Command & Conquer: Red Alert

aka: C&C 2, C&C:RA, C&C:RA1, Command & Conquer: Alarmstufe Rot, Command & Conquer: Alerte Rouge, Command & Conquer: Teil 2 - Alarmstufe Rot

Moby ID: 485

Released

1996 on Windows

Credits

93 people

Releases by Date (by platform)

Publishers

Developers

Westwood Studios, Inc.

Moby Score

8.0

#2,282 of 24.2K

Critics

88% (44)

Players

(258)

Review Ranking

#138 on DOS
#140 on PlayStation
#436 on Windows

Collected By

418 players

Genre: Strategy / tactics
Perspective: Diagonal-down
Visual: Free camera
Pacing: Real-time
Gameplay: Real-time strategy (RTS)
Interface: Multiple units/characters control
Point and select
Setting: Europe
Sci-fi / futuristic
Narrative: War
Misc: Regional differences

Windows Specs

ESRB Rating: Teen

Business Model: Free (initially commercial)
Media Type: CD-ROM, Download
Input Devices Supported/Optional: Keyboard
Multiplayer Options: Internet, LAN, Modem, Null-modem cable
Number of Offline Players: 1 Player
Number of Online Players: 2-8 Players

Buy on DOS

$22.47 used on eBay

Buy on PlayStation

$28.30 used on eBay

Buy on Windows

$8.00 used on Amazon
$22.47 used on eBay

Note: We may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made via eBay or Amazon links (prices updated 4/16 3:30 AM )

Add-on (official)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Counterstrike (1997)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Aftermath (1997)

Add-on (unofficial)

Ace's Revenge (1997)
C&C 2: Alarmstufe Rot - Level-CD (1996)
C&C 2: Level Alert (1997)
C&C 2: More Missions (1997)
C&C: Alarmstufe Rot - 1000 Level für C&C 2! (1997)
Chartbusters 3 (1997)
Code Red Attack (1997)
Command A.R.: C&C Level & Editor - Vol.4 (1997)
Command Missions Vol. 2 (1997)
Conqueror's Additional II (1997)
Mega Wad C&C: Alarmstufe Rot (1997)
Missions für Command & Conquer II (1997)
Perfect Alert (1997)
Remember Pearl Harbor (1997)
Superdead 2 (1996)
Tactical Operations Volume II: Beyond Destruction (1996)
Ultimate Conqueror (1997)

Conversion (official)

Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection (2020)

Conversion (unofficial)

OpenRA (2010)

Included in

Command & Conquer Pack (2002)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Arsenal (1998)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Domination Pack (1997)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert complete with Counterstrike & The Aftermath (1999)
Command & Conquer: Theater of War (2001)
Command & Conquer: Worldwide Warfare (1998)
Electronic Arts Top Ten Pack (2001)
Electronic Arts Top Ten: Blue (2002)
Play the Games Vol. 2 (1999)

Special Edition

Command & Conquer: Red Alert (The Collectors' Pack) (1997)

See Also

Command & Conquer: Red Alert (2009 on J2ME)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert (2009 on iPhone, 2010 on iPad)

Description official descriptions

What if Hitler never existed? Einstein pondered the question and created a time-machine to eliminate Hitler as a young man, thus preventing World War II as history remembers it. However, Einstein stopped one evil only to create another - because Stalin's Soviet Union is now poised to conquer Europe... and Allies must stop them!

Command & Conquer: Red Alert can be considered a prequel to Command & Conquer. Like its predecessor, it is a real-time strategy with an isometric semi-top-down perspective using 2D sprite graphics engine. The player takes control of either the Allies or the Soviets, as he battles for destiny of the planet. Gameplay features are similar to those of the previous game, including building a base with some defenses, massing units, harvesting resources, etc. The game has a variety of environments in its missions, adding some indoor missions that use only infantry units.

Spellings

커맨드 앤 컨커: 적색경보 - Korean spelling

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Credits (DOS version)

93 People (90 developers, 3 thanks) · View all

Executive Producer	Brett W. Sperry
Producer	Edward Alexander Del Castillo
Original Concept	Brett W. Sperry Joseph Bostic
Lead Game Programmers	Joseph Bostic Barry Green Steve Tall
Game Programmers	Phillip W. Gorrow William Randolph Maria del Mar McCready Legg
Internet Programmers	Jeffrey Lee Brown David Aldridge Matthew Thorn
Translation Programmer	Victor Grippi
Technical Direction	Steve Wetherill Eric Wang
Designers	Adam P. Isgreen Michael Lightner Erik Yeo
Lead Artists	Christopher D. Demers Matthew Hansel Joseph B. Hewitt IV
Artists	David T. Potter Damon Redmond Paul Wesberry
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 88% (based on 44 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 258 ratings with 16 reviews)

The same classic, boring, mindless formula we've come to expect.

