I am sure that members will have seen this game for sale but have kept clear, fearing an arcade like shoot-em-up. However, I urge members to have a look at a style of game that could well become the future of computerised wargames (fast moving, easy to control, detailed and, as a result, addictive).

C&C is a game of tactics and strategy. Players vie against each other, or the computer, to conquer an island in 21st Century (it is also possible to fight a campaign for the conquest of a continent). The goal of the game is to gather "Tiberium" (a mineral essential to 21 st Century industry) and convert it into hard currency for the purchase of additional and / or better quality weapons, men or installations. Of course the enemy is trying to do the same. As the overall amount of Tiberium is limited, it is not long before conflict breaks out.

The player starts with a few armoured vehicles, infantry and a Tiberium processing installation. Your base is set up and a mining vehicle then automatically hunts for Tiberium. In the meantime existing units may be used to explore the island, protect the mining vehicle and / or locate the enemy's base. The graphics are excellent. The player is looking down at a 45 degree angle onto units and the terrain. Drop down menus show: the cost of other unit types; how near the end of a production spiral a new unit / installation is; and, enemy formations if you have invested in a radar station.

All the soldiers are animated and are given orders using the mouse (just click on the unit and its destination or target). These orders can be to the individual soldier / vehicle or en mass. In action they can be observed using their particular weapons; if armed with LAWs you will see their tiny rockets shoot across the screen; flame-throwers I will leave to your imagination. Of course there are many types of armoured vehicles, aircraft and, in some scenarios, water borne craft.

Once the mining vehicle has located and gathered enough Tiberium, it will return to base and the mineral will be processed. As it is processed the player will see an increase in the amount of spending money available.

When enemy units are encountered battle may be joined or avoided. The fun starts if the player has had enough time to build up a balanced force of men, tanks / AFV's and aircraft. This force can then be used to attack the enemy's base. If he / she / it has prepared correctly, a battle royal will break out. Different tactics can be experimented with. For example, playing with a friend by modem, I lured his force out of a wood by rolling an armoured car past them. I was doing pretty badly at this stage, so he thought this was a last gasp attempt to stall the inevitable conquest of my base. Destroying the armoured car with ease, he then launched his Chinooks and gunship escort towards my base and right into my hidden SAM batteries. OK in the end I lost, but I certainly had a great time doing so. This is definitely a "just one more try" type of game.

When playing over a modem or with linked machines, there is a facility (like DOOM - now don't tell me you haven't heard of this classic skirmish game) for communication during play. There is nothing more unnerving than having the message "Gotcha" appear at the top of the screen as a platoon of enemy tanks storms out of a wood and into an unsuspecting company of your infantry. Yes the possibilities of psychological warfare in a wargame may now be explored.

Conculsion

In conclusion, I recommend this game to members. When playing C&C and sending a platoon of soldiers into action with a click of the mouse, remember that one day soon we will see Napoleonic Cavalry or ACW Sharpshooters going into action the same animated way with clouds of smoke drifting from the muzzles of their rifles. If C&C doesn't appeal, try "Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat" to see the direction in which ancient games on the computer are heading.

[My trusty index reveals that you need a 80486 processor, 4 meg of memory, a double speed CD-ROM, sound card and 30 megabytes of Hard disk space. It received ratings between 85% and 90% in the glossies for playability. RRP is 44.99 pounds, but as always shop around, it's bound to be discounted. - Graham]

Review: Command and Conquer: The Covert Operations in LW 116.

Back to Computer Corner

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com