Command & Conquer: Generals
Description official descriptions
A new chapter in the Command & Conquer universe, set somewhere in the 2010s, pits three sides for global domination: the United States of America, the People's Republic of China and the Global Liberation Army (GLA).
Generals features real world (renamed or slightly altered) weapons combined with quasi-high-tech ones, new control schemes and a fast-paced multiplayer. Generals is the first game in the Command & Conquer series not to include FMV or pre-rendered cutscenes between missions, and was also the first C&C game without the Westwood Studios label (although the development studio was initially called Westwood Pacific before being merged into EA Pacific). It uses a full 3D environment powered by the SAGE engine, a modified version of the W3D engine previously seen in C&C: Renegade.
The core gameplay differs somewhat from other games in the series, a move done in order to modernize the formula. First off, construction yards are absent, as structures are built by dozers for the USA and China, and workers for the GLA. The sidebar is replaced with the bottom bar, and support powers are "purchased" with leveling up as a general, which is done through participating in combat. For the first time in the series, each factory-type structure (barracks, war factory, airfield...) has its own build queue, in the same fashion as in Blizzard's RTS titles before it, instead of having a shared one like in the previous C&C games. Upgrades are available for the first time in the series as well, bringing improvements to units and structures. Everything is paid for in advance instead of having credits slowly drain as the object is constructed.
Spellings
- 終極動員令:將軍 - Traditional Chinese spelling
Groups +
- 3D Engine: SAGE
- BPjS / BPjM indexed games
- Command & Conquer franchise
- Command & Conquer: Generals universe
- EA Classics releases
- EA Most Wanted releases
- Gameplay feature: Fog of war
- Gameplay feature: Recordable replays
- Games that include map/level editor
- Games with game-altering copy protection
- Middleware: Bink Video
- Retail releases with faction/character-specific cover variants
- Setting: 2010s
- Setting: Baikonur Cosmodrome
- Setting: Chinese
- Setting: City - Hong Kong
- Setting: Future now past
- Software Pyramide releases
- Sound engine: AIL/Miles Sound System
- Technology: amBX
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Credits (Windows version)
462 People (394 developers, 68 thanks) · View all
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[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 84% (based on 48 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 77 ratings with 4 reviews)
The Good
This game is fast paced and skirmishes against humans never last as long as those in C&C Red Alert and Total Annihilation. Battles against computers can be short aswell and the AI always keeps you on your toes. The simplicity of setting up a online game is great and their are always plenty of people waiting to get their whipped or completly destroy you.
The fine models complement the variety from team to team, each team has different weapons and attributes. These units fit perfectly into the graphically fantastic enviroment.
On a not a enthusiastic note the idle worker button is a great addition.
The Bad
A fundemental aspect of a strategy game is how much strategy is involved in playing the game. I feel that Generals hasn't eradicated the tank rush of Red Alert like Total Annihilation (TA) did, no game can completely eradicate it but TA came closest.
Also not much strategy is involved in actually winning the game, tanks can win the game without air support, naval support (there are no naval units) or basic infantry support. Flanking can be used but will only waste time since a head on attack will win the game. Air support is limited in the Chinese army to MIGs, the GLA doesn't have one, the USA does, but what doesn't the USA have. This brings me onto the lack of units and therefore methods of attacking and defending, stationary defence is limited to one structure per team and tanks are just not varied enough.
The Bottom Line
A nice addition to anyones RTS game selection, but it won't keep you occupied for long, I reverted to completely back to Total Annihilation after a week or two. Best for internet gaming, if I were deciding whether to buy it or not then I would, but when the price has gone down.
Windows · by Peter Clark (9) · 2003
Great graphics etc ... Far too short
The Good
I am a great fan of the C&C series. Tiberian Sun was my favourite. The graphics in C&C generals were very good. The intros were great. The gameplay (while it lasted) was also excellent.
The Bad
I completed it in a day. There was only one mission that my 7 year old brother couldn't win (played on brutal as USA). I got more gameplay out of the older titles. I was a bit uneasy with the American/Arab/Chinese stereotypes. It was far too short.
