Top 10 Best Command & Conquer Games
The Command & Conquer series has been a cornerstone of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre for decades, offering fans everything from intense tactical gameplay to larger-than-life storylines. Over the years, the franchise has built up an incredibly loyal community of players who appreciate its blend of fast-paced base building, resource management, and strategic combat.But when it comes to deciding which Command & Conquer game stands above the rest, the debate can get heated. After all, with so many titles released, each with its own unique spin on the formula, it's hard to pick a clear favorite. Some players are drawn to the alternate-history charm and crazy units of the Red Alert series, while others prefer the grittier, more futuristic battles in the Tiberium universe. Then there's Generals, which took a more modern, real-world approach to warfare and gave players some of the most satisfying large-scale battles in the series.
So, what makes a Command & Conquer game the best? Is it the perfectly balanced multiplayer matches that keep you coming back for more? The unforgettable campaigns with memorable characters and gripping cutscenes? Or maybe it's the innovative mechanics that have influenced countless other RTS games. Whatever it is that draws you in, now is your chance to weigh in on the conversation.
Released in 2000, Red Alert 2 is a real-time strategy game developed by Westwood Studios. It continues the alternate history storyline of the Allied and Soviet conflict, featuring fast-paced gameplay and extensive multiplayer support. I think I started playing games because of this game. I really damn loved it. I think I played it continuously for 10 years since its release, and I was waiting for a really damn awesome sequel for this game. But RA3 was not what I was waiting for.
RA2 had better gameplay and units, a better story, and everything to the limit. I was wondering if they would ever do an anniversary remake of this game in the future. Maybe for RA1.
I used to play this game on my old Windows XP computer for hours. I used to stay up all night battling until I got the win. I just wish there were a few more offensive troops and artillery in the arsenal list. I did get bored after a while creating and using the same ones all the time. Still, awesome game though.
Command & Conquer: Generals, launched in 2003, is set in a modern military environment and departs from the traditional Tiberium and Red Alert universes. The game offers three factions: the USA, China, and the Global Liberation Army, each with unique units and strategies. I can't choose between RA2 and Generals ZH. But since Generals made a massive improvement in graphics, gameplay, and mechanics, and the greatest thing is it was released only three years after RA2. Also, the mods for Generals (like Shockwave and ROTR) are the best. So I'll vote for Generals.
This game, man, this game. I had the most fun with this C&C than I did with the others. There's just a certain charm about it, perhaps something to do with building 20 Scud Storm missile silos. My personal favorite in the series.
This 2003 expansion for Command & Conquer: Generals adds new missions, units, and game modes. It enhances the original game's three factions with additional sub-factions and introduces the General's Challenge mode. Absolutely epic game. I ended up sinking so many hours into this game. When EA announced that Generals 2 was not going to be released after the alpha testing, it was a very disappointing letdown. This game can run on Windows 10, but EA hasn't made that easy and requires a patched copy.
I love all C&C games, but I think Zero Hour has taken it to another level of realism and strategy. I just don't get why EA is abandoning the franchise! Even if the next C&C just upgraded the graphics and added a new campaign, I would definitely buy it!
Released in 2007, Tiberium Wars brings the Tiberium saga back, focusing on the conflict between GDI, the Brotherhood of Nod, and the alien Scrin. The game features an updated engine with improved graphics and deep strategic gameplay. After growing up playing the first Command and Conquer game, I decided to take another look at the franchise later on. So, I bought the Ultimate Collection, which includes all the games. This one by far reminded me the most of the original Command and Conquer, much more than Tiberian Sun, since that game was a little too post-apocalyptic for me.
I enjoy the fast-paced gameplay, the story, and the great vehicles, especially in the expansion pack, Kane's Wrath. Most of all, I love the more classic style Mammoth tank, not a Walker based on the name "mammoth." Unfortunately, this game's soundtrack is extremely lackluster, so I end up playing old Command and Conquer music in the background to make up for it. After that, I think my favorite would be Red Alert, then the second Red Alert.
