Azurephile gives this a "Meh" on the Ghost Scale
It’s not amazing, it’s not bad. This is ok but you may want to choose another title.
Azurephile gives this a "Meh" on the Ghost Scale
It’s not amazing, it’s not bad. This is ok but you may want to choose another title.
I decided to delete my “recommended” review for C&C4 on Steam, because I’m a bit mixed on whether or not I’d recommend it, so I thought I’d just share my thoughts on it here instead.
Skip this if you’re not interested in cheating in the game:
I did enjoy C&C4, but I used Cheat Engine to make me invincible, which may have altered my experience. I’m not too ashamed to cheat in some games, I actually think it makes the game much more fun and much less stressful for me. I really don’t like a challenge. I used this program for many other C&C games. If you want to cheat in the game like I did, download and install Cheat Engine. When you open it up the first time, it will ask if you want to go through the tutorial. That is your choice, but I found it confusing and definitely unnecessary. The tutorial basically tells you how to discover cheats for a game, but I think it’s way easier to just search the web for a cheat table someone else created. I was able to do this simply and easily. When you have the game running, such as when you’re at the main menu, Alt-Tab back to your desktop and open Cheat Engine. Then select the icon under “File” and it will show you a list of processes running on your computer. Select the one that’s obviously C&C4. Next, click the icon to the right of the first one and there you can browse to the cheat file you’ve downloaded and open it. Then, at the bottom of the program, in a big white box, you’ll finally see some text. Click on the empty box near the text to enable the codes. Select the very first one to enable the overall cheat ability and then select the one next to whichever cheat you wish to use. After that, go back to your game and enjoy the cheat(s), it’s simple really.
Skip to here if you’re not interested in cheating in the game:
It seems the main reason that the game gets such a negative review is due to it’s DRM. The game requires you to login with an EA account. It also requires you to use a key to activate the game. It will not accept the code given to you by Steam when you try to log in and register it via Steam. You must visit EA’s website to activate the game in your EA account. This is actually easy to do and I found a video that shows exactly how to do it: https://youtu.be/Ex3tIL5EcjU
Tutorial, MCV, Unit Limitations:
I initially wrote a positive review for the game on Steam. I wanted to share the solution I found so others wouldn’t have to waste their time looking for it. However, I’m not entirely sure the game deserves a full recommendation. First of all, the tutorial is extremely limited, which is unlike some of the other C&C games. C&C3 had a good tutorial and Red Alert 3 has a very detailed tutorial broken up into parts, so you weren’t overwhelmed with it all at once. This game doesn’t really tell you how to do much. For instance, it says to find a point on the map, but doesn’t specify how to move your camera, though this is something you can easily figure out, especially if you’re already familiar with the series. In this game there’s only one building for constructing units and defenses, the MCV, which can be deployed in three different varieties; offense, defense, and support. This makes the game extremely unique in that you don’t have to create buildings for infantry or vehicles or aircraft, it’s all done in the same place. What’s more is that you’re limited to how much you can create by something called command points. I think I saw the max available was 60 and each unit costs at least a few of these, so it’s very difficult to amass a massive army to overwhelm your enemy. I’m not sure how to or if you can increase your command points.
There is also no harvesting of resources. There are red, blue, and green crystals you’ll find on the map, which you can pick up to get points to spend on abilities. There are also blue and green orbs you’ll find that can increase a unit’s rank. The game doesn’t go into much (if any) detail explaining these things.
”Capturing” structures:
There are also some structures that the game will tell you to capture. If you’re familiar with the series, you’ll probably assume this means sending an engineer into the structure, since that is the way every other C&C game has worked. However, this time is different. These structures have a meter which displays GDI, neutral, and Nod influence. To capture them, you need the structure’s influence to be on your side. To increase your influence, you need to be around it for a while and have more units in the area than your opponent. While it’s under your opponent’s influence, it will work for them (if it’s a turret for instance) and you can attack it. If you attack it enough, it will go into neutral influence and you won’t be able to (or need to) attack it anymore. You’ll see arrows that point out which direction the influence bar is going. However, there is at least one mission where you’ll have to use an engineer to capture certain buildings.
Summary:
Honestly, I thought the best part of the game was the very beginning, the intro trailer. I’m still suck on those limiting command points and I think that’s a real drag. I’m not too fond of the deviation of harvesting resources, which is something that’s been in every other C&C game, except for Renegade (which is a FPS). Even using an invincibility cheat, sometimes the missions were frustrating as you have to chase units across the map and also hold onto certain structures with your limited units (due to command point limitations). The story was ok I guess and the FMVs were crisp. The game looked modern.
Anyway, if you like the C&C series, I think you’d be justified in skipping this one. However, if you’re interested you may want to wait to catch it while it’s on sale. Although, if all of this sounds good to you, then go for it. I didn’t include all of this detail in my Steam review, so this is a legit Cheerful Ghost review. 😄
P.S. The trailer I just embedded makes the game look more like a movie, it contains very little game play.
Skip this if you’re not interested in cheating in the game:
I did enjoy C&C4, but I used Cheat Engine to make me invincible, which may have altered my experience. I’m not too ashamed to cheat in some games, I actually think it makes the game much more fun and much less stressful for me. I really don’t like a challenge. I used this program for many other C&C games. If you want to cheat in the game like I did, download and install Cheat Engine. When you open it up the first time, it will ask if you want to go through the tutorial. That is your choice, but I found it confusing and definitely unnecessary. The tutorial basically tells you how to discover cheats for a game, but I think it’s way easier to just search the web for a cheat table someone else created. I was able to do this simply and easily. When you have the game running, such as when you’re at the main menu, Alt-Tab back to your desktop and open Cheat Engine. Then select the icon under “File” and it will show you a list of processes running on your computer. Select the one that’s obviously C&C4. Next, click the icon to the right of the first one and there you can browse to the cheat file you’ve downloaded and open it. Then, at the bottom of the program, in a big white box, you’ll finally see some text. Click on the empty box near the text to enable the codes. Select the very first one to enable the overall cheat ability and then select the one next to whichever cheat you wish to use. After that, go back to your game and enjoy the cheat(s), it’s simple really.
