Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Command & Conquer: The First Decade collection offers a compelling evolution of real-time strategy mechanics, tracing the series from its 2D sprite-based origins to more complex 3D battlefields. In Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations and Red Alert’s Counterstrike and The Aftermath expansions, you’ll feel the incremental polish—tighter resource management, expanded unit rosters, and more varied mission objectives. Tiberian Sun and Firestorm introduce weather effects and subterranean bases, adding strategic depth that rewards careful positioning and adaptive tactics.

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C&C: Red Alert 2 and its Yuri’s Revenge expansion ramp up the tempo with superweapons, mind-control infantry, and quirky faction abilities that encourage aggressive playstyles. Meanwhile, Generals and Zero Hour break from the familiar sci-fi trappings to deliver modern warfare scenarios with three distinct generals, each boasting unique skill trees and support powers. Renegade, the oddball first-person shooter in the collection, translates the series’ tactical DNA into an on-the-ground perspective—providing a fun, if somewhat dated, action detour.

Across all nine titles, the series consistently balances macro-level base building with micro-level skirmishes. Whether you’re channeling Nod’s stealth tanks or leveraging Allied chronospheres, the core loop remains addictive. Multiplayer, though largely retired on official servers, enjoys a thriving fan community with updated patches and custom maps, ensuring competitive and co-op skirmishes remain alive. The inclusion of bonus missions and challenge maps in every expansion pack adds dozens of hours of additional variation beyond the main campaigns.

Graphics

The visual journey across the first decade of Command & Conquer is a testament to Westwood Studios’ iterative improvements. The original Special Gold Edition’s hand-drawn terrain tiles and colorful unit sprites evoke a nostalgic, almost board-game feel. By Red Alert, the game’s palette brightened, unit animations became smoother, and healing units and refinery effects added subtle but satisfying details.

With the leap to Tiberian Sun, the series introduced dynamic lighting, terrain deformation, and more detailed 3D structures that cast realistic shadows. Firestorm’s nuclear strikes and weather changes showcase how environmental effects can enhance immersion. Red Alert 2 and Yuri’s Revenge refine these elements further—seismic devastations, animated headquarters, and more expressive FMVs feel almost HDTV-ready compared to earlier titles.

Generals and Zero Hour represent the series’ most significant graphical upgrade, using a fully 3D engine that supports camera zoom and rotation. Explosions, vehicle wreckage, and water reflections benefit from early pixel shaders, making battles feel weightier. Renegade, though a dated shooter by today’s standards, includes recognizable models and lighting that capture the C&C aesthetic in first-person. The bonus DVD even contains behind-the-scenes footage of art design and rendering techniques, a treasure for fans curious about the franchise’s visual evolution.

Story

Command & Conquer’s narrative foundation is pure Cold War pulp—GDI versus the Brotherhood of Nod in a battle for control of the alien mineral Tiberium. Covert Operations expands this with covert missions that delve into global sabotage and espionage. Red Alert rewrites history with Einstein erasing Hitler, plunging Allied and Soviet forces into a stylized World War II scenario, complete with Tesla coils and magnetron cannons.

Tiberian Sun’s plot leaps decades ahead, depicting humanity’s struggle against rampant Tiberium spread and the emergence of the mutated Forgotten. Firestorm’s epilogue sets the stage for a darker conflict, highlighting the rising anti-GDI insurgency. Red Alert 2 injects campy cinematic flair with charismatic generals and off-the-wall cutscenes, while Yuri’s Revenge adds a psychic mastermind whose mind-control ambitions threaten global order.

Generals and Zero Hour depart from science fiction into modern political thrillers—nation states and global corporations vie for oil and nanotechnology, punctuated by terrorism and drone warfare. Each general’s storyline reveals ideological extremes, from GLA’s extremist insurgency to USA’s air supremacy. Renegade offers a unique side-story, casting players as GDI commando Nick “Havoc” Parker, weaving personal heroics into the larger franchise tapestry. The included poster and DVD chronicle these story arcs, enriching the lore for newcomers and longtime fans alike.

Overall Experience

Command & Conquer: The First Decade is more than a simple compilation; it’s a living museum of RTS history. From the simplistic elegance of the original Gold Edition to the full 3D bombast of Generals, players witness a genre’s growth while enjoying remarkable replay value. The inclusion of every expansion—Counterstrike, The Aftermath, Firestorm, Yuri’s Revenge, Zero Hour—ensures fans can experience every tactical twist without hunting down legacy discs online.

The bonus DVD provides a curated retrospective on Westwood Studios’ development journey, featuring interviews, concept art, and a deep dive into the franchise’s music score—an aspect often overlooked but critical to C&C’s atmosphere. For collectors, the original poster (though absent in re-releases) adds tangible nostalgia, making the physical edition a prized possession. Even without the poster, the glossy manual and DVD booklet remain delightful artifacts.

While modern operating systems occasionally require community patches to run seamlessly, the active modding scene and up-to-date installers mitigate compatibility issues. The overall package offers dozens of campaigns, challenge maps, and multiplayer mods, ensuring that both solo strategists and competitive players find something to love. For anyone seeking a comprehensive RTS anthology, Command & Conquer: The First Decade stands as a definitive must-have collection.

Retro Replay Score

8.1/10