Command & Conquer™ Generals
- March 7, 2024
- EA Los Angeles
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Command & Conquer Generals" is a real-time strategy game set in a modern and near-future warfare scenario. Players can command the forces of the United States, China, or the Global Liberation Army, each with their own unique units and tactics. The game features detailed 3D environments and destructive capabilities, including advanced aircraft and tanks, for intense battles.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Command & Conquer: Generals is a classic RTS game that delivers intense and tactical gameplay with diverse factions, each offering unique units and playstyles.
- The game evokes nostalgia for many players, providing a fun and engaging experience reminiscent of the early 2000s gaming era.
- Despite its age, the game still holds up well in terms of gameplay mechanics and offers countless hours of entertainment, especially with community mods and custom maps.
- The game is plagued by technical issues on modern systems, requiring third-party patches and workarounds to run properly, which can be frustrating for players.
- Multiplayer functionality is severely limited, with no official online servers available, making it difficult to enjoy the game with friends.
- Many players have reported crashes and bugs, leading to a perception that the game was released as a cash grab without adequate support or updates from EA.
- story36 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as a thin and somewhat controversial narrative set in a modern war context, featuring three factions—USA, China, and the Global Liberation Army—each with their own campaign of seven missions. While the missions are generally straightforward and some are memorable, the overall plot lacks depth and is often overshadowed by the engaging gameplay and unique mission scenarios. Players appreciate the nostalgic elements and the edgy themes, but many agree that the focus is more on strategy and gameplay than on a compelling story.
“All three factions have their own campaign with 7 missions to complete, on 3 different difficulty levels.”
“Plenty of maps to play on and each campaign has a really interesting story.”
“The campaign has some pretty fun and decent missions but it also has some extremely annoying ones.”
“The story is somewhat thin if that's an important aspect for you, and few levels offer any significant challenges.”
“There is a vague modern-world story tying three cartoonish versions of the USA, China, and the Middle East together into a generic brawl with all the familiar RTS tropes.”
“The campaigns are all good, even if they are lacking the live-action cutscenes and storylines that gave earlier entries in the series their signature personality and charm.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
"Command & Conquer: Generals" offers intense and tactical gameplay that remains engaging despite its age, featuring a variety of factions and mechanics that encourage strategic depth. While some players note a lack of modern polish and basic features, the game is praised for its satisfying mechanics, addictive skirmishes, and unique elements like general rankings tied to unlockable tech. Overall, it is recommended for both seasoned RTS fans and newcomers looking for a classic experience with a mix of action and strategy.
“Command & Conquer: Generals is a classic RTS game that delivers intense and tactical gameplay.”
“The gameplay mechanics are tight, intuitive, and incredibly satisfying.”
“Extremely fun and addictive gameplay, especially the skirmishes.”
“Although there are quite a few mechanics, it's always the easiest to just make a big ball of death consisting of your tanks and some anti-infantry/air.”
“Mechanically and visually, it's right between the transfer over from 2D to 3D, and it suffers a fair bit from clunkiness because of that.”
“Gameplay lacks some of that modern polish, but it's still good.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, reflecting its early 2000s release, yet they still possess a certain charm and colorfulness that some players appreciate. While opinions vary, with some praising the visuals as well-made for their time, others criticize them as poorly aged and lacking in modern standards. Overall, the graphics are seen as a nostalgic element of the game, though many players express a desire for a remaster to enhance the visual experience.
“For a game released in the early 2000s, the graphics hold up remarkably well.”
“The graphics are somewhat dated by this point, but they still have their charm.”
“Played through many years ago, it's good to re-visit with high-rez graphics!”
“The visuals have aged fairly poorly, although it's still a very playable game.”
“The graphics are old and they look terrible.”
“A game of nothing but placeholder graphics but still way better than C&C 4.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its fitting and legendary soundtracks, particularly highlighting the tracks for the GLA and USA factions as standout "bangers." While some reviews note that the overall soundtrack may be middling and not particularly memorable, the combination of gameplay and music is often described as unique and enjoyable, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“The soundtrack is really fitting to the game and to the factions as well.”
