Command & Conquer 4 Beta Gameplay Video

[Sonic 296]

Now I'm assuming PCGames.de have permission to post this because as we all know the Command & Conquer 4 Beta is a closed beta. Anyway, here is a six minute video featuring actual Command & Conquer 4 beta gameplay footage.

 

[Gben 20]

All this video does for me is prove what a waste of space the bottom bar is.

3/4 of it is just empty when a group of units is selected.

 

If they insist on the horizontal bar, make it transparent or contextually pop-up please.

[Jarzka 1]

I guess everyone knows what I think about this so... I don't say anything.

[Silverthorn 0]

I'm very busy downloading things today, so I couldn't get to watch it. And problem is, I can't download the FLV when Dailymotion keeps on giving me the stupid 403 error. I wonder if a Youtube version will go for.

 

Also, wow, gben, I never know that you say that the horizontal bar takes up more space. Still, I would prefer the sidebar. Already asked that in the C&C forums' "Ask a developer", except I wonder if Feasel or Jason are going to read and answer my question. If the game's final version is the horizontal bar, expect sales to fall by a high percentage, casual gamers will buy it, but what about the hardcore fans?

[Saracen 16]

For a game that's supposed to centre on a more strategic and higher tactical level, the gameplay is a little quick. I've always found this as a nit picking quirk, but the animations just appear to be going a little too fast, along with the unit movement and such. I know it's work in progress, but there's so many placeholders coming through, it still looks and feels more like C&C 3 than C&C 4.... even down to the rather generic background music.

 

The interface is also arguably too busy, and does take up too much wasted space... It's not a sidebar, or horizontal bar issue in my eyes (I couldn't care what way they do it).. Gben is right though, the GUI could do with either being dynamic or reduced/simplified in some fashion.

 

The video is screaming more Dawn of War 2 to me than World in Conflict (Confirmed by a Beta tester on my MSN who says it is the ultimate Dawn of War 2 clone)... But I dunno, I don't wish to judge too much on a 6 minute video. But one thing is immediately clear from this video. It's not going to progress the genre forward, neither is it going to wow any critics and convince them otherwise.

 

Understand that I'm not trying to debase the game in any way here. It's just, well.... meh!?

[[NE]Fobby[GEN] 10]

I think the gameplay is way too slow and not strategic enough. You've got 15 tanks shooting at 1 infantry dude at the 22 second mark for about 15 seconds. If it takes that long to kill one thing with that many vehicles, I can only imagine how long bigger battles will actually take. That eliminates the possibility of surprise attacks, because the enemy could just bring units from the other side of the map to join in the battle. That also means all of your units will probably have to travel together to actually have an effect. The mix between the population cap and a lot of armour on all units just makes everything so much slower and linear.

 

If C&C4 is only getting one multiplayer game mode (KOTH-styled RTS) then I can only see two real gameplay possibilities here:

 

1) Large, slow paced battles

2) Taking empty control nodes that the enemy is not protecting

 

Then of course I've yet to see Tiberium anywhere in this game. Is that a Tiberium crystal being dropped off by a space elevator? :S I don't see why they've got rid of the entire resource system.

 

I don't see this game changing in the next 3-4 months, but if the gameplay stays the way it is, I will probably not be buying this game.

Edited November 25, 2009 by [NE]Fobby[GEN]

[ApornasPlanet 9]

The visual style of the game reminds me more of Dune 2000 and KKND than of C&C. Also, I agree about the UI occuping too much space and all. Why donät they use the same approach as in BFME using a minimal UI?

 

Yup! If it had been a sequel to any of these to games the visual style and the scaling of units would have been just perfect.

Edited November 25, 2009 by Trukem

[Crusader1 0]

What a cheap game!!!, why have they made it so bad I have no idea, the hole game should be recalled and redone. Becouse the game is too fasted and no game play all most.

I don't think ppl will buy C&C4 am not buying it, its a wast of my money.

[Johnnyxp64 20]

What a cheap game!!!, why have they made it so bad I have no idea, the hole game should be recalled and redone. Because the game is too fasted and no game play all most.

I don't think ppl will buy C&C4 am not buying it, its a wast of my money.

 

honestly i had similar thoughts in during my first gameplay...... i didnt liked the idea that i have to read a damn manual to understand whats different, and it was a lot of different thinks.......to learn and get used too....

 

still i think there is going to be some noticable changes in the game engine (the new angle is tooo tooo far away and the degrees a little....2D like)

but in Beta most of the ART like the UI bar is not going to be the same in the final game for sure, and lots of arts and effects will be added later on, so dont give up hope allready just from a single video.

 

if you get to learn it you will like it aftera while, but with some features removed.... i think. i cant say more sorry.

