Command & Conquer The First Decade

Command and Conquer The First Decade is probably the best compilation of games from any genre all in one DVD. The C&C series started back in 1995 with Command and Conquer, which at the time was one of the few, if not the only real-time strategy type games. They paved the way into gamer's hearts offering not only exciting game play but offered titles that had great graphics, compelling storylines, exceptional acting and fantastic sound effects and music. These attributes provided the groundwork for some of the best titles in the industry and a fan base like no other.

There are 12 titles in the collection spanning over 10 years from 1995-2003. Not quite a real 10 years, but seeing as there has not been a release of any C&C games since 2003 it's close enough. Twelve titles in nine years is still pretty remarkable and shows that Westwood Studios kept working hard to keep the fans happy. The bonus DVD is certainly worth viewing. It goes on about all the development of all the games and into some detail about how the fan base grew as the series progressed. Has about an hour of content and I highly recommend watching it if you purchase this excellent title.



Command & Conquer The First Decade will combine the following titles:

Command & Conquer™(Aug. 1995)

Command & Conquer The Covert Operations™ (April 1996)

Command & Conquer™Red Alert™ (Oct. 1996)

Command & Conquer™ Red Alert™The Aftermath™ (Sept. 1997)

Command & Conquer Red Alert Counterstrike™ (Mar. 1997)

Command & Conquer™Tiberian Sun™ (Aug. 1999)

Command & Conquer™ Tiberian Sun™ Firestorm (Feb. 2000)

Command & Conquer™ Red Alert™ 2 (Oct. 2000)

Command & Conquer™ Yuri's Revenge™ (Oct. 2001)

Command & Conquer Renegade™ (Feb. 2002)

Command & Conquer™Generals (Feb. 2003)

Command & Conquer™ Generals Zero Hour (Sept. 2003)

Visually you can definitely see the progression of technology as you play through each of the titles noticing how the graphics and game play improved over the years as computers advanced over time allowing for better visuals and more in-depth game play. Though the earlier titles may not be as pretty, they still provide some awesome gaming that any RTS fan will surely enjoy. Personally, my collection only involves Red Alert 2 through Generals Zero Hour. Now I was able to play the earlier titles to see how the series evolved over the years. Wow, was I impressed. I have always loved the fact that the games involved real actors - some of which you have actually seen in real Hollywood movies. I have always felt in any game that when you use real talent it always helps the storyline in any genre. It surely beats bad voice-overs from the local college trying terrible foreign accents that you know you yourself could do better at. Just one more accolade to add to the long list of paramount attributes in the development of a great series.

All the titles have top-notch sound effects and the music is still the best I have ever heard. The voices were great and I always liked the different sound bytes you would hear when selecting a unit. I.e., Tanya with her “Shake it Baby” … and yes she is still smoking hot! When you have 100 units doing different tasks, planes flying over dropping bombs, guys being blown to oblivion, buildings pumping out units or being destroyed was like overload to my ears because it sounded so good. It’s a wonder that my ears didn’t bleed. The sound effects had me so immersed in the game that when I heard the nuclear alert go off I wanted to hide under my desk. In short, these games all had unique qualities and pushed the envelope at the time of their development. If there were not hardware limitations it would interesting to see what else they could have come up with.

All the storylines were so creatively done it’s a wonder that Westwood or EA has not jumped on the bandwagon and gone Hollywood. I could see how some of the titles could certainly be spun to be a box office hit. Heck, cast Kari Wuhrer (Tanya the gorgeous agent from red alert 2) in it and I would sure be at the box office! In all seriousness the creativity was second to none and I surely hope that in 10 years we will be looking at a second decade of hits.

Review Scoring Details for Command and Conquer The First Decade

Gameplay: 9.0
After the initial set up it’s a snap to get on with the gaming. All the games are on one DVD, which eliminates fumbling around with different CD’s. Even if you own a few of the titles it's worth picking this up and having them all. I have always been a fan of the series because playing was very easy with a small learning curve and adjustable options. The storylines are epic in their own right and Westwood has made it a practice to use some real Hollywood actors, which proves that they take great measures to make a good game into a great game.

Graphics: 8.0
Keep in mind that some older games are on the disk so compared to today’s graphics they don’t even hold a candle to them. Some of the more recent titles like Generals still look good despite being a couple of years old. C&C has always pushed the envelope to invoke new technologies in their games. This used to be a bear on older PCs. Today's PCs can take the abuse these titles hand out easily, which make playing them now pretty much trouble free even on the highest visual detail settings.

Sound: 9.0
Still sounds great after all these years. I do not believe that any of the games are surround sound supported, but still sound good in stereo. The music from these game is some of the best I have ever heard.

Difficulty: Medium
You can toggle many of the settings to make the game as easy or as hard as you like. Experienced players will find the multiplayer useful for those all-out slugfests.

Concept: 8.0
I like what EA has been doing with some of their legacy titles like the Sims and the C&C series. For those who might have tried a few games on the disc, it makes purchasing this compilation worthwhile.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Still one of the best multiplayer games I have ever played.

Overall: 8.8
One of the best values around.