“Absolute bangers, especially the GLA and USA soundtracks are both amazing.”
“Superb gameplay, fantastic music, and massively quotable unit voiceovers.”
“The music volume is set to 16, which is far too low to enjoy the soundtrack.”
“While the soundtrack is fitting to the game and the factions, it lacks variety and becomes repetitive.”
“The music in the game feels disconnected from the gameplay, making it hard to immerse myself in the experience.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted by its diverse factions and witty voice acting, which includes amusing quips and commentary that enhance the overall experience. Players find nostalgia in the low-resolution graphics, adding a layer of humor as they reflect on how these elements were perceived in their youth. Overall, the humor is a significant and enjoyable aspect of the game, appealing to both new and returning players.
“I definitely recommend the game to anyone interested in RTS, more modern gameplay settings, and overall classic RTS games with some humor in them.”
“With great diverse factions and funny quips.”
“The detail on the boards and the funny commentary.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting poor performance even on modern hardware. Many feel that the lack of improvements for contemporary systems significantly detracts from the experience, leaving them wishing for better optimization efforts from the developers.
“Smooth performance and nothing changed in the solo campaign.”
“Choose high performance for the game in Windows graphics settings within Windows 11.”
“Got it to run, but performance is terrible even on a modern rig.”
“I feel like I could get better performance by running a VM and just playing the old game.”
“As awesome as I remember, it is a shame EA didn't bother to do some optimization for this classic to perform better on modern machines.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab by EA, with users expressing frustration over the lack of effort in upgrading the game for modern systems, absence of multiplayer features, and failure to address bugs or provide necessary support. Many players feel that the release is exploitative, lacking any meaningful enhancements or value for the price.
“This game is great, but I hate the way they treat this franchise for a quick cash grab.”
“However, this port on Steam is just another absolute cash grab from EA: no multiplayer, no remastered content, no bug fixes, no launch error fixes, no widescreen support, and I can't use my own CD key from Origin.”
“An absolute cash grab from EA: no multiplayer, no remastered content, no bug fixes, no launch error fixes, no widescreen support, and I can't use my own CD key from Origin.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing frequent freezes and difficulties in achieving a playable state despite troubleshooting efforts. However, others report that the game runs smoothly overall, indicating a divide in user experiences regarding stability.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
“I haven't experienced any stability issues; it feels very reliable.”
“The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
“People who are more savvy with a PC have figured this out, but I spent a couple of hours trying my best with troubleshooting tips and mods and could never get the game in a playable state.”
“It freezes from time to time (like the original C&C Generals).”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to long, unskippable cutscenes that become frustrating on subsequent playthroughs. Additionally, the low camera angle and fog of war complicate gameplay, making it difficult to manage defenses and locate remaining buildings after a match, which can lead to unnecessary prolongation of gameplay.
“You can't see much due to the low camera, aspect ratio, and fog of war, so it can be tedious to build defenses while your builder is getting shot by an enemy off-screen.”
“It's also tedious trying to track down every last building in the fog of war when you've clearly won the match, especially when buildings can randomly become invulnerable to small rockets.”
“The cutscenes for the campaign are very long and unskippable, not a downside for the first playthrough but gets tedious if you come back to the game at a later time.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players highlight the extensive replayability of the game, largely due to the availability of numerous mods that enhance gameplay. Even after many years, the original versions, such as Generals and Zero Hour, continue to offer significant replay value.
“Generals and Zero Hour still hold their replay value after all these years!”
“With numerous mods available, the replayability is endless.”
“The mod makes the game way more playable.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is immersive and engaging, providing players with the potential for countless hours of gameplay if they fully embrace its environment and mechanics.
“Generals can offer countless hours of playtime if you can immerse yourself in the game's atmosphere and gameplay.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional attachment to the game, indicating that its arrival on Steam has reignited their passion for gaming, to the extent that they may not engage with other titles. This highlights the game's nostalgic value and its ability to evoke deep feelings of connection and satisfaction.