The Bottom Line
great game - enjoyed it thoroughly - but finished it in a day.
Windows · by Paul Ryan (1) · 2005
The Good
This game takes RTS games to another whole demintion. It uses a 3D engine, which gives it some of the best computer graphics to date. The interface is extremely useful and easy to master. Also, unlike many other RTS games the different sides have different units. There is only 1 unit that stays the same on each side. There are 3 sides,China, GLobal Liberation Army (GLA), and the U.S. The sides are perfectly balanced, but each are uniquely different. Another new addition to the Command & Conquer series is that you can earn generals promotions, and points. (hence the name Generals) When you gain promotions and points you can select from a bunch of different things like EMP pulses, A-10 airstrikes, and even suprise rebel ambushes. The superweapons have been redifined, so that none of them are all too powerful.
The Bad
The only problems with this game are it's bugs. It has more of them than a Motel 6. Sometimes it will freeze randomly, shut down, or the screen might turn black. I don't have time to go into the details about all of them but be warned, you will have to download nearly every patch created. Fortunately it does have a great help service.
The Bottom Line
If you can deal with the ocasional mishap this game is well worth the money that you'll pay for it. I wouldn't recomend it to a novice player. It can be hard, although most of the time it's easy.
Windows · by Jester236 (34) · 2003
Trivia
German censorship
Command & Conquer: Generals was first temporarily (28 February 2003) and later definitely (6 March 2003) put on the German index. This means that it is forbidden to sell the game to minors or to advertise it in any form. The BPjM, Germany's banning office, said that C&C: Generals is too close to real-world events (i.e. the threat of an Iraq war) and too cynical - for example sending out suicide attackers, carpet bombing and raiding UN convoys.
Later it has been re-released in a heavily censored version:
- Many units and places were renamed. For example, the USA faction was called WA (Western Alliance) and China was AP (Asian Pact).
- All civilians were removed, and all soldiers were replaced by cyborgs, like in previous German C&C releases. Therefore, some quotes of the GLA Worker like "I'm hungry" or "My hammer is too heavy" were removed completely.
- Terrorist infantry units were replaced by small drones.
This censored version of the game had a separate update branch, but was compatible with all other releases in multiplayer. Additionally, the font used in pre-release builds' menus was restored for unknown reasons.
Online servers
The game's online servers (which were hosted on GameSpy) were intended to be closed on 30 June 2014, like for other Electronic Arts titles in the wake of GameSpy's total closure. However, they remained online as late as 16 July 2014, when the login function stopped working.
References
Two traffic signs exist in the game which point to Dutch cities of Breda and Geertruidenberg. No mission is set in The Netherlands, and the prop is used randomly, e.g. in missions set in Kazakhstan.
Awards
- GameStar (Germany)
- February 13, 2004 - "Best PC Strategy Game in 2003" (Readers' Vote)
- PC Games (Germany)
- Issue 02/2004– Best Strategy Game in 2003 (Readers' Vote)
Additional information contributed by RobbertC, Plok and tarion.
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Related Sites +
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Command & Conquer: Generals
The official homepage -
Command & Conquer: Generals music samples by composer Bill Brown
Listen to streaming and downloadable MP3 music tracks at the composer's official site. -
Generals Walkthrough
The walkthrough for all nations, includes pictures to assist the player tactically. -
Modern War in Real-Time
An Apple Games article about the Mac version of Command & Conquer: Generals, with commentary provided by David Solorzano Lowell (April, 2004). -
The First Hours of Command & Conquer: Generals
Gamespot's article about the initial development of "Command & Conquer: Generals".
Identifiers +
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by John Chaser.
Macintosh added by Corn Popper.
Additional contributors: Xantheous, Apogee IV, Felix Knoke, AdminBB, Xoleras, Carl Ratcliff, Abi79, Zeppin, Paulus18950, Patrick Bregger, Plok.
Game added February 14, 2003. Last modified March 23, 2024.