The Good
Again, Westwood's classic RTS formula of harvest resources, build units, upgrade units, attack (repeat ad nauseum). I guess I kind of enjoyed the original Dune 2 and Warcraft 1 and 2. I guess I should try and like this game too.

The Bad
But why? The formula continued in Command and Conquer and Warcraft 2. And then in this game and Starcraft. And after this game, you saw it again and again in countless RTS games, the most unimaginative of the lot being the C&C games. Oh give it a rest already.

The Bottom Line
Boring!

Windows · by Les Nessman (265) · 2006

Red alert-- well, i better get my hands to battle stations!

The Good
It is actually one of the few games around that are made of factions that exist(or have exsisted in the case of the soviet's). It also allows a fair bit of creativity that is well blended in with historical facts, with is cool.

The Bad
Those damn Russian subs cant fire on land targets and the guns on naval cruisers of the Allies are wonkey!! over than that.......i cant think of any other flaws.

The Bottom Line
A decent C&C game, well worth the money and a lovely addition to the C&C family.

Windows · by paul cairey (319) · 2003

does the idea of conquering europe without moving muscle appeal to anyone because it does to me!

The Good
i liked this game for many reasons,a good storyline,great graphics but the idea of building your own army is iresistible.there is not many games as enjoyable as this.best of all,when you declare war on your one of your friends and hook up tv's and playstations,is as much fun to me as covering yourself with glue and peeling it off when it dries.(to me thats brilliant,ha ha)

The Bad
the one thing that bugs me is the game tends to slow down after a certain amount of time which is annoying if your trying to commit genocide!

The Bottom Line
if you think your a worthy opponent to bush or saddam hussein here's your chance to prove your metal! point is its an excellent game.

PlayStation · by daniel o neill (1) · 2002

[ View all 16 player reviews ]

Discussion

Subject	By	Date
Anyone know whether there was multiplayer in PSX version?	And Wan	Dec 14, 2016

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Command & Conquer: Red Alert appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Freeware release

To celebrate 13 years of Command & Conquer and to promote the then-upcoming release of Red Alert 3, the game was made available for free on 31 August 2008. The link is available in the related web sites section.

German version

The German version removes Hitler from the intro and replaces all the soldiers with cyborgs.

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 20 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.

Sales

In 1998, the PC version of the game won the Platinum Award from the German VUD (Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland - Entertainment Software Association Germany) for selling more then 200,000 (but less then 500,000) units in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Awards

Computer Gaming World
- May 1997 (Issue #154) – Strategy Game of the Year (Readers' Choice)
Electronic Gaming Monthly
- March 1998 (Issue 104) - Strategy Game of the Year
- March 1998 (Issue 104) - Strategy Game of the Year (Readers' Choice)
PC Gamer
- April 2000 - -10 in the "All-Time Top 50 Games" poll
- April 2005 - #17 in the "50 Best Games of All Time" list
Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland
- 1998 - Platinum Award (more details in the "Sails" section)

Information also contributed by Grant McLellan, Sciere and Xoleras

Analytics

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Related Games

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Released 2000 on Windows

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Released 2008 on Windows, Xbox 360, 2009 on Macintosh

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Retaliation
Released 1998 on PlayStation, 2008 on PSP, PlayStation 3

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Domination Pack
Released 1997 on DOS, Windows

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Commander's Challenge
Released 2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, 2019 on Xbox One

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Ultimate Edition
Released 2009 on PlayStation 3

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Counterstrike
Released 1997 on DOS, Windows

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Aftermath
Released 1997 on DOS, Windows

Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge
Released 2001 on Windows

Related Sites +

Command & Conquer Red Alert - Home Page
official game page at Westwood Studios' website from 1997, preserved by the Wayback Machine
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
The official homepage
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Download the game for free, in celebration of 13 years of Command & Conquer.
Fan Site
Another Fan Site for Red Alert
The "Art Of War" site
A great RA site that allows you to download a fair bit of stuff.

Identifiers +

MobyGames ID: 485

Contribute

Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by robotriot.

PSP, PlayStation 3 added by Charly2.0. PlayStation added by Kartanym.

Additional contributors: Cochonou, PCGamer77, Xantheous, Kasey Chang, Jeanne, paul cairey, Sciere, Alaka, Xoleras, Jang Eunsu, —-, Cantillon, Patrick Bregger, Plok, MrFlibble, FatherJack.

Game added November 28, 1999. Last modified March 19, 2024.