Review: Command & Conquer Remastered Collection [Destructoid]

Command & Conquer represents a watershed moment in the strategy genre. There had been titles of its kind before, but Westwood Studios’ military base-builder was, undeniably, a key moment in opening the niche genre up to a more mainstream audience. Thus, for many, Command & Conquer was the first strategy game they had ever played.

Originally, C&C was an alternate take on Westwood’s previous release, Dune II, having repurposed many gameplay elements and mechanics from the 1992 DOS classic. But in the ensuing decades, C&C has written its own legend, thanks in no small part to its fast-paced gameplay, tongue-in-cheek FMV sequences, hard rockin’ soundtrack, and ready availability on consoles, a market often shied by the majority of map-based strategy titles.

Swiftly learning that fantasy was key to inviting in a wider audience, C&C gradually shifted from standard “grunts ‘n’ tanks” action to scenes of warfare that included missile-firing dolphins, psychic schoolgirls, screaming mechanical spiders, and Jenny McCarthy as a top-tier Black Ops commando. It’s C&C‘s universe now, we’re all just living it.

But today we return to a quainter time – when the series was still finding its footing – courtesy of the recently released Command & Conquer Remastered Edition. This double pack features fresh takes on the series’ first two entries: Command & Conquer (1995) and Command & Conquer Red Alert (1996). Let’s find out if these classics still deserve the Nod of approval.

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