Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Description official descriptions
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun is a real-time strategy game and the direct sequel to the original Command & Conquer, set in the year 2030.
The Earth is now heavily contaminated with the alien crystalline substance known as Tiberium and is becoming less habitable with time, while new life forms have formed in areas of serious contamination. While the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) still has a technologically advanced arsenal, it is also tasked with Tiberium research and abatement. The Brotherhood of Nod suddenly re-emerges from hiding, and its leader Kane, believed to have been dead since the assault on Sarajevo in the First Tiberium War, unveils himself to General Solomon on GDI's orbital station Philadelphia. As Nod's sneak attacks start scourging the world like decades prior, GDI prepares for self-defense. Meanwhile, survivors of Tiberium mutation who call themselves The Forgotten live separated from society, but are about to become relevant for both GDI and Nod efforts.
Tiberian Sun debuted an isometric engine which combines the use of 2D sprites with 3D voxels (short for volume elements). There are even larger differences between the two playable sides in terms of gameplay styles and visual design - GDI prefers brute force while Nod specializes in hit-and-run tactics and the element of surprise. Some of the technologically advanced units include hovercrafts, subterranean flame tanks (aptly named "Devil's Tongues"), mechanized walkers, etc. Each side now also has multiple support powers at their disposal, and some of the special technologies have direct counters - stealth units can be discovered by mobile sensor arrays, while subterranean units can be directed further from sensitive areas with concrete pavement. The campaigns, similar to those in preceding titles, have side missions which can aid in resolving main missions (e.g. destroying a nearby outpost will reduce the size of the enemy army in the main mission).
Groups +
- Command & Conquer franchise
- Command & Conquer: Tiberium universe
- EA Classics releases
- Game feature: BGM / music player
- Game feature: In-game screenshot capture
- Gameplay feature: Fog of war
- Gameplay feature: Freely destructible terrain
- Games with downloadable official map/level editors
- Games with randomly generated environments
- Green Pepper releases
- Live action cut-scenes
- Setting: 2030s
- Setting: City - Cairo
- Setting: City - Hamburg
- Setting: Country - Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Setting: Country - Croatia
- Setting: Country - Norway
- Setting: Country - Sweden
- Software Pyramide releases
- Visual technique / style: Voxel graphics
Screenshots
Promos
Videos
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Credits (Windows version)
220 People (191 developers, 29 thanks) · View all
| Lead Designers | |
| Designers | |
| Senior Producer | |
| Lead Programmers | |
| Programmers | |
| Additional Programming | |
| Lead 3D Artists | |
| Original Soundtrack | |
| Sound Design | |
| [ full credits ] | |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 80% (based on 30 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 127 ratings with 9 reviews)
The Good
The story is great, especially the BIG 'toys'(mammoth mk. 2 and cyborg commando kick BIG butt)
You can also get awesome programs that you can modify TS with, lovely!
As with most other games, you can also get software that you can modify the game with such as SE2K and final sun.
Also the multi play "skirmish" feature allows you to practice for the solo missions, on any level (1-10) with is handy because you can find out what all the units can do before starting on the solo missions.
The Bad
The map maker for the multi play skirmishes could be a lot better, so be thankful you can get stuff like final sun.
The Bottom Line
Well worth the money if you like blowing things up and kicking people in battle as well as a must have for C&C fans.
Windows · by paul cairey (319) · 2002
Uderrated, disliked and hated. I like it.
The Good
Graphics, sound, AI, balance, FMV... everything in it is GOOD, if not EXCELLENT. This is currently (summer 2001) the best rts-game I've played. With computers powerful enough, you can set resolution as large as your display can show (although menu only gives you choices up to 800x600, but with tweaking of ini files you can get it as high as you ever want).
The Bad
Well, some missions are pretty hard (I mean those missions with limited units... especially NOD has a lot of them). Some people say, that NOD is way stronger... If I remember right, in the original C&C NOD had no decent land units, and no air units at all (well... er... it had the nuclear missile... It was cool), so now it's GDI's turn to be the weaker side. And in single-player NOD has way harder missions than GDI.
Another thing that is bad is that there are a few "super units" (namely Cyborg Commando and Mammoth Mk.2), which can destroy huge bases easily. Luckily, their number is limited to only one at a time.
The Bottom Line
A great real-time strategy game. Many people say it sucks - but I don't see any reason for that. It's a great game.
Windows · by Aapo Koivuniemi (41) · 2001
The Good
The units are balanced and look really cool. The whole game looks stunning.
The Bad
The super weapons are tooooo powerful. The multi missile and ion cannon cannot be guarded against at all and this makes skirmishes unfair when the AI takes at your construction yard.
