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IGN Preview C&C 3 for the Xbox 360

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IGN have posted a preview of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars for the Xbox 360. It features the same screen shots found at GameSpot. Here is a sample from the preview.

 

Using the BfME2 engine, EA has, as they say, done some plumbing. By "plumbing," EA means it has worked long and hard on the underlying engine, streamlining processes, speeding up commands, and making Command and Conquer a faster, quicker, and more explosive looking game than its Middle-earth predecessor. The work has paid off and clearly can be seen in the Xbox 360 alpha build we played. Call up a few Orcas, flying battle ships, and watch them shoot off a few simple rockets. The missiles launch slowly, then speed up, arch across the sky, smoke and steam issuing from their tails, heat blurs tailing, and then smash into their targets. (Once they're out of missiles, by the way, they'll automatically return to base to pick up more.)

 

The result of said missiles is another explosion, this time in the form of particles. Bits of metal, concrete, plastic and glass burst into the sky like a 4th of July sky rocket flowering. Everything is beautifully lit, too, so particles reflect light, ships are lit, their exhaust pipes glow, and while it's all done on a small scale, there is so much happening on screen at once, it's a marvel to watch. EA has basically turned the BfMe2 engine into a light and particle machine, cranking out tons of special effects in each battle -- something you couldn't really see in the Tolkien game due to its very nature. But particles will be heavily highlighted in C&C 3. Mike Verdu, C&C's executive producer, said this game has 10 times the particles that BfMe2 had. The game also loads much faster, too. All of this is due to smart programming handled in the plumbing, none of which should are instantly noticeable for gamers, except, of course, for the results, which are very noticeable.

 

Another visual change was made, this time to the camera. The camera in BfMe2 at times was frustrating because it was set so closely set to the environment and the characters. EA purposely set it that way because it wanted to focus on the Tolkien heroes. It wanted you to see the heroes in battle. For C&C, however, EA pulled back the camera to show more on screen at once. They result is satisfying. Since you can see more, you can control more. The units, therefore, are smaller, but no loss of animation detail is too small, apparently, because every infantry man, engineer, tank, Orca, or Super Tank moves with what appears to be dozens of unique animations.

Click here for more of this preview.

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So this confirms:-

 

a) XBOX has different multiplayer modes compared to PC

Which is obviously a dumb idea for the PC owners. It was implied, but I don't remember this being officially confirmed elsewhere. There seems no obvious benefit for the game to have exclusive MP modes other than to help sales. I hope EA allows the extra modes in a patch... otherwise that will have to show up in the first mods that come out - because these obviously look like fun.

 

B) GDI is the default campaign, then nod, then alien

I had thought we had an option of either traditional enemies before taking on the alien side, but in true blizzard style we seem to have a progress of story via the campaign.

 

c) We have a 2nd naval vessel - the Battleship.

Although both are NPC we now can add to the carrier... the battleship. We saw the carriers in the earliest screenshots, and they have previously been explained that will be used for SP missions only - obviously as base of operations or sources of reinforcements etc. It doesn't quite look like a battleship (too small) and it's just an assumption based on previous games.

 

It seemed the majority of the article is about the controls in XBOX, which didn't interest me - because I'm not getting it. but when they talk about the problems from BFME2 on XBOX - I think, well der, of *course* that would be a problem. And I expect C&C3 will still cause control problems on the XBOX. It's probably another important step in the evolution of the RTS Console game, but it's not there yet. IMHO.

 

The colour scheme of the boat doesn't look consistent with the tanks? Which reminds me of some of the old video/gameplay of some of really gaurish orange mamoth tanks - really made it seem arcadish - but it was probably the XBOX version and probably works for that console. I just hope the PC colours are toned down...

 

Although Navy wasn't utilised in C&C Dawn or Sun - I really hope they implement it in the expansion or sequel. It seems such a standard today to have all three realms... unless they can successful integrate space, land and air.

 

-gben

 

EDIT: Entering sheepish mode...

Sigh... just saw the other screenshot thread with the boat in it. Just ignore me. I'll be quiet now.

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Bah who cares about the Xbox 360 version? Its just going to be a crappy version of the PC one anyway. Pff.. Stupid Xbox 360...

 

[/Anti Xbox360 rant]

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Bah who cares about the Xbox 360 version? Its just going to be a crappy version of the PC one anyway. Pff.. Stupid Xbox 360...[/Anti Xbox360 rant]

 

I don't own a console, and have no intention too.

 

But I think consoles are the way of the future... especially if they can effectively solve control problems with RTS games. So it's worthy of discussion. The evolution of the RTS console game I mean - not so much C&C3 on XBOX.

 

Although... any and every distinction between the two *should* be discussed, especially if the we're the guys who miss out.

 

-gben

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