The Soviets have some rather nasty (although difficult to manage) Yuris that can take control of the mind of just about any enemy unit. Truly, the first few Allies' levels are quite easy once you concentrate on making these jetpack soldiers. Once again, ignoring the expected infantry and tanks, there are some quite interesting and powerful units that make the game elicit smiles from even the most weaned RTS players.ДЇor example, the Allies have some quite amusing jetpack equipped Rocketeer-like soldiers (looking much like those in the 1950s ads that promised what travel would be like in the year 2000) that are actually quite powerful when the enemy fails to stock up on anti-air flak units. This train of thought leads us neatly to the new types of units made available in the game. It's a good idea to keep an engineer nearby these buildings, as once they are extensively damaged, your men flee out of the wreckage like mice from a sinking ship. Everything from skyscrapers to barns can be stocked with troops to act as a unified, remote defense structure in areas that might need it the most. The former act like Tesla Coils but are exponentially stronger according to the number of other towers nearby, while the latter lets you know which units or buildings in your vicinity are targeted for attack from any sort of enemy (very helpful for lop-siding your defenses accordingly).ДЄnother very nice feature is the addition of bunkers and civilian buildings that can be 'fortified' by pumping soldiers into them. The most interesting new additions in this area, though, include defense installations such as the Allies' Prism Towers and the Soviets' Psychic Sensor. Need a turret as well as a submarine ASAP? Start building both and watch the efficiency soar!ДЄs for the buildings, it would be a waste of time to go over the usual walls, power generators and the like. This means that not only is it easier to search and quickly locate that specific turret or submarine to build, but it's also much handier by allowing you to simultaneously build choices of many different types. What's changed for the better, however, is this one-stop shop now divides all your possible building options into four main tabs: infrastructure, base defenses, men and vehicles. The interface is unarguably familiar with the aforementioned isometric, 2D view of the battlegrounds with a menu on the right-hand side of the screen detailing your radar, resources, and building options.

In any case, at least we're reminded this is just a simple game intended for enjoyment.

This is both refreshing and grating at the same time but it works - in a way. Northern Exposure's Barry Corbin tries his best to make certain his good old Yankee patriotism is understood while Sliders' Kari Wuhrer's physical attributes are amply displayed in every clip she graces.Д«ut, instead of shooting themselves in the foot by taking such an unquestionably silly premise as Russian airships flying into New York City with the straightest of narrative tones, the video segments are shot with a 'we know you know that it's all just a lark anyway' attitude. Which is proven more now than ever before, helped in part by the overly camp, full-motion video briefings that, despite trying so hard to be taken lightly, make you want to laugh at them, not with them. Not to put too fine a point on it, 'red' in this context still equals 'evil,' but no one really takes the game's premises seriously, do they? That alternate World War II had the Soviets contained, but now a new, last-minute danger has arisen with mind-control machinations and an invasion straight into the American capital. How exactly did that happen?Д¬ommand & Conquer: Red Alert 2 continues where the 1996 original left off. But, for some reason, mainly due to small, yet effective gobs of spit and polish, it's a blast. Same isometric 2D view, same resource management, same tiny unit sprites, same regurgitated real-time strategy (RTS) tricks. Indeed, the immediate gut instinct while loading up Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is that it's often difficult to tell it apart from the original game made almost five years before.

Yes, it's 'comfort food' that entertains you and with what seems like the 403rd installment in the Command & Conquer series, Westwood successfully believes in the old adage of reaching a man's heart through his stomach. Everything feels familiar to millions while being just slightly different enough to dish out a good time for all. It's like playing Doom II, watching another season of The X-Files, or listening to a new Oasis album - nothing is too innovative, too shiny, or too confusing.

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