C&C TV: BattleCast Primetime Episode 1 [Command & Conquer TV via CustomPC]

I'd give you some impressions, but it was still downloading when I left the house this morning. I'm hoping the console controls add something novel to the experience, as the PC version, while an excellent entry into the series, felt a little stale to me. At the very least it has camera support, so I can finally stop flashing Uno players! Michael Fahey

That's why for this week's Frankenreview we're covering Westwood's sequel to Tiberian Sun (released 8 years ago already, btw), Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. It's not just another RTS. It's another RTS with campy video. (And I mean that as a compliment).

So what did the "experts" have to say?

Yahoo
This is probably the first Westwood style RTS that has almost everything you could want. It has hotkeys, easy unit selection options, ample visual cues, solid tactical AI, useful unit stances, formations, big obvious buttons, and helpful tool tips. You can even set an adjustable speed slider for multiplayer games and skirmishes. Cranked way down, Command & Conquer 3 is absolutely languid.
Gamespot
Some of the maps and textures are somewhat bland, but you aren't bound to care for long...In the most extreme battles, your screen will fill with mighty blasts and streams of lasers, as if you were the main player in a sci-fi action film. Amazingly, the game's performance never suffers, with few noticeable drops in frame rate and brief loading times.

Eurogamer
It's not really even trying to be a serious RTS - it just wants to live up to its name. You command, usually by drawing a big rectangle around everything on screen, and then you conquer, usually by then right-clicking on an enemy power station so their defences run out of juice and you can then kill everything else...this C&C is about entertaining rather than challenging.

Games Rader
Right off the bat, you'll notice how fast the game plays. Even at the default setting, there is little time for planning what you will build next or in which direction you will expand. Get a build order memorized and go, go, go; this is one of the most frantic real time-strategies in recent years....This is good, in a way, since it means you'll get to the action quickly.

Games For Windows (1up)
The last time we saw live bodies in a game was...what, last century?...Whether it's Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) preaching you up in punky fishnets, Josh Holloway (Lost) drawling like everyone's favorite Southern-fried wiseass...personality's the reason why you really can't miss Tiberium Wars...[it's a] revival of steely actors staring you straight in the eye and declaiming "Save our bacon or else!"... Consequently, this sequel...has something that most of its peers don't: personality.
I miss the early CD titles and their obsession with awkward, cheesy live action video. So this is a must-buy in my book...though I'm waiting for the 360 version. Mark Wilson

If this was about any game but Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars I probably wouldn't have bothered posting, but anything that has the words Command and Conquer in it gets me all hot and bothered.

EA LA announced today that Joe Kucan, the actor who has played the character Kane in all of the Command and Conquer games, will once more be playing Kane.

Fortunately, EA threw in a little bit of interesting background on the game's plot as well to keep my interest. I slapped the full press release on the jump. Brian Crecente

EA Los Angeles (EALA) is thrilled to reveal today that Joe Kucan, the original actor who portrayed the character Kane in Command & Conquer (C&C) games over the last decade, is reprising his role as the megalomaniacal leader of the Brotherhood of Nod (Nod) in Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars (C&C 3). Kucan will appear in an array of high-definition, live action video sequences that seamlessly tie the game's epic story together. These full-motion video sequences will also feature an unparalleled, diverse cast and will help bring the story behind the Tiberium Universe to life.

"Kane lives indeed!" said Joe Kucan, the actor who originated the popular villain over a decade ago. "I am looking forward to capturing the imagination of a whole new generation of C&C fans and the series' avid supporters. EALA has done some amazing work, and I am truly honored to be back in the Brotherhood."

About C&C 3
March, 2047. A massive nuclear fireball explodes high in the night sky, marking the dramatic beginning to the Third Tiberium War and long-awaited return of the most groundbreaking Real-time Strategy franchise (RTS) of all time.

The critically-acclaimed C&C series returns with C&C 3. Setting the standard for the future of RTS gaming once more, C&C 3 takes you back to where it all began—the Tiberium Universe.

In 2047, Tiberium has blanketed the Earth, which is now divided into zones based on the level of Tiberium infestation. Pristine Blue Zones represent 20% of the planet's surface and are the last refuge of the civilized world. Partially habitable Yellow Zones make up 50% of the planet's surface; most of the world's population lives in these war-torn and ecologically ravaged areas. The remaining 30% of the planet is uninhabitable, a Tiberium wasteland swept by violent Ion Storms. Red Zones are like the surface of an Alien planet.

The infamous Kane has returned to lead the Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault on the Global Defense Initiative and the few remaining Blue Zones left on the planet. Only you can stop him. The fate of humanity - and the planet - is in your hands.

Featuring state-of-the-art, next-generation graphics, an epic story with live action, full-motion video sequences, and the classic fast-paced C&C style of play, C&C 3 sets the standard for the single player RTS experience. When you decide to test your skills online, a suite of truly innovative features, such as the ability to transform online battles into a spectator sport, unfold.