Nod leader Kane interrupts those transmissions with a lengthy screed. “A new day will dawn,” he promises. General Jack Granger and GDI Acting Director Redmond Boyle, already veterans of two wars against the Brotherhood, vow to stop that from happening. Supporting casts on both sides provide skills that prove invaluable as the conflict escalates. Tiberium continues to ravage the globe.

The Scourge of the Scrin. A player falls to a powerful assault during an online skirmish.

“All beings in the Command & Conquer universe are defined by their relationship to Tiberium, a self-replicating alien substance that threatens to wipe out all living things on the planet but is also the world’s most powerful resource,” explains EA Los Angeles vice-president and producer Mike Verdu. “Tiberium is the perfect antidote to a world addicted to oil, but the costs involved in using it could eventually mean the contamination of the entire planet.”

“The tapestry of the story is woven into the game in a way that makes it seem like story is everywhere.”

- Mike Verdu, producer

34 Missions Plus Endless Online Skirmishes

The destruction of the Philadelphia ushers in The Third Tiberium War between GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod. Command & Conquer 3 features 30 missions that allow you to experience both sides’ perspectives, with four bonus missions that center on the Scrin, an alien race that wants Tiberium for its own purposes and eventually attacks GDI and Brotherhood forces. Each group’s unique identity provides strengths and weaknesses that dictate how you should plan resource gathering, structure construction, and soldier, vehicle, and aircraft production.

Damage Assessment. General Granger and Lt. Telfair brief you on Nod’s latest attacks.

“We reward your style of play in the single-player campaign,” says Verdu, “letting you make choices before and during missions that fundamentally alter how subsequent missions play out. A new particle system also allows us to put amazing effects on the screen — the battlefield comes alive with vastly-improved smoke, fire, explosions, haze, tracers, and weather effects.”

In addition, Verdu’s team put a lot of work into the game’s artificial intelligence (AI), efforts that bear fruit when you set up standalone single-player skirmishes. “We wanted to have computer opponents with defined styles of play, so that players can complement their own styles,” he notes. “If you like to build up your base and have epic late-game battles with huge armies, then you might be frustrated by an AI that always rushes you five minutes into the game, so you can choose an AI style that fits better.”

The Walkers Go Marching On. If you must cross a Tiberium patch, don’t let your troops linger for too long.

And when you head online to challenge human opponents, you may find yourself a star on BattleCast Prime Time, where matches are broadcast to thousands of viewers, complete with running commentary. The show “offers a sportscast look and feel,” Verdu observes.

Note: This game is no longer available from the publisher. However, you may still be able to find it at your favorite retail store.

“We reward your style of play in the single-player campaign, letting you make choices that fundamentally alter how subsequent missions play out.”

- Mike Verdu, producer

The Tapestry of the Story

In contrast, the single-player campaign features a movie-like look and feel, with high-definition, live-action cut scenes starring Billy Dee Williams (Redmond Boyle) from the “Star Wars” movies, Tricia Helfer (Kilian Qatar, Kane’s second-in-command) and Grace Park (GDI Lieutenant Sandra Telfair) of “Battlestar Galactica” fame, Joe Kucan (Kane), Michael Ironside (Jack Granger), and others. The characters also sometimes appear during missions to explain the goals you need to accomplish next, as well as to relay important plot points.

“The tapestry of the story is woven into the game in a way that makes it seem like story is everywhere,” Verdu explains. “Supporting the story is a wonderfully-realized universe with amazing richness and depth. We’ve continued to add texture ad dimension to it, describing in depth the evolution of GDI and Nod, the timeline of the Tiberium Wars, Kane’s history, and a million other details.” (For more information about the game’s story, see “The Alternate History of C&C” on page two.)

Altogether Now. Throw as much firepower as you can at a building to take it down.

He adds: “We also brought in some scientists from MIT to work with us in identifying the physical properties of Tiberium, including its origins, how it works at an atomic level, how it affects living creatures, and why it is such a powerful source of energy.”

A Powerful Theme

Not only have Verdu and his team plumbed the depths of the game’s history and characters, but they’ve also considered how a story that began in 1995 relates to our world today. “A powerful theme that you see time and time again in Command & Conquer is the notion of science versus religion,” Verdu says. “The GDI is a sort of high-tech UN of the future that realizes the threat Tiberium brings to Earth and is trying to fight it off with science.

Under Siege. Nod soldiers damage power plants, leaving the Pentagon in the dark.

“On the other hand, you have the Brotherhood of Nod, whose strong religious beliefs state that Tiberium is something sacred that should be cherished, as it will mark the coming of the next evolution of mankind.”

He sums up: “While these themes seem to be echoed heavily in today’s world, it’s important to note that we’re talking about a universe and a science-fiction story that was created in 1995. Good science-fiction has some resonance with current events because it’s an exploration of what might happen.”

If you liked this game, check out:

• Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs
• Age of Mythology
• Civilization IV: Warlords
• Command & Conquer Generals
• Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour
• Legion Arena: Cult of Mithras
• Rise of Nations: Gold Edition
• Star Wars: Empire at War