Tal Blevins