Red ‘Psycho’ Alert 2½ (updated) (Command & Conquer Yuri's Revenge (PS))

Member Name: fluffypup

Product:	Command & Conquer Yuri's Revenge (PS)
Date:	27/10/01 (3363 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enhanced units & technologies, Powerful enemy, Quick witted humour

Disadvantages: Very slow to load, AI needs enhancement, Only 1 CD which rules out network play

Yuri's revenge is the latest add-on to the Command and Conquer (C&C) series of real-time war strategy games. You'll need Red Alert 2, as its not a standalone game. The plot follows from the failed Soviet attempt to destroy America and take over the world. This time its the evil brainwashing-Lenin-look-alike-clone Yuri! A much tougher cookie that the Commies! It's war, but not as we know it! Yuri has crafted together a bunch of zombies with 'alien' technology, this ain't no conventional warfare! You mission, if you wish to accept it, is to thwart Yuri's attacks across the world and beyond!!!

What do you get?

Yuri's Revenge adds an extra 14 missions to the highly successful Red Alert 2. There are 7 missions for both the Allies or Soviets. This latest edition provides a wealth of new technologies at your disposal, as Yuri's troops and combat vehicles aren't your ordinary run-of-the-mill arsenal and won't get steamrollered by ordinary weapons! Yuri's developed a series of mind controlled zombies and 'alien' vehicles. You'll need all your guile and enhanced technologies to defeat the evil Yuri.

What is Command and Conquer?

Anyone unfamiliar with the C&C games, its a real time war strategy game. You build up your forces of soldiers, armed vehicles, naval fleet and airforce to kick the sh*t out of the evil wrong doer(s). You gather money through mining of ore or precious gems and completing certain key objectives with financial rewards. Money allows you to build up your fortified bases and increase your deadly arsenals. I'm not talking about the likes of Patrick Viera and Thierry Henry!

Gameplay

You have a number of different gameplay options - single player missions or multi-player skirmishes (against the computer, network buddies or Internet). The series of missions involve you playing either as the Allied or Soviet Commander taking on Yuri. These missio
ns involving battling across the world (San Franciso, London, the Moon, Egypt, Antarctica, Germany etc.) in which you have to complete certain key objectives. Each mission gets progressively harder and follow a story line. These objectives range from totally kicking Yuri's bottom out of existence; stopping Yuri's forces destroying the Houses of Parliament; stand off certain attacks by Yuri's army or attacks from deadly prehistoric dinosaurs.

Extras

This add-on brings a series of new technologies to both the Allied and Soviet Forces. The Allies have the usual strength in depth in combat experience, training and advanced technology. Whilst the Soviets are the stronger and more powerful army.

Add-ons for the Allies

This new edition sees the Allies getting Guardian GIs, deployable GIs with rocket launchers (gits for short), and the Navy Seals. Tanya's (super soldier) skills have been modified. She can only shoot men and dogs and has to blow up vehicles and buildings with semtex! The Allies also get a hugely powerful WWI armed personal carrier, that allows soldiers inside to shoot. It's driven by the usual American with a really bad 'Scotty out of Star Trek' Scottish accent whose had a far to much meths to drink. You also get a force shield for your buildings, although this uses all available power from your power plants. Sir Killalot, Matilda and Sergeant Bash join your ranks as you have a number of gun-welding-hover robots at your disposal. These beauties can't be brainwashed!

Add-ons for the Soviets

The Commies gets Boris (Soviet Tanya equivalent) with a laser pen! It's more of a laser targetter which he points at buildings which can then be carpet bombed out of existence by Soviet MIG fighter bombers. Airpower is also boosted, not by much, by the arrival of attack helicopters (analogous to Hind ground attack choppers) and the Spy Plane, that uncovers small areas of undiscovered
terrain. The Soviets have entered the 21st century by the creation of an industrial plant which speeds up production and allows faster builds. They have also developed deployable combat bunkers for the cannon fodder to pile in ready for Yuri's next big offensive.

Yuri's Forces

Yuri's forces are totally bogus compared to both the Allies and Soviets. Yuri's skill is his 'Jedi' mind control technique. He and his clones have the ability to take over tanks, soldiers and innocent bystanders with his sinister mind control techniques and technologies. Yuri's foot soldiers are a series of 'teenage-borg' clones that shoot spotty puss at their enemies. If spotty teenage angst wasn?t enough, you have a series of 'incredible hulks' that rip and tear into tanks, buildings and especially ore-miners. Yuri's ore miners are an ore-refinery on tracks with slaves digging up the ore. These slaves, again are Americans, with really bad 'Irish' accents (common theme methinks) who shovel ore into the refineries. The big 'Yin also has a series of lightening fast attack vehicles. There are the deadly gattling gun on wheels; the crusher tank with a spiked roller on front especially designed to mow down your dogs and soldiers; 'brain' tank which can take over a *series* of enemy tanks & soldiers; and the magnetron which attracts by laser beam vehicles into its deadly path. Mr. Y also has a kick-a**e naval platform called the 'boomer' submarine. It?s weapon compliment consists of the torpedo and dual cruise missiles. Yuri's other deadly weapon is an alien flying saucer. This is *da bomb*! It can deliver both air and ground assaults and sap buildings and vehicles of energy within seconds. Yuri's buildings are similar to that of the Allies and Soviets. He has his construction yard, Lenin-headed barracks, bio power plants supplied with the crushed remains of people and supercharged by his spotty bo
rg clone army, gattling gun ground and air attack cannons and his mind control towers which brainwash and convert anything human within its radii.

