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Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
July 15, 2008 | 8:20 PM PST
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
There have been many game franchises that have stood the test of time and Command & Conquer is one of them. The epic Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game has taken many forms since its inception with the struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod. Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is the follow up to the much talked about and much heralded Command & Conquer 3. Kane's Wrath follows the mysterious cult leader of Nod as he reassembles the pieces of the splintered Brotherhood.
What's Hot
RTS games have been notorious for their troubles when making the jump from PC to console. The fundamental issues was that commanding multiple fronts of a group of troops was deemed impossible for a simpleton's console controller. With Kane's Wrath, EA should remove any doubt (if the past Lord of The Rings and Command & Conquer 3 games didn't already) in the most cynical of critics. The extremely simplified controls are a breeze to learn and in some cases, figuring out shortcuts is naturally intuitive thanks to a helpful tutorial. Setting up a complex command is never more than three button presses away. If there is one reason to get Kane's Wrath it should be for the user friendly nature of the controls that are on par with a keyboard and mouse input.
Expansions on PC titles are a common occurrence but when it comes to console systems, Kane's Wrath breaks new ground again. Instead of offering a chuck of downloadable content, Kane's Wrath is offered as a standalone game. Because the content isn't bursting at the seams like Command & Conquer 3 was, Kane's Wrath is offered at a discounted price which makes this game a perfect petri dish to test your love of the RTS genre. There isn't a better game to try it with.
Online components and the new Kane's Challenge mode will give you a lasting value for your dollar. The amount of depth and nuance between the different factions (there is a third faction called the Scrin) keeps the balance of power event. Online is especially fun providing you don't get beaten handily by someone who has their perfect strategy of dominating newcomers. The thrill of trying to manage multiple resources, making a plan while remaining flexible and attempting different strategies is what makes the lasting appeal strong.
What's Not
All things considered, there are a few nagging issues to Kane's Wrath. Let's tackle some of the design choices that should have received another look first. The camera is zoomed in too close to the action. Granted, the game might have looked like fighting ants if it went too far out it could have used one more level of zoom to help navigate and amass an army to march on enemy positions. The other design issue is the difficulty of scrolling over the terrain. You have access to a mini-map but must traverse the map to find hotspots where fighting occurs. Having access to click to different points on the map would have been invaluable.
The largest technical problem with Kane's Wrath is the slowdown. While the problem was minimized by the decision to cap limits on how many units you could build, there will be times with significant framerate inconsistencies. It gets annoying when you are being attacked and the game slows down to a crawl and you are effectively immobilized from acting quickly.
If you are a fan of single player campaigns then you might want to consider C&C 3 because it will offer all the factions. Being that this is Kane's Wrath, you will only get the continuation of the Nod story line.
Final Word
RTS games have come such a long way since the idea was to bring them to console games. I can clearly remember Command & Conquer 64 and was horrified with the experience. Coming back after all the control issues have been mostly hammered out, it is nice to see another genre be folded back in the cards for the home console crowd. Kane's Wrath is a limited game but that is the point and is reflected by the reduced price. There is so much fun to be had, from the campy acting to the chess-like strategy, it is hard not to recommend. If you are an RTS fan or unsure if you like these types of games, Kane's Wrath is a wonderful place to start your micromanaging skills.
What the Game's About
There have been many game franchises that have stood the test of time and Command & Conquer is one of them. The epic Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game has taken many forms since its inception with the struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod. Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is the follow up to the much talked about and much heralded Command & Conquer 3. Kane's Wrath follows the mysterious cult leader of Nod as he reassembles the pieces of the splintered Brotherhood.
What's Hot
RTS games have been notorious for their troubles when making the jump from PC to console. The fundamental issues was that commanding multiple fronts of a group of troops was deemed impossible for a simpleton's console controller. With Kane's Wrath, EA should remove any doubt (if the past Lord of The Rings and Command & Conquer 3 games didn't already) in the most cynical of critics. The extremely simplified controls are a breeze to learn and in some cases, figuring out shortcuts is naturally intuitive thanks to a helpful tutorial. Setting up a complex command is never more than three button presses away. If there is one reason to get Kane's Wrath it should be for the user friendly nature of the controls that are on par with a keyboard and mouse input.
Expansions on PC titles are a common occurrence but when it comes to console systems, Kane's Wrath breaks new ground again. Instead of offering a chuck of downloadable content, Kane's Wrath is offered as a standalone game. Because the content isn't bursting at the seams like Command & Conquer 3 was, Kane's Wrath is offered at a discounted price which makes this game a perfect petri dish to test your love of the RTS genre. There isn't a better game to try it with.
Online components and the new Kane's Challenge mode will give you a lasting value for your dollar. The amount of depth and nuance between the different factions (there is a third faction called the Scrin) keeps the balance of power event. Online is especially fun providing you don't get beaten handily by someone who has their perfect strategy of dominating newcomers. The thrill of trying to manage multiple resources, making a plan while remaining flexible and attempting different strategies is what makes the lasting appeal strong.
What's Not
All things considered, there are a few nagging issues to Kane's Wrath. Let's tackle some of the design choices that should have received another look first. The camera is zoomed in too close to the action. Granted, the game might have looked like fighting ants if it went too far out it could have used one more level of zoom to help navigate and amass an army to march on enemy positions. The other design issue is the difficulty of scrolling over the terrain. You have access to a mini-map but must traverse the map to find hotspots where fighting occurs. Having access to click to different points on the map would have been invaluable.
The largest technical problem with Kane's Wrath is the slowdown. While the problem was minimized by the decision to cap limits on how many units you could build, there will be times with significant framerate inconsistencies. It gets annoying when you are being attacked and the game slows down to a crawl and you are effectively immobilized from acting quickly.
If you are a fan of single player campaigns then you might want to consider C&C 3 because it will offer all the factions. Being that this is Kane's Wrath, you will only get the continuation of the Nod story line.
Final Word
RTS games have come such a long way since the idea was to bring them to console games. I can clearly remember Command & Conquer 64 and was horrified with the experience. Coming back after all the control issues have been mostly hammered out, it is nice to see another genre be folded back in the cards for the home console crowd. Kane's Wrath is a limited game but that is the point and is reflected by the reduced price. There is so much fun to be had, from the campy acting to the chess-like strategy, it is hard not to recommend. If you are an RTS fan or unsure if you like these types of games, Kane's Wrath is a wonderful place to start your micromanaging skills.
November 20, 2009
