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Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (PC DVD) | 
| From: Electronic Arts
Category: Video Games
List Price: £34.99
Buy New: £14.96
You Save: £20.03 (57%)
New (16) Used (1) from £13.99
Rating:  203 reviews
Sales Rank: 57
Format: Dvd-rom
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows Xp
Genre: military-strategy-games
Media: DVD-ROM
Operating System: Windows XP
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5030930066659
ASIN: B001G0N1VS
Release Date: October 31, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 198 more reviews...
 As much fun as ever, but nothing new January 6, 2009
T. Booth (London)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The DRM issue seems to be causing some distress, and yes, it isn't brilliant, but there are lots of games that use something similar (including Valve's entire output) so I'm going to ignore it for the sake of this review. If it really bothers you, you won't buy the game no matter how good it is, so why bother reading the reviews?
As far as I can make out, Red Alert 3 is basically a souped-up version of RA2 with a few new toys and a couple of tweaks to things like the graphics and AI. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with that- RA2 was great fun- but it would be nice if it felt like some effort had gone into improving the gameplay.
What's changed? To start with the new toys, both Allies and Soviets have new units, with the Soviets getting a slight leg-up in the technology department. The best units from RA2 remain, and a few other alterations have been made. In particular air combat has been much expanded with both sides having a genuine variety of units. There's also the new Empire of the Rising Sun, a Japanese Manga-inspired army with some very versatile units. Versatility of units overall has been increased, in fact, with all armies having ships which transform into land vehicles.
Then there's the technical stuff. The AI has improved over RA2, with the computer opponents now capable of presenting a realistic challenge rather than the pathetically easy/impossibly hard dichotomy which you used to get. The graphics have improved quite a lot. Elementary stuff like pathfinding has been improved too for the most part, so you don't end up with logjams of vehicles in narrow spaces.
The gameplay is, well, virtually identical, and this is probably the game's biggest flaw (ignoring the DRM controversy). There's a lot of tedious micromanagement involved, which is fine on the covert missions where you only have three guys, but any more than about ten and you're struggling to keep track of them all. Grouping units is still not as seamless as it could be, and there's a particularly annoying niggle which makes it difficult to add units to a pre-existing group. Individual unit AI isn't good enough that you can leave them to their own devices, and although there's a bewildering array of different commands to issue, the game moves so quickly that using them reliably is difficult.
The campaigns are the same as ever, with an added feature which allows for co-operative play over LAN or GameSpy. The "downside" to this is that if you want to play the campaign solo you always have a AI partner. This isn't as bad as it sounds, because the AI is well capable of looking after itself without stealing your thunder, but it would perhaps be nice to have the option to play completely alone.
The cut scenes are predictably entertaining and tongue-in-cheek and manage to retain a low-budget feel even with a decent cast, including George Takei, Jonathan Pryce and a hilariously accented Tim Curry. To those who complain about the silliness of some of the units (yes, there are occasional instances of parachuting bears) the cut-scenes (and some of the pre-scripted dialogue that plays in the battles) indicate that the game was never meant to be taken seriously. Besides, remember the psychic powers and giant squid from RA2? If anything, RA3 is more restrained in this respect.
Overall, the game is basically what you'd expect from a RA game. It's fun, fast-paced, and a bit silly. But the failure to fix some of the problems and frustrations in the gameplay stop it being really great. In comparison with some other RTS games on the market it's a bit of a throwback, and not in a good way. The C&C series was the first to popularise RTS games and we're grateful for that, but Westwood (or EA, now) need to stop relying on past glories and put some work into their modern games, because any more like RA3 and they're going to look like a dinosaur.
 Leave your your preconceptions behind January 6, 2009
filmfreak26 (Oxford)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I felt motivated to write this review after seeing so many 1/5 star reviews for this game. Firstly, the DRM issue. I bought the game legitimately, I installed it on my PC and it works fine. When I reformat my PC, I will install it again. I just can't see the DRM reinstall issue *realistically* being a problem. Yeah I agree that its a bad thing to include and sneak in on people etc etc, but if everyone had bought games in the first place then the developers wouldn't have to mess around with trying to defeat pirates.
