User Review : Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

Who says RTS can't be done on a console

I've always had a problem; I like Real Time Strategy (RTS) games but hate playing games on PC's. Thankfully EA has come to my rescue with Command and Conquer 3. Yes I know, RTS games were always designed for computers. Not only were they designed for computers but the sheer nature of the control scheme has always faced skepticism upon its transition to consoles. Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars has bucked the trend and competently delivered a control scheme that would appease even the most critical skeptic. The result is a very strong performance for an RTS on a console.

Command and Conquer 3 is the story of the third Tiberium War (hence the name) told from the point of view of each faction (GDI, NOD and Scrin). Each faction has its own missions and objectives and each faction has its own story line (although the stories will interlink throughout the campaign). All in all each faction has a solid story that should leave the player feeling satisfied at its conclusion.

I have always been a fan of RTS games but I have also always been one of those skeptics that believes that RTS games can just not work on consoles; however Command and Conquer 3 proved me wrong. Even with the lack of buttons, EA did a great job of mapping the controls to the controller. Now obviously they are not as fluid or as streamlined as they would be on a PC, but they are competent and you never really find yourself struggling to keep up with what is going on in the game. Another thing I really liked about Command and Conquer 3 was that the game has a fairly lengthy campaign. With each faction having their own missions Command and Conquer 3 offers a lot of game play for your dollar. Not only are their multiple campaign missions for each faction, EA did a great job of making each mission feel unique so you don't feel like you are playing the same mission over and over again in a different location. With each faction having their own missions and with the variety of units and abilities for each one; each campaign feels completely different and could stand alone as its own game. I also liked the way the multiplayer offered multiple game modes and types to keep the multiplayer fresh. Even if you only like your traditional deathmatch variant the host has the option to adjust different settings to keep it feeling new.

I really don't have any major complaints about Command and Conquer 3. The only issue I have with the campaign is the difficulty scaling from time to time can be a little off. Sometimes I would find myself taking a couple of hours to finish a mission because they enemy was too strong for what I was given to work with at the beginning of the mission. I either had to build from scratch and had to fend off wave after wave of enemies while I was attempting to establish my position, or I did not have enough units to complete the mission.

EA has proven that it is possible to put together an RTS control scheme that works with a console controller. Although RTS games are not for everyone I would recommend Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars to anyone who does enjoy them. A good lengthy campaign, a solid multiplayer with a variety of options to keep online games fresh and a control scheme that actually works equals a great experience for any fan of the genre who does not like playing games on PC's.