Command & Conquer: Reliving 90s PC Gaming

The Command & Conquer (C&C) real-time strategy series, first developed by Westwood Studios, has been a genre-defining and commercially successful franchise ever since its introduction in the mid-nineties. Any kid from that era who grew up with a PC capable of playing games has likely played at least one title from the long running series.

This podcast episode relives what it was like going through the installation, building an army, and talks about the strategies used way back when to help either the Global Defense Initiative or the Brotherhood of Nod to victory. The recent release of Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection on Steam is the inspiration for this episode as it has allowed the real-time strategy franchise to reach new audiences while retaining its quintessential base-building and resource-gathering gameplay. While the hosts focus on the original C&C and Red Alert, the franchise has grown since then, and the Ultimate Collection contains a large assortment of games at a reasonable price.

The Tiberium Universe

The Tiberium universe, a central pillar of the Command & Conquer franchise, revolves around a catastrophic event that forever altered the course of human civilization. In the early 1990s, a meteorite containing the mysterious extraterrestrial mineral Tiberium crashed on Earth, unleashing profound and far-reaching consequences. This cataclysmic occurrence not only radically transformed many aspects of life but also gave rise to two opposing factions locked in an unrelenting conflict.

• The Brotherhood of Nod: A quasi-terrorist organization that exploited the unique properties of Tiberium to wage an unrelenting war against the thriving Western nations. Led by the enigmatic and charismatic Kane, the Brotherhood sought to establish a new world order built upon the harnessed power of Tiberium.
• The Global Defense Initiative (GDI): The United Nations’ elite anti-terrorist taskforce, dispatched to counter the Brotherhood’s offensive and safeguard humanity from the existential threat posed by Tiberium’s unchecked spread. Representing the last line of defense for the established global order, the GDI engaged in a series of brutal wars against Nod’s forces.

The Tiberium universe spans multiple games, each chronicling pivotal events in this ongoing conflict, including:

1. Command & Conquer (1995): The inaugural entry that introduced the world to the Tiberium crisis and the bitter struggle between GDI and Nod.
2. Tiberian Sun (1999): Shifting the series to a more science-fiction setting, this sequel escalated the conflict to new heights.
3. Tiberium Wars (2007): A return to the franchise’s real-time strategy roots, introducing the extraterrestrial Scrin race as a third faction vying for control over the Tiberium-infested Earth.

As the wars raged on, the Tiberium universe expanded to encompass a rich tapestry of factions, characters, technologies, and cataclysmic events that have captivated players for over two decades.

The Red Alert Saga

The Red Alert series is a spin-off of the original Command & Conquer games, set in an alternate universe during the Cold War era. It spawned from Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996), which was a prequel to the original game and featured the Allies and the Soviet Union as the main factions. The series is known for its more lighthearted and comedic tone compared to the main Tiberium series.

The key Red Alert games include:

• Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996): The game that started it all, set in an alternate history where Einstein prevents Hitler’s rise, leading to a Soviet invasion of Europe. It was a commercial and critical success, praised for its gameplay, graphics, and soundtrack.
• Red Alert 2 (2000) and Yuri’s Revenge (2001): Continuing the alternate Cold War storyline, with the expansion Yuri’s Revenge introducing a new faction led by the psychic Yuri.
• Red Alert 3 (2008) and Uprising (2009): Further differentiated the factions, embraced a more comedic tone, and featured high-quality graphics and cutscenes with a cast of well-known actors. It introduced the Empire of Japan as a third superpower.

The Red Alert games are known for their real-time strategy gameplay, base building, resource gathering, and faction-specific units and abilities. 

The Legacy Continues

The entire Command & Conquer series is now available on Steam for the first time, in the ‘Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection. The collection includes:

• Every game in the series, from the original to the last entry
• All expansions for the games

The games are the original versions with compatibility for modern systems, but there are no added Steam multiplayer or online features.

Some key points about this release:

• Accessibility: The collection makes the entire iconic real-time strategy saga accessible to a new generation of gamers on a popular digital platform.
• Preservation: It preserves the original games while ensuring compatibility with modern systems, allowing fans to revisit the classics.

FAQs

Can I Install Command and Conquer on My Modern PC?

Yes, you can enjoy the Command & Conquer™ Remastered Collection on Steam. This collection features the remastered versions of Command & Conquer and Red Alert, enhanced in 4K resolution by the original Westwood Studios team. It includes all three expansions, a revamped multiplayer experience, a modernized user interface, a Map Editor, a bonus gallery of footage, and over seven hours of remastered music.

How Many Command and Conquer Games Are There?

As of July 2010, the Command & Conquer series includes a total of eleven main games and eight expansion packs. The first three titles in the series were released as freeware to promote later games in the series. Additionally, a free-to-play title named Command & Conquer was under development by Victory Games.

References

[1] – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_%26_Conquer
[2] – https://cnc.fandom.com/wiki/Command_%26_Conquer_(series)
[3] – https://www.giantbomb.com/command-conquer/3025-98/
[4] – https://www.ea.com/games/command-and-conquer
[5] – https://cncnz.com/games/command-conquer/the-story/
[6] – https://cnc.fandom.com/wiki/Tiberium_Universe
[7] – https://cnc-central.fandom.com/wiki/Tiberium_Universe