Command & Conquer: Red Alert (Windows)

Discuss Review + Want + Have Contribute

Description

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.

Screenshots

Promo Images

Trailer

Alternate Titles

• "命令与征服：红色警戒" -- Chinese spelling (simplified)
• "Hung Jing " -- Chinese title
• "Command & Conquer: Teil 2 - Alarmstufe Rot" -- German title
• "Command & Conquer: Alerte Rouge" -- French title
• "Command & Conquer: Alarmstufe Rot" -- German PlayStation title
• "C&C:RA" -- Informal title
• "C&C 2" -- Common German abbreviation
• "커맨드 앤 컨커: 적색경보" -- Korean spelling

Part of the Following Groups

• Command & Conquer games
• Command & Conquer Red Alert series
• Famous Person: Albert Einstein
• Live action cut-scenes
• PlayStation Platinum Range releases
• Setting: Alternate History
• Theme: Famous politician
• Total Entertainment Network (TEN) multiplay platform

User Reviews

A Hollywood blockbuster for the masses.	Roedie (5253)
The best of the franchise	MAT (186091)
The apex of the C&C franchise.	Dr. Elementary (299)
HEY! What's with all the bad reviews here? This game is a masterpiece	CKeen The Great (166)
Addictive enough to complete and anticipate sequels	anton treuenfels (37)
Fool me once, shame on you…	PCGamer77 (3234)
The best of the C&C games, and one of the greatest strategy games every made.	Brian Jordan (20)
Good but not good enough	Peter Clark (10)
One of the Best and Worst Games of All Time	Sean Johanson (16)
One of the best Strategy games ever	Grant McLellan (623)

Critic Reviews

PC Player (Germany)	Nov, 1996	5 out of 5	100
Gamezilla	1997	99 out of 100	99
PC Gamer UK	Dec, 1996	95 out of 100	95
GameSpot	Nov 26, 1996	9.5 out of 10	95
Gameplay (Benelux)	Dec 02, 1996	95 out of 100	95
DarkZero	2003	9.4 out of 10	94
Privat Computer PC	1996	91 out of 100	91
Gamesmania.de	1996	90 out of 100	90
Coming Soon Magazine	Jan, 1997	90 out of 100	90
Game Players	Dec, 1996	8.8 out of 10	88

Forums

Topic	# Posts	Last Post
Anyone know whether there was multiplayer in PSX version?	2	Rwolf (15375) 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, the game was made available for free on 31st 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.

Sales

In 1998, Command & Conquer: Red Alert (PC) 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)
• 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

Related Web Sites

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