A fairly good gaming experience that doesn't move too far away from the 'ole tried'n'true method.
It achieves this for the most part but has a few strange quirks that detract from the overall experience.
The gameplay follows the tried and true method of the previous games, although lacking a few features, such as naval warfare.
The Singleplayer Campaign is fun to play, and it is narrated excellently through the use of FMV’s between missions. Some well known-actors appear in them and although it sometimes seems a bit over-the-top, it adds feeling to the game. The missions can be quite difficult on occasion, especially if one cares about getting all the ‘Intel Ops’ which are acquired via completing bonus objectives.
All in all, the gameplay doesn’t stray far at all from the previous games, and while that isn’t a bad thing, it would have been nice to see some new elements introduced, or brought back. (Naval warfare, subterranean units etc..)
The one area where C&C 3 falls quite short is the multiplayer. There have already been numerous patches since release and there are still many problems with the online play, with many users not being able to connect to servers at all, while many others experience frequent connection losses.
Furthermore, the included readme states that over 20,000 ports are needed open by the game, which is a large security risk and could have been handled better.
Also, there are numerous problems with the stat trackers and people disconnecting from games without penalty.
Time will tell if EA can make the necessary adjustments to improve the online gameplay.
The graphics are a pleasure to look at, and unlike other games (Looking at you, Supreme Commander) will run well on even modest systems. The units are detailed and the damage progression is visible enough to not require you to stare at HP bars all the time.
The environment is quite varied, ranging from cityscapes to the game’s tiberium-infested ‘red-zones’
My only gripe with the graphical side of things is the animation.
Previous C&C games enjoyed some diverse death animations which were curiously omitted in the latest instalment. You know it brought a smile to your face to set people on fire and watch them run around. No such pleasure this time around as the units either explode, or fall over.
The sound could have been somewhat better. The unit responses didn’t quite have the edge to them as they did in previous games. There are exceptions to this of course. The Mammoth Tanks and Flame Tanks for example, always bring a smile to my face when I hear their responses.
Other sounds seem to have been re-used (gunfire, tank shells) which is fine as they fit well.
The music is quite forgettable, focused on being more in the background than anything.
In the end, fans of the series will love Command & Conquer 3 : Tiberium Wars, even with its (admittedly limited) flaws.