A meteor hit Earth one day, releasing a new material called Tiberium. This substance was uncommon and powerful but was also highly deadly because it converted everything it touched into Tiberium. Tiberium has spread and contaminated most of the Earth’s surface by 2047, triggering an ecological disaster. Red Zones, which span 20% of the planet’s surface, are areas made inhabitable due to Tiberium infestation and constant Ion storms. Yellow Zones are Tiberium-infested places that house most of the world’s population. These areas are rife with civil upheaval, war-torn, and destruction but cover half of the planet’s surface. The remaining places encompassing 20% of the planet’s surface, Blue Zones, zones free of Tiberium infection and maybe humanity’s only hope.
The Global Defense Initiative defends and uses unique technology to keep the Tiberium infestation in the Blue Zones at bay. In contrast, the Brotherhood of Nod uses the instability and social unrest in the Yellow Zones to recruit their forces. They hadn’t been seen or heard from in years and had reportedly vanished… until now. Kane returns to lead the Brotherhood of Nod in a major assault on the Global Defense Initiative and its Blue Zones, kicking off the Third Tiberium War.
Following in the series’ history, Command & Conquer 3 is a fast-paced game in which players build up their bases to generate a powerful battle force to destroy their enemies. With the ability to play for any of the three sides, they will have access to a vast array of soldiers, vehicles, and planes to battle with, as well as facilities to aid with new technologies, upgrades, and the all-powerful superweapons. Unlike most games in the genre, players construct everything from a tabbed sidebar, allowing them to set up production queues and deploy structures swiftly. Maps also contain scattered forms that can be garrisoned to provide additional defense or conquered to give players an advantage.
In campaign mode, you can fight for one of the game’s factions, completing missions with high-definition FMVs and famous actors giving you commands and earning medals based on your performance. You can also play against the AI in skirmish mode or against human/computer players in multiplayer mode (network/online). Online play includes rankings, clans, VoIP, and a new feature called BattleCast, which allows participants to watch or download fight replays straight from the website and contribute commentary like an online sport.
The Xbox 360 version is nearly identical but has been modified to accommodate the console’s controls. The interface has been relocated to the bottom left corner of the screen, and the tabs on the right have been replaced by context-sensitive menus that players can navigate using the D-pad. The A-button and the triggers are used to choose and build units or structures. The structures display processes without requiring you to select them. The controls are explained in a tutorial, and skilled players can even construct custom shortcuts. The Xbox 360 version is compatible with the Xbox Live Vision camera.
