Usability of Tiberian Sun
Written: Oct 12 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: easy modem and internet play, some visuals (like the buildings) look great, new effects (Ion Storm is cool), interesting landscape
Cons: not much is new, too much hype, troop movement can be odd, interface needs some improvements, gets boring after only a few plays (I only play via Internet or modem), there are better games in this genre
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| webword's Full Review: Command |
My younger brother (12 years old) bought a copy of Tiberian Sun about 2 weeks ago. He was very excited about his purchase, and of course he was even happier that he had earned the money himself. However, he was only mildly impressed with the game.
He gave me a copy of the game to borrow (it comes with two). I installed it with high hopes. But, overall, it has been a rather lackluster game. I'm completely bored with it and only play against my brother via a direct modem connection. This works well, but it isn't much different (or easier) than before.
There was some intense hype before the release of the game and many folks, other than my brother, told me that they had planned on buying the game. I convinced some of them to save their money.
Here's why:
(1) The game is very much like the original Command and Conquer, and Command and Conquer: Red Alert. I actually like Red Alert the best of them. Westwood didn't do much to improve the game's interface. The troop, machine, and building development controls are still over to the right side of the screen. Troop movement is basically the same as before (with some exceptions that I note below).
(2) The movement and control of the troops is better but not much. When you select and move troops and vehicles, you are provided some green directional lines pointing to the area you sent them. However, this is only a straight-line indication of their movement. Due to the landscape, the route is uncertain.
(3) One reason the troop and vehicle movement is uncertain is that the terrain is not flat in Tiberian Sun. It is (sort of) 3-D. There are valleys and small mountains. This is interesting, but not Earth shattering. When you get hit with some powerful weapons, the landscape can be altered. A nice effect, but nothing special really.
(4) The weapons are kind of cool but they aren't radically better. There aren't tanks exactly, but there are Mech-Warrior-like attack droid-things. They are kind of cool, but the novelty wears off quickly. And, there are a few new related goodies (I like the rather powerful cyborg warrior).
That's about it. The usability is basically unchanged. They changed the landscape, some weapons, and the buildings. That's about it, besides some heavy marketing. Overall it is just a basic rehash of a tried-and-tried game. If you are a die hard fan, go for it. Otherwise, try something new.
Here are some useful web sites:
Tiberian Sun Official Site (Westwood)
http://www.westwood.com/games/ccuniverse/tiberiansun/index.html
Tiberian Sun Underground
http://www.ts-underground.com/
The Tiberian Sun Center
http://www.tscenter.com/
Tiberian Sun .org
http://www.tiberiansun.org/
Tiberian Sun "Movies" (mpeg-based)
http://www.pcgameworld.com/movies/candctiberiansun/
That should get you going...
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
webword
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Member: John Rhodes
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 89 members
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