Yuri's Revenge, an expansion for Red Alert 2, was released in 2001, adding a new faction led by Yuri with mind-control technology. It expands the original game with new missions and multiplayer enhancements. This is the game where they should have kept all the formatting and built off of it. If they could have made this game new like Starcraft 2, it would be alive today. As they continued the franchise, they destroyed all of the graphics when they had it perfect the way it was. People hate change!
So keep it the same but add new stuff! So if anyone ever makes a game like this again, reads this post, and uses what I said, they could easily beat any new PS4 or Xbox One garbage out there! People like this style and will always have a love for games like this exact one.
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, released in 1999, continues the GDI and Nod conflict in a world ravaged by Tiberium. The game introduces futuristic units, deformable terrain, and an evolving storyline. The ever-changing terrain and the deployable units made this game fantastic. I loved how you had to land your air units because of an oncoming ion storm, or the monster-like red veins would approach your base and kill everything in their way. Ice cracking when heavy units drove over, etc. Amazing game for its time!
Just great. Probably one of the best games created in the late '90s/early '00s.
Overall amazing. The only annoying thing is the destructible terrain.
This game is great. For its time and what they had to work with, they made a pretty amazing game that kept me playing every day.
Red Alert, released in 1996, serves as a prequel to the Tiberium series, offering an alternate history where the Allies and Soviets battle for dominance. It was praised for its innovative use of real-time strategy mechanics and multiplayer options. Possibly the game I've spent the most amount of time on EVER. Almost perfection for me. Only negatives are how the AI will not build certain units/buildings (Superweapons, Naval Units, etc.). And the addition of aircraft carriers would have been amazing, but hey ho.
I have played this game since I was 4 or 5, and the graphics and gameplay were exceptional for its time. It was also my first experience with Command & Conquer and my first time playing a computer game (on the PS1, Retaliation [still Red Alert, laugh out loud]), and I was so happy that I could play it.
Being really easy to learn but hard to master is what makes a franchise truly good. If only all of the Command and Conquer games were like this one.
Also, if you didn't know, Command & Conquer has been freeware on the PC since 2008. Just search around, and you will be able to play the best RTS game that will ever be made.
Red Alert 3, released in 2008, reintroduces the series' alternate history with a new faction, the Empire of the Rising Sun. It emphasizes cooperative gameplay and offers full campaign co-op with a distinct art style. What is wrong? How come this masterpiece is only 6, Uprising is 11, and the epic Kane's Wrath is 10? Just too many damn nostalgia and Westwood fanboys! Come on! RA3 is epic! It has cool graphics, you can build your base at sea as well as on land, three single-player campaigns, a decent story, and a new system that requires MICROMANAGEMENT!
Any fool can amass a horde of tough units and press the left mouse button to attack, but in RA3 a horde of super-units is NOT a guaranteed victory. You have to manage them WELL if you want to win. YES, I actually LOVE the hot girls in RA3!
Renegade, released in 2002, is a first-person shooter set in the Tiberium universe, offering players control of a GDI commando. It features both single-player and multiplayer modes, marking a departure from the series' traditional RTS gameplay. While this may have been different from the usual C&C style games, I still had tons of fun playing this game. I really enjoyed the MC. Dang it, Havoc!
This is the last standalone game on the list. The other two will be expansion packs. I don't think this game fits with the title at all. It's an FPS/third-person game. I don't know how they managed to call it a C&C game.
This 2008 expansion to Tiberium Wars adds new sub-factions and a global conquest mode. The story focuses on the Brotherhood of Nod's rise and Kane's plans after the events of Tiberium Wars. I liked the Tiberium series and Red Alert series. The best Tiberium game is definitely C&C3 with Kane's Wrath DLC. Tiberium Sun and Firestorm DLC were