Command & Conquer Renegade™
- March 7, 2024
- EA Los Angeles
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Command & Conquer Renegade™" is a first-person shooter set in the iconic Command & Conquer universe. Play as Havoc, the GDI Commando, and utilize brute force, stealth, and strategy to defeat the Brotherhood of Nod. Explore full-scale structures, commandeer lethal vehicles, and choose from a variety of weapons to bring down your enemies in this immersive and action-packed game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the Command & Conquer series, bringing back fond memories of childhood gaming.
- The multiplayer mode is highly praised for its chaotic fun and requires teamwork, making it a unique experience compared to other FPS games.
- Despite its age, the game still provides enjoyable gameplay with a mix of FPS and vehicle combat, along with a decent variety of weapons.
- The single-player campaign is criticized for being repetitive and plagued with bugs, including crashes and frustrating mission design.
- Many players report technical issues, such as getting stuck in the environment and poor AI behavior, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The graphics and overall design feel outdated, leading to a perception that the game has not aged well compared to modern titles.
- story34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally perceived as simple and somewhat unimportant within the larger franchise, with many players finding it standard action fare that lacks depth. While some appreciate the humor and engaging cutscenes, numerous technical issues, such as frequent crashes and frustrating mission design, detract from the overall experience. Players noted that the pacing issues and repetitive mission structures hinder the narrative's impact, making it feel more like filler than a significant addition to the series.
“The storytelling and the added features like buildings in solo and multiplayer make it special.”
“This game actually has a story that is part of canon; the third game has a monument to Havoc, the game's protagonist, and it makes some callbacks to various mainline plot points, like finding a corpse of Seth from the Nod campaign. There are more hints at what eventually became the Scrin.”
“Renegade as a whole has a worldspace sense that pulls you in and makes you want to hit every objective and every corner.”
“The story is standard action with one campaign only and it is so unimportant in the C&C universe that it probably isn't canon or just filler.”
“The game has a nasty pacing issue, especially as the story progresses, enemies dropping behind you constantly with no warning, or placed hidden on balconies, so that you are always surrounded anytime you are outside, making camping the optimum strategy.”
“That combined with the fact that Westwood map designers often went to make long missions where you first fight your way to a bottom cellar of a dungeon type map and then the next mission is often quite literally the exactly same map but you have to shoot your way back up to the entrance using the exactly same route but now with two times more enemies while you get to have less health and ammunition at your disposal.”
- gameplay19 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Command & Conquer: Renegade is a unique blend of real-time strategy and first-person shooter mechanics, offering a nostalgic experience for long-time fans. While the core mechanics and variety of firearms are solid, some players find the controls and overall design to feel dated and rough, lacking the strategic depth expected from the series. Despite its flaws, the game provides fun and engaging gameplay, showcasing an interesting attempt to translate RTS elements into a shooter format.
“Command & Conquer: Renegade is a nostalgic gem that brilliantly combines real-time strategy with first-person shooter gameplay.”
“The ability to commandeer various vehicles and structures adds layers to the gameplay.”
“The core mechanics are solid first-person shooter with an excellent variety of firearms to choose from.”
“Seriously, beyond seeing units from the strategy games, this game messes up every other aspect of its gameplay.”
“There certainly is no strategy to the gameplay or the way this game was put together.”
“The shooting mechanics are botched as there is either a dead zone in mouse aiming or aim acceleration.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic charm of its early 2000s style, while others criticize the visuals as dated and poorly aged. Despite some technical issues and glitches, many agree that the graphics still manage to capture the essence of the game's genre, though they may not meet modern standards. Overall, the visuals evoke a sense of nostalgia for long-time fans, but may disappoint those expecting contemporary graphics.
“Graphically still a great looking game considering its age.”
“As for the graphics, it was great to see the old pixels from 2002; it really brings out the Command and Conquer in you.”
“While the graphics may feel a bit dated by today's standards, there's a certain charm to their style that perfectly captures the essence of early 2000s gaming.”
“All for a meh shooter whose graphics make me want to vomit.”
“Unbearable graphics.”
- music10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising Frank Klepacki's soundtrack as a standout feature filled with great remixes and original tunes, while others find it forgettable or generic. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, contributing to the fun and nostalgic elements of the game.
“Music is great, cut scenes are funny and the combat offers a decent level of difficulty.”
“Great soundtrack by Frank Klepacki.”
“The soundtrack particularly is *so good*.”
“Dreadful, generic soundtrack.”
“The music is utterly forgettable.”
“Early levels build a lot of that 'midst of battle' sense that Call of Duty would later get famous for, but with a Klepacki soundtrack, a rocket launcher, and a minigun.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its cleverness and charm, with many reviewers noting that it holds up well over time without feeling outdated or cringe-worthy. The writing is infused with wry, dark humor, and the gameplay mechanics often lead to amusing situations, enhancing the overall fun experience. Additionally, the combination of funny cut scenes and engaging combat adds to the game's personality, making it a memorable and entertaining experience.
“The story so far is simple but interesting for its time, and the jokes are quite funny. The gameplay is just really fun and has really good mechanics.”
“Additionally, the writing and humor from something in the early 2000s era actually holds up and doesn't come off as cringe.”
“Renegade may look, feel, sound, and play like Quake or Unreal, but it's so chock-full of personality and wry, dark humor.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting numerous glitches that hinder gameplay, such as characters becoming unresponsive and frequent bugs that disrupt the experience. While some users noted that certain aspects, like controls and video playback, functioned well, the overall impression is that the game suffers from significant stability issues that detract from its enjoyment.
“Glitches so much I can't complete the second level.”
“Also very buggy; I quit due to my character just randomly being locked in place for no reason when there was nothing around me to stop me from walking.”
“Great to play a classic again, but damn the game is buggy as hell and poorly made.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with no support for modern display resolutions or widescreen monitors, resulting in poor performance on contemporary gaming PCs. Users report that it remains incompatible with current software and hardware, reflecting a failure to modernize or improve upon the original version. Overall, the game feels outdated and poorly optimized for today's gaming environment.
“Same poor optimization for mainstream OS and devices, same dead online service plus same dead Westwood. EA improved nothing but sold old stuff which is incompatible with modern software/hardware structures on a platform that has already stopped support for outdated architectures.”
“The voiceover performances and writing are both lackluster, even for the series.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, leveraging nostalgia for profit without substantial value or quality. Many users feel it is a rushed attempt to capitalize on abandonware, with some even resorting to questionable third-party programs to enhance their experience.
“There are some workarounds you can search for, including downloading sketchy third-party programs and hacking your way in, but this was a quick nostalgia cash grab.”
“This seems to have been put on Steam as a nostalgia gouge, or just a cash grab to try to profit from abandonware.”
“Reeks of a rushed cash grab.”