Differences Yuri's Army makes to Red Alert

The addition of Yuri's army (as its nothing like Ally?s Tartan Army of the Argentinean World Cup of 1978) brings together a formidable opponent into battle. Because your enemy has an 'unconventional' arsenal at its disposal this has brought a new dimension to the C&C gameplay. You must now fight with a combination of weapon platforms using new tactics in a more 'cooperatively' style of play rather than a multiple 'gunho' approach previously. There are a number of inherent weaknesses (can't mind control your guard dogs, for example) that can be exploited though!.

Red Alert Enhancements

Other enhancements include capturing the special buildings like oil derricks, hospitals and service stations. These increase your wealth and resources periodically (rather than upon capture in RA2) and auto-repair infantry & vehicles. Also when soldiers fortify and capture ordinary buildings they now have the ability to progress up in rank, unlike before.

The Pros

Yuri's Revenge delivers a great deal of humour. The accents are highly amusing and farcical. Your first mission gives you the control of Clint Eastwood, Sty Stallone and Arnie with the usual Hollywood clichés - e.g. "Say hello to Mr Smith & Weston" and " Do you feel luck punk!". The sounds and voices are pretty good. All units have a combination of funny catchphrases. Even the old units from Red Alert have new sayings, all except for the squid, dogs and dolphins as they can't talk stupid! The video cut scenes have been well choreographed with a smoothless mixture of computer graphics and acting, with generous helpings of Tanya's amble cleavage in this totally non-politically correct game.

Talk to any hardened C
&C player and they would say that what makes C&C games great are playing in multi-player skirmish mode! You play on differently designed maps and fight against upto seven players (computer or human via either a network or the Internet). There are no missions or objectives just pure wargaming! This add-on has enhanced this feature. You can now choose your starting location rather than being forced to settle for it randomly. This minimises the time to work out exactly where you are on the map. You can now play any of the three factors, but only in skirmish mode! Internet play has changed too. You are paired in the quick game option with players around the same level, rank and connection speed. Chatting to your mates has also been enhanced as well as the game menus. Also, Westwood are in the process of setting up tournament ladders.

September 11th

This add-on was due for release around the time of the terrorist attacks in America. The timing of both the game and content couldn't have come out at a bad time. There has been talk of scenes and events within the game being re-worked and the content toned down. Electronic Arts/Westwood decided to delay its launch by 6 weeks.

Advantages

The advantages are the development of a formidable enemy army with enhanced features (buildings, infantry, vehicles, aircraft, technologies and skirmishing). The sounds and voices have been upgraded, adding subtle touches of humour. The graphics are just as smart as Red Alert 2. Again, this game comes with no cheat codes, as Westwood won't allow it!

Disadvantages

The disadvantages include the AI (artificial intelligence) can get a bit predictable and easy to work out where and when attacks will occur. There are little or no element of surprise. Its AI compared to the likes of Age of Empires (released 2 years ago) still lags behind somewhat. It just needs greater enhancement and unpredictability. The battle-hardened C&C player shoul
d whiz through the missions in a couple of days/weeks. I've completed all missions within 2 weeks, all except for the Soviet moon mission. One of the best features for me, is playing across a network. I can play Red Alert 2 because it contains 2 CDs (Allied & Soviet). Yuri's Revenge only comes on 1 CD, so to play a two player network game requires you to shell our another £14.99 to buy a second disk! The speed of gameplay is rather slow. We have a PIII 450 MHz, and the action slows down occasionally. Loading takes eons (3 minutes) just to load a game. Compare this to around 1.5 minutes for Red Alert 2 or 30 seconds for Age of Empires II.

Summary

Overall, taking the pros and cons into consideration this is great add-on and must buy extra for Red Alert 2. Having Yuri and his mind-controlled clone/borg army will enhance game play considerably. It gives the game a well deserved third option. Just imagine fighting a combined Allied, Soviet & Yuri team battle on the 'Net! If you got Red Alert 2 you must buy Yuri's Revenge! If you got neither buy them both, as you won?t be disappointed!

URL

Check out the Westwood Command and Conquer site for more details:

http://westwood.ea.com/games/ccuniverse/redale rt2/english/index.shtml

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