The Bottom Line
Well worth buying but not as good as say Red Alert 1 or C&C 1
Windows · by Ben Burton (3) · 2002
Discussion
| Subject | By | Date |
|---|---|---|
| now available as free download | Rola (8131) | Feb 15th, 2010 |
| tiberian sun patch v2.04 and high-res patch | grr joel | Feb 16th, 2008 |
Trivia
Audio
Dwight Okahara, Senior Sound Designer:
We had a blast with this game. We hooked up with the FBI to record explosives from their bomb detonation training course to bring realistic sound effects to the game
Development
The design team started work on Tiberian Sun in 1995, just a few weeks after Command & Conquer shipped. The final design document was finished in late 1997. In July of 1998, in the 110 degree heat of the Nevada desert, a crew of more than 40 came together to film the story of Tiberian Sun. The game was completed in July of 1999.
Editor
The map editor can also be used for Command & Conquer: Red Alert and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
German version
The German version replaces all the soldiers with cyborgs. Some violent scenes were cut from the cutscenes.
References to the game
In 1999, German electronica-house-metal band Think About Mutation released the single Two Tribes, which featured a video with some Tiberian Sun footage and the band members wearing the helmet seen on the game cover. The cover of the single is a stylized Tiberian Sun cover, depicting a woman instead of a male soldier.
Sales
- As of 2005, Tiberian Sun was the fastest selling game on the EA Games label (1.5 million copies within a month).
- Between 1999 and 2000, the game won a single Gold- and three Platinum-Awards from the German VUD (Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland - Entertainment Software Association Germany) for selling more then 100,000 units (Gold) and more then three times 200,000 units (Platinum) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As the Gold-Award is not counted into the Platinum-Award, all four awards total in between 700,000 and 1,700,000 units sold.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of the game is included in the Platinum Edition and the Firepower bundle. It was also separately available for purchase.
All songs were composed & performed by Frank Klepacki (Westwood Studios) and Jarrid Mendelson (Digital Media House). 1. Timebomb (Klepacki) 2. Pharotek (Mendelson) 3. Lone Trooper (Mendelson) 4. Scouting (Mendelson) 5. Infrared (Klepacki) 6. Flurry (Klepacki & Mendelson) 7. Mutants (Kepacki & Mendelson) 8. Gloom (Mendelson) 9. Heroism (Mendelson) 10. Approach (Klepacki) 11. Dusk Hour (Klepacki & Mendelson) 12. The Defense (Mendelson) 13. Mad Rap (Klepacki) 14. Valves (Klepacki) 15. What Lurks(Klepacki) 16. Score (Klepacki)
Frank Klepacki:
I didn't want to stray too far from the original C&C soundtrack, but it had to be more futuristic and ambient. From there I tried to capture the mood the designers wanted for each mission. I even brought in another composer for some of the in game scores, Jarrid Mendelson, who I knew would compliment my style for this genre of music. Also, you'll notice I put more development into GDI & NOD's signature themes for the movie sequences.
Awards
- PC Gamer
- April 2000 - #29 in the "All-Time Top 50 Games" poll
- PC Player (Germany)
- Issue 01/2000 - Most Hyped Game in 1999
- PC Powerplay (Germany)
- Issue 03/2005 - #3 Biggest Disappointment
- Issue 02/2006 - #3 Hype Disappointment
- Power Play
- Issue 02/2000 – Biggest Disappointment in 1999
- Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland
- 1999/2000 - Gold Award
- 1999/2000 - Three Platinum Awards
Information also contributed by FloodSpectre, Grant McLellan, Karthik KANE, paul cairey, PCGamer77, Sheldonist and Xoleras.
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Related Sites +
-
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
The official homepage -
Full game + Firestorm exp. for free
EA now offers the full game including the expansion pack Firestorm for free download. -
JP3D's Tiberian Sun site
A great site created by a guy named jp3d (real name Jesse Parker) that has maps, info and you can also download SunEdit 2k and FinalSun from his site. -
Planet C&C
All the C&C games covered extensively on these pages. Articles, reviews, files for download, chat and more. -
The "Art Of War" site
This is a fairly cool site with info and stuff. The best bit has to be the test section of it where you can test your TS knowledge. -
The Final Hours of Tiberian Sun
Find out about the end of the game's production in GameSpot's extensive article. -
The Real Tiberian Sun
This site has pictures, movies, and other information about TS. -
The Tiberian Sun Infomation Center
A great site although lacking in some areas, but has other sections that are great. Includes a pretty good walk through for the GDI recapture hammerfest base mission. -
Tiberian Sun Fan Site
A fan site on the game Tiberian Sun
Identifiers +
- MobyGames ID: 589
- Wikipedia (en)
Contribute
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by robotriot.
Additional contributors: Terok Nor, MAT, Derrick 'Knight' Steele, Cochonou, Xantheous, Adam Baratz, Jeanne, paul cairey, Cantillon, Thomas Helsing, Patrick Bregger.
Game added December 17th, 1999. Last modified September 28th, 2023.