Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Best Buy release

When first released, Best Buy had a special offer: the Command and Conquer Soundtrack Collection (soundtrack from ALL C&C games) on CD for the first 100 buyers of RA2 in every store.

Cover

To avoid sensitivity issues after the real-world terrorist attacks on the WTC, EA offered distributors and retailers new boxes in October 2001 which removed the "The Invasion Has Begun" motto and the pictures depicting NY under attack (basically removing the box's flap and background in the front), as well as changing the eyepiece reflection from the American flag to a nuclear detonation.

Editor

FinalAlert was released alongside the patch 1.005, and it allows creating both multiplayer (skirmish, LAN, on-line) and solo (campaign) missions. It was created by a fan, Matthias "Matze" Wagner, instead of Westwood Pacific themselves, but was distributed through Westwood's official FTP server.

German version

This is the first Command & Conquer title not to be censored in Germany.

Installation

Instead of the regular installation like InstallShield or DemoShield, the custom installer of the game explains the events between first Red Alert and this game, which are otherwise barely referenced in the campaign.

Online servers

The game's online servers were migrated from the official Westwood Online infrastructure to the community-run XWIS (XCC WOL IRC Server), under approval and sponsorship from EA's German office on 6 October 2005. The Westwood Online domains have acted as a redirect to XWIS services since then, requiring no additional steps from the user to access the servers short of registering an account.

The World Domination Tour mode's code was not preserved, however.

Sales

In 2000, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 won the Gold-Award from the German VUD (Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland - Entertainment Software Association Germany) for selling more then 100,000 (but less then 200,000) units in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Soundtrack

The in-game track list is below.

1. Grinder (02:27)
2. Power (03:56)
3. Fortification (04:02)
4. In Deep (03:24)
5. Tension (04:05)
6. Eagle Hunter (04:16)
7. Industrofunk (03:12)
8. 200 Meters (04:12)
9. Blow It Up (03:11)
10. Destroy (04:38)
11. Burn (04:38)
12. Motorized (04:02)
13. Hell March 2 (03:44)

Installer track: In Deep (03:24)
Main menu track: Grinder (02:27)
Loading screen track: Jank (03:46)
Post-game track: Militant Force 2 (01:09)
Credits track: Optical (02:55)

Three tracks were left unused:

• C&C In The House (04:25)
• Probing (04:19)
• Ready The Army (04:57)

The game also had a limited soundtrack release physically and which was included in the Collector's Edition, then as of 2005 digitally on Apple iTunes, followed by other streaming services as they arrived. Note that the list is reordered and the Tension track was cut out, while unused tracks took its place:

1. Hell March 2 (03:46)
2. Industrofunk (03:14)
3. Ready the Army (04:59)
4. Grinder (02:29)
5. In Deep (03:26)
6. Motorized (04:04)
7. Power (03:58)
8. 200 Meters (04:14)
9. Destroy (04:40)
10. Burn (04:39)
11. Probing (04:21)
12. Blow It Up (03:13)
13. Eagle Hunter (04:18)
14. Fortification (04:04)
15. Jank (03:48)
16. C&C in the House (04:06)

Awards

• PC Player (Germany)
  • Issue 01/2001 - Best Strategy Game in 2000
• Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland
  • 2000 - Gold Award (more details in the "Sales" section)

Information also contributed by MAT, Kasey Chang, paul cairey, Xoleras and Zovni