ommand & Conquer: Tiberian Sun takes place in 2030 CE. The game opens with the Brotherhood of NOD's attack against Global Defense Initiative forces on Earth, which is the beginning of a long list of bad news for Chief Commander James Solomon (played by James Earl Jones) and his GDI marines. The evil and megalomaniacal Kane, the Brotherhood leader who was believed to be dead, has officially announced his return.
Kane's plan, as always, involves total global domination. With his propaganda machine and a slew of Machiavellian tactics, he has convinced many discontent third-world countries to join his party. Combining his scientific expertise with charismatic political savvy, the ruthless Kane has established the mineral Tiberium as the predominant terran power source.
Tiberium's mysterious nature and its dangerous effects, however, are just emerging. The "harvesting" of this fuel has not only left much of the Earth's surface in ruin, but those exposed to it have developed genetic defects. These underground victims of Tiberium poisoning, called The Forgotten, have become a dangerous and viable force in a world gone wrong.
It's up to gamers, playing as either the GDI or Brotherhood of NOD, to determine the planet's destiny through two campaigns comprised of 24 real-time strategy missions. There are Titan battle-walkers to direct, jump-jet infantry to order, and hordes of attack cycles to control as cyber-commanders struggle to dominate the planet. Tiberian Sun, however, isn't just military strategy; from their isometric view, gamers must gather and allocate resources (in this case, Tiberium) for building units and structures. As with most real-time strategy games, Tiberian Sun supports a robust multiplayer suite.
Perfecting an innovation
In 1995 Westwood Studios introduced Command & Conquer, a game that many credit with revolutionizing the real-time strategy genre. A prequel called Red Alert soon followed, as did more critical praise. Now Westwood has released the much-anticipated and heavily hyped Command & Conquer sequel Tiberian Sun.
Very few--if any--games, movies, books, etc. can live up to mass-marketing hype. And Tiberian Sun is no exception. The game, nevertheless, is far from a disappointment. It offers several new features for the real-time strategy genre. For example, fresh and distinct units fill the GDI and NOD camps, including Cyborg Commandos and Jump Troopers. A new waypoint system has also been created for establishing repair and attack routes.
The designers at Westwood have also improved the aesthetic experience of the game. Flailing men stumble from destroyed buildings, flames leaping from their arms and shoulders. Isometrically viewed structures smoke and crumble from laser fire. Infantry pulse rifles spark with each round of fire. A more aggressive artificial intelligence keeps gamers on their toes, and superb acting performances by James Earl Jones, Michael Biehn and Joseph Kucan (reprising his role as the diabolical Kane) keeps them looking forward to the between-mission full motion video scenes.
Westwood's latest installment in the Command & Conquer franchise may not exhibit the same level of innovation that made its predecessors famous, but the game does offer a rich and pleasing experience. The creators of Tiberian Sun have not opted to change the face of real-time strategy gaming, choosing instead to perfect it. Don't look for any genre-blurring in Tiberian Sun, just an updated and intriguing sequel that captures the essence of what classic real-time strategy gaming is all about.
