As a long time fan of Command and Conquer I really looked forward to the proposed conclusion to the Tiberian saga in Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. I still remember firing up C&C 1 and playing that first mission as GDI, storming the beach to thunderous beats and wailing electric guitars. I was in awe of the mix of video and brightly colored graphics, it's one of those gaming moments that sticks with you through generations. Sadly I don't think Command and Conquer 4 will ever have that moment, and while there's no moment that makes you go "oh holy crap this is awesome," what is there is a solid experience with an almost brand new formula for Command and Conquer veterans.
It seems that over time most RTS developers have slowly evolved their games away from the "resource management" type, to a point based or other limiting system for unit construction. Command and Conquer 4 also adapts this formula, no longer will you have to harvest Tiberium to power your army, or even build bases; instead you'll be capped with unit points for what you can build. The stronger the unit the more it costs you in your pool of available resources. Along with this change comes your mobile construction yard, which is literally a vehicle on it's own. You can walk or fly it around the map at will, and the only time you need to be grounded is when you need to pump out units. This yields quicker and more constant battles because unit production is typically moved to the brink of the battlefield. Your MCV can be destroyed, but each missions allows a certain number of drops of a fresh construction yard.
Your MCV can be one of three types; offense, defense, and support. Each of these classes will pump out specific unit types for their relative roles. But not all of those units are available from the get go, instead, you'll earn experience for killing units, completing objectives and missions, and unlocking achievements. As you level up you'll have access to more units and more unit upgrades. The really nice thing about this system is it's persistent across all your single player and multiplayer endeavors. Even after completing missions you can head back and replay them, this time with a more powerful arsenal at your disposal.
The story of C&C 4 follows the Commander as he works with both GDI and NOD forces to save the planet once and for all from the Tiberian infestation. You'll clash up against numerous factions in the game, as well as a few surprises along the way. Once again Joe Kucan returns as Kane who now has seemingly joined forces with GDI to put a stop to said infestation. The game is still filled with campy cut scenes, which you'll laugh hilariously at - not because they are funny - but because they are so bad. Red Alert 3 knew how to not take itself seriously, but it's a little more difficult to tell if the C&C4 team was trying to convey a serious message with the game's cinematics. Seriously, when my in game wife tells me that "she loves me," it felt so forced that I laughed when she was exploded a few seconds later.
The most controversial thing about C&C 4 happens to be one of its best features, and that's its online play. You see, the game's DRM - that's digital rights management or anti-piracy measures - force players to always be connected to the internet to play. Because of this EA has built a game where the multiplayer lobbies exist on every menu screen, making it incredibly easy to jump into the variety of multiplayer matches, including co-op. Whether or not you agree with this type of DRM, something that comes into questions years down the road when EA decides to shut off its servers, you have to admire the added functionality it brings in terms of play. The majority of C&C 4 can be played in in co-op so this addition makes it incredibly easy to find a partner, and there's even dedicated channels for co-op meetup.
The game lends itself really well to co-op play because of the aforementioned MCV types. Depending on the objective you and your partner can cover certain aspects of the strategic spectrum. One mission involved my partner and I protecting a group of transports down a highway. He chose defense and proceeded to line the roadway with turrets and other structures to aid us, while I chose offense and loaded up on speed based attack units. This approach definitely proved to be the winning combination, but constant communication and support was needed to complete the mission. There's even buttons built into the UI which allows you to ping and notify your partner of events or the need of aid, and the in game voice over lets you know if your partner is under attack.
Any progress made in the co-op mode does transfer back to your campaign, so if you're stuck on a mission in single player you can just jump back to the menu and switch it up for co-op. I would have liked to see some sort of auto matchmaking on this though, where people simply look for other people based on mission, it could have streamlined the process a bit more. Instead you'll have to create a party, invite someone to it, and then choose a co-op mission. It's a minor annoyance, but like I said, it was rare to not be able to get into a co-op game.
If C&C4 has a downside it seems a bit light for the epic conclusion of a 15 year franchise. I would have liked to see a few more tips of the hat to C&C veterans, instead what we're given is a complete change up of their formula. It's not necessarily a bad thing, after all C&C 3 wasn't exactly well received. We saw Red Alert try its hand at co-op play in an RTS, and while it was fun, it didn't always work. Command and Conquer 4 fixes these issues, adds an interesting progression system, and is more pick up and play friendly. While the changes might piss off C&C veterans, as someone who's gotten a bit bitter in their old age about RTS games with resource gathering and management, I enjoy the more action focused title with light RPG elements.