Skip to here if you’re not interested in cheating in the game:
It seems the main reason that the game gets such a negative review is due to it’s DRM. The game requires you to login with an EA account. It also requires you to use a key to activate the game. It will not accept the code given to you by Steam when you try to log in and register it via Steam. You must visit EA’s website to activate the game in your EA account. This is actually easy to do and I found a video that shows exactly how to do it: https://youtu.be/Ex3tIL5EcjU
Tutorial, MCV, Unit Limitations:
I initially wrote a positive review for the game on Steam. I wanted to share the solution I found so others wouldn’t have to waste their time looking for it. However, I’m not entirely sure the game deserves a full recommendation. First of all, the tutorial is extremely limited, which is unlike some of the other C&C games. C&C3 had a good tutorial and Red Alert 3 has a very detailed tutorial broken up into parts, so you weren’t overwhelmed with it all at once. This game doesn’t really tell you how to do much. For instance, it says to find a point on the map, but doesn’t specify how to move your camera, though this is something you can easily figure out, especially if you’re already familiar with the series. In this game there’s only one building for constructing units and defenses, the MCV, which can be deployed in three different varieties; offense, defense, and support. This makes the game extremely unique in that you don’t have to create buildings for infantry or vehicles or aircraft, it’s all done in the same place. What’s more is that you’re limited to how much you can create by something called command points. I think I saw the max available was 60 and each unit costs at least a few of these, so it’s very difficult to amass a massive army to overwhelm your enemy. I’m not sure how to or if you can increase your command points.
There is also no harvesting of resources. There are red, blue, and green crystals you’ll find on the map, which you can pick up to get points to spend on abilities. There are also blue and green orbs you’ll find that can increase a unit’s rank. The game doesn’t go into much (if any) detail explaining these things.
”Capturing” structures:
There are also some structures that the game will tell you to capture. If you’re familiar with the series, you’ll probably assume this means sending an engineer into the structure, since that is the way every other C&C game has worked. However, this time is different. These structures have a meter which displays GDI, neutral, and Nod influence. To capture them, you need the structure’s influence to be on your side. To increase your influence, you need to be around it for a while and have more units in the area than your opponent. While it’s under your opponent’s influence, it will work for them (if it’s a turret for instance) and you can attack it. If you attack it enough, it will go into neutral influence and you won’t be able to (or need to) attack it anymore. You’ll see arrows that point out which direction the influence bar is going. However, there is at least one mission where you’ll have to use an engineer to capture certain buildings.
Summary:
Honestly, I thought the best part of the game was the very beginning, the intro trailer. I’m still suck on those limiting command points and I think that’s a real drag. I’m not too fond of the deviation of harvesting resources, which is something that’s been in every other C&C game, except for Renegade (which is a FPS). Even using an invincibility cheat, sometimes the missions were frustrating as you have to chase units across the map and also hold onto certain structures with your limited units (due to command point limitations). The story was ok I guess and the FMVs were crisp. The game looked modern.
Anyway, if you like the C&C series, I think you’d be justified in skipping this one. However, if you’re interested you may want to wait to catch it while it’s on sale. Although, if all of this sounds good to you, then go for it. I didn’t include all of this detail in my Steam review, so this is a legit Cheerful Ghost review. 😄
P.S. The trailer I just embedded makes the game look more like a movie, it contains very little game play.
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> I decided to delete my “recommended” review for C&C4 on Steam, because I’m a bit mixed on whether or not I’d recommend it, so I thought I’d just share my thoughts on it here instead.
Whoa. Glad you felt you could be honest here. It's helpful to know if you don't think a game is very good.
The Command & Conquer + Red Alert remaster looked great and I hope they can bring the same level of awesome to the Red Alert 2 remake.
I think the main negative for me was how much it deviated from the formula of the series. It reminds me of that phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I found the command points too limiting. I'm sure if I hadn't been using an invulnerability cheat I would have created many more units. Instead, I pretty much created one of each and then a couple more of a couple of types I thought were good and I wanted. I doubt I ever had anymore than 20 units, perhaps more than 10, I'm not sure. However, my experience may differ from someone else's so someone else might enjoy it more (or less) than I did. I'm not saying I hated it, but out of all the C&C/RA games I've played (and I've pretty much played all of them, especially again recently), it's not one I'd give a strong recommendation for. It does seem to conclude the story, although the story always seemed concluded at the end of each game, for the most part. Although, the end of C&C3's campaigns felt a bit anti-climatic.
A Red Alert 2 remake would be great, especially since it is slightly complicated to get it to run on modern systems and I really enjoyed it. There are legit ways to get it to work though. RA3 added co-op, which was different, but I still enjoyed that as well. I kind of thought I wouldn't enjoy Renegade as much as I did, I'd also recommend it. As for C&C3, I gave it a positive Steam review. I thought the actors were great, especially the very passionate performance of Billy Dee Williams. So as to not leave it out, Tiberian Sun was good, too. It might not run too well on modern systems, but there are resolutions for that as well.