 

 

 

[Mighty BOB! 5]

Seriously.. he calls you "dude" when you select him... that is just.. beyond lame. And then he starts blabbing on about what he's going to do to his girlfriend when he gets home? Really? This is the embodiment of the lack of seriousness in this game. RA3 has way too much influence here. I would say it's infuriating, but I've given up any hope that this game will be good, so I don't care, and the non-caring cannot be infuriated.

[mirza044 4]

For a game that's supposed to centre on a more strategic and higher tactical level, the gameplay is a little quick.

I agree.

 

I think the gameplay is way too slow and not strategic enough.

Too slow???!!!

[Luk3us 63]

Well everyone knew this baby was going to be different...

[Wee_Ooh 0]

I wish that was me in the beta...I can't really judge it from a video. The unit saying are pretty dumb, but its kind of been like that since Generals. I guess the game is looking average so far, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

 

*is looking on the bright side*

[[NE]Fobby[GEN] 10]

I agree.

 

 

Too slow???!!!

 

It is fast in the sense that the movement of units is generally quick. It is slow in the sense that it takes too long to kill something.

[Gben 20]

-------------------

Support Renegade X!

 

Need a hug?

[spark 0]

From the video, it just seems like a bunch of units shooting at each other and nothing much besides that.

 

Can't really see the strategic emphasis on the control nodes...

[Sonic 296]

I wish that was me in the beta...I can't really judge it from a video. The unit saying are pretty dumb, but its kind of been like that since Generals. I guess the game is looking average so far, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

 

*is looking on the bright side*

A majority of the unit selection responses are just place holders for now anyway. It was like this for the RA3 alpha in June 2008 and the beta later in the same year.

[Aro 3]

A majority of the unit selection responses are just place holders for now anyway. It was like this for the RA3 alpha in June 2008 and the beta later in the same year.

 

The voices (as lame as some of them are) don't really bother me all that much, I wouldn't mind if they actually made it to the release. The main thing that annoys me is their choice to add the Red Alert 3-like selection outline, it didn't look good in Red Alert 3 and it doesn't look good in C&C4. Then again, I'm just a really picky person.

Edited November 26, 2009 by Aro

[Troopzor 5]

I really wanna say something concerning my experience in the beta, but I'm afraid it'll break my NDA

[Sonic 296]

Well you have to keep all thoughts about the C&C 4 beta to yourself for now.

[Gben 20]

With every bit of publicly released information, my opinion of the game diminishes.

 

I can't get over how upset I felt after looking at this video. (I'm really surprised at my reaction.)

At this point, the only purpose for pre-ordering would be take advantage of the in-store membership rewards system.

 

It's going to take some serious SP news to kindle any attention for this game.

And I'm really worried that EALA only knows how to do that through spoilers...

I need cliff-hangers not spoilers in my pre-purchase promotions.

[Malevolence 6]

All this video does for me is prove what a waste of space the bottom bar is.

3/4 of it is just empty when a group of units is selected.

 

If they insist on the horizontal bar, make it transparent or contextually pop-up please.

 

Couldn't agree more. Just bring back the classic sidebar, for crying out loud.

[Silverthorn 0]

Even so, I'm beginning to doubt more, will the dev team really listen, even if we post our questions on this matter in their "Ask a Developer" thread, will they answer our question on the next episode of BCPT?

 

I hope they better not skip my question when they see it. After all, I hope they are not pure fanatics of the horizontal bar. For Chrib's sake, just listen to our demands on the sidebar already! Future mod edit or not, we prefer all prepared by the dev team rather than our modders.

[Guest Stevie_K]

I know it's a beta but I still have this to say from the perspective of the video.

 

- The generals-like background music is hopefully for the beta only. It's horrible and does not even create tension like it's intended to.

- The voice acting is horrible. What happened to the computer generated-like voices? This just feels like an annoying person standing next to you telling you everything you already know.

- The animations are so quick. It gives the impression that these crawlers and units are all micro machines or something, and not "live size".

- When they announced they where going to make a horizontal bar, I thought they where going to make it slick, stylish and minimal sized. The one in the video is huge, takes up too much space and is generally ugly.

- Is this is a children's game?, Everything I mentioned above just makes me feel like it is... I guess they are the easy and not so complaining sales target EA is looking for.

 

I know! I know it's "just" a beta, but come on. This game feels like 0% C&C and 100% do-not-want.

If not huge changes is coming up in a few months I'll take my attention off C&C4.

 

[G0NE2W4R 0]

Straight up, this game has some Dune 200, Emperor Battle for Dune feeling in it. The music is terrible, sounds like some Star Wars or other space tracks. This gameplay doesn't feel C&C and personally I'm not liking it.