Command & Conquer: Red Alert Overview
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy title supporting both solo and competitive play. Its narrative explores an alternate 20th century where the removal of Adolf Hitler by time travel leads to a dominant Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, setting the stage for a continental war. Players direct either the Allied or Soviet military campaigns, which involve a mix of conventional warfare and special operations.
Progression is mission-based, typically starting the player with minimal forces. A core activity is economic management, where harvesting ore to generate credits funds base expansion and army production. Structures must be built to provide power, manufacture units, and conduct research, making resource flow critical. Victory conditions vary from total enemy annihilation to completing specific sabotage or escort tasks.
Faction identity is expressed through distinct units and superweapons. Allied forces favor technological and naval advantages, using units like gunboats and spies, alongside the strategic Chronosphere. The Soviet side focuses on overwhelming force with heavy tanks and attack dogs, backed by a nuclear missile. These differences shape combat, which occurs on isometric maps where terrain is a factor. Some missions deviate from base building, focusing instead on direct infantry squad control.
The campaign uses live-action cutscenes to connect missions, with a branching structure that unlocks based on success. Beyond the story, the game offers skirmishes and multiplayer for up to eight participants. These matches use maps designed around specific strategic elements like choke points or naval control, with customizable rules for starting resources and AI opponents. Various expansions and ports introduced additional missions, units, and interface adaptations for different platforms.
