Adam Isgreen Comments on C&C 4

[Sonic 296]

Former Westwood and Petroglyph developer, Adam Isgreen, has written a lengthy article on his own personal site where he shares his thoughts about Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. Coming from a guy who was the lead designer for Westwood's Red Alert and Tiberian Sun and then Petroglyph's disappointing Universe at War, he doesn't really hold back much. Here's a few selected comments.

 

So all of that is very clever and all, and it’s a tight design loop of all the systems, but you know what? This feels like a downloadable RTS game, one I’d pay $20 dollars for on Steam.

 

...

 

I had a theory that this game didn’t start out as a core C&C title. After talking to various folks, turns out I’m not completely off base with that assumption, which explains a lot.

 

I applaud the EA folk for actually trying something new, but I don’t think that messing around with the finale in a franchise and story that’s 15 years in the making was the right moment to get experimental. You know what’s funny? If they’d taken everything they cut from this game and made that into a game, we’d be much closer to a classic C&C than what was produced.

 

I don’t personally see C&C4 as a core C&C game. But, if you treat it as a stand-alone multiplayer-centric game and have a group of friends you can play regularly with, go for it.

You can read more by clicking here. It certainly is interesting finding out what the old Westwood guys think of the latest Command & Conquer game.

[Neroon 0]

I think he is spot on. Its kind of sad that they used the C&C name just to mow out a generic tactical rts.

[Publix666 0]

I actually love U@W lol. Just couldnt play it on my old laptop and gave it away to my dad. As far as Adams comments, i think hes absolutely dead on.

[ORCaLoVeR 0]

I applaud the EA folk for actually trying something new, but I don’t think that messing around with the finale in a franchise and story that’s 15 years in the making was the right moment to get experimental. You know what’s funny? If they’d taken everything they cut from this game and made that into a game, we’d be much closer to a classic C&C than what was produced.

 

Exactly what i wanted to hear.

 

C&C4 as it is should have been a spin-off. It would have worked great.

[mirza044 4]

Coming from a guy who was the lead designer for Westwood's Red Alert and Tiberian Sun and then Petroglyph's disappointing Universe at War, he doesn't really hold back much.

It's a little bit off-topic, and I know that I'm risking a warning or even a ban, but it seems that some EALA fanboys (I hope that you are not one of them Sonic) too often like to point out how Petroglyph's UaW disappointment was. UaW has some major flaws, but most of them were results due to lack of support from SEGA part and some issues with GFWL. For such a "disappointment", UaW's Metacritic score is relatively high - 77 (user score - 8.5)

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...erse%20at%20war

Real disappointment here is C&C4, and I never saw that you pointed out that fact Sonic. C&C4's Metacritic score - 66 (user score - 2.2)

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...rian%20twilight

Adam is right in almost everything what he said about C&C4.

[Sonic 296]

It's a little bit off-topic, and I know that I'm risking a warning or even a ban, but it seems that some EALA fanboys (I hope that you are not one of them Sonic) too often like to point out how Petroglyph's UaW disappointment was. UaW has some major flaws, but most of them were results due to lack of support from SEGA part and some issues with GFWL. For such a "disappointment", UaW's Metacritic score is relatively high - 77 (user score - 8.5)

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...erse%20at%20war

Real disappointment here is C&C4, and I never saw that you pointed out that fact Sonic. C&C4's Metacritic score - 66 (user score - 2.2)

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...rian%20twilight

Adam is right in almost everything what he said about C&C4.

Trust me, UaW bombed out big time. I know the entire history about that failed game. I did use to run a Petroglyph fan site you know, remember Petro-Gamers.com? Even Adam himself wasn't happy with the game, he had lots to say about after he finished with Petroglyph.... See here http://obscured-view.com/?p=13.

But yeah for the most part he has made a fair assessment of C&C 4, but like everything else is just another persons opinion.

 

Unlike many of you guys, I don't hate and despise C&C 4 at all, I appreciate the new style, the new way to play.

 

And please don't assume I'm a fanboy... that deserves an ass-kicking I think

[Luk3us 63]

Wow he didn't like C&C4, who'd of thought it?

[sith_wampa 6]

I pretty much agree with everything he said. I especially like his points about the crawlers, engineers, and Q.

[General Kane Nash 0]

I have to agree with Sonic the new gameplay is far better than the old C&Cs, the fact people cannot longer win by abusing of the old OP tactics is remarkable, the problem is, the game had too much done wrong, the always online requirement (useless since people figure out how to make an offline adaptation), the weak story (sometime it feel like a soap opera, and I am not talking about those from Brazil which were really nice despict being... soap operas), and the point that still makes me feel a bit, you know, a bit, ANGRY! the graphics, oh the graphics, C&C3 and KW were so beautiful, I am still trying to figure out what the heck happened with those chinese guys who made the concept art for EALA, it's just as if one day they had gone mad.

 

And well, the music didnt help, sure there are some tracks that have nice parts, but after the awesomeness of RA3/Uprising we had great hopes for really outstanding music, they ended giving us Star Trek/Star Wars themes that were not bad by themselves, but were so awfully out of context.

 

Dont believe me?

 

Compare this:

 

 

With this:

 

 

What is worst is that given the fast paced nature and wacky visual design of C&C4 the former track would have been far better for that game than the later.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Sonic
Embed the video, much simpler

[ApornasPlanet 9]

I pretty much agree with everything he said. I especially like his points about the crawlers, engineers, and Q.

He could have bashed it more though...

[Guest Stevie_K]

Adam Isgreen has written a lengthy article on his own personal site where he shares his thoughts the truth about Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight.

 

fixed.

[Guest Stevie_K]

You have a tendency to bend reality yes?

 

[Nmenth 291]

You have a tendency to bend reality yes?

The hazards of multi-tasking...

 

Now the evidence is gone, no one shall see my mistake.

[Gben 20]

I just finished posting my contribution to this month's round-table... I was finally able to end my self-imposed exile from all things review/comment/feedback on C&C4 (I wanted to give you my pure C&C4 opinion and not a rehash of other people's opinions.) Now that it's over - I was able to rush to this thread and read his detailed critique.

 

The fact that he lambastes the game-play is not surprising.

I was surprised that he thought the story was too deep for new fans, when I thought it was waaaaay too shallow.

 

Look out Mal.... your thread is next!

[Mighty BOB! 5]

I just finished posting my contribution to this month's round-table...

Awww, I has no invite.

[recover 2]

I agree with most points. One thing that really annoyed me is that you lose all the XP if you lose a mission. That is just so stupid. It should be patched to oblivion. Sooooooo stupid!!