Secondly, lets deal with the die-hard C&C fans. I have played all of the C&C games from day one and love them all. This game is a lot more cartoony which I actually find enjoying. The cut scenes and actors are cheesy and indeed do boast a lot of cleavage and long legs, but they really are funny in a rubbish way, and I fully believe they were always intended as tongue in cheek. I was laughing most of the way through the game.
The best thing about this game is the co-op campaigns. I just hooked up with a mate over Skype or Teamspeak, and chatting to him whilst playing varied co-op RTS games is seriously fun! The commanders have to do really independant stuff that rely on each other to complete missions. The only one drawback is that the lobby and online system seems to be very buggy and it's often hard to actually manage to start an online game without odd disconnection messages. Patch needed here really. The three sides are pretty varied and have lots of different units with different fighting styles that need mastering.
The graphics are cartoony, the units are hilarious, the cut scenes are dryily humorous ranging to full blown overacting and cheese, but I have to say, I am seriously enjoying this game due to all these elements. I guess I have a sardonic slant to my tastes anyway. I think I would either like dead serious realistic combat, or to watch a funny cartoon and this falls into the latter category. I'd recommend it, especially at this price.
 Lovin is January 4, 2009
G. Wilson (UK)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've been hooked on this game for 1 month now, lots of fun. The campaign is excellent. You can now play the campaign in co-op mode online which makes it more fun.
The tutorial is a bit childish, however its worth doing because there are some major differences compared with previous versions.
Seems to be more focus on strategy, its important that you know what your opponent has and know how to counter-attack with appropriate units.
I didn't even notice the DRM, I don't know why everyone is moaning about it so much.
 Pretty neutral review despite the rating... January 2, 2009
A. Whistler
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
At first I thought everyone just try to have a go at DRM technology just because they enjoy complaining over a small thing. I would like to formally apologise at once. Here's my experience...
Bought the game despite the bad reviews thinking "This cant be that bad" as people made out to be. I will not bored you with the 5 times installation thing as I am sure it is fully covered in other reviews.
I have 2 computers, one is a rubbish one which I use to connect to Internet and the other is a top of the range Quad Core with 1Gb graphics card etc etc. Installed the game which took 30mins. Then when I tried to run it some dll files are missing so could not run. Phoned EA support and they advised me that I must have Internet access or they cannot fix it. Well, I do not want my good pc to log on to Internet because it contains all my confidential files so the operator simply said get a refund. I returned it the next day and shops say I cannot get a refund due to the DRM technologies and in fact, I could not get a refund on any EA games. i am now stuck with a game that I cannot play with.
I looked at EA website and the EA CEO compare this with "I would not like to have keys to open my house or turn on my car but it is necessary". Well, that is a wrong comparison and let me explain why.
For example, you bought an EA produced car and you are given the key to start the car. However the key itself is not enough, you need to register your retina and finger prints as well which will be used to recognise you or else the car will not start even if you have the key. No one will be able to drive the car except you and you cannot sell the car to another person. Also, if you want to get your wheels fixed or change your exhaust, break pads etc, you can only do this 5 times or else the car will not work. If EA is in adminstration, your car will not work because the registration centre is shut off.
And all this is done apparently just so that some other companies cannot steal the design or the copyrighted technology inside the car. Is it just me or does anyone see the logic here?
I am not saying whether you should or should not buy BUT if the game does not work on your pc you will not get a refund. Somehow, the 10 days goods returned law no longer applies because you could have registered the game or steal the serial code. I suppose the clothes industry for example could do the same, no refunds to clothes just in case you steal their design!
best online game since halo 2 January 1, 2009
C. M. Saunders (UK)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
there a 1,000 ways to skin a cat, and there is a 1,001 ways to play R&A3 when it comes to on line gaming. The units are perfectly balanced and decisons are tough, forget the boring one player mode where you have to grind down the CPU until you win, thats what the game isnt about get online and get ready to open up the fastest learning curve you have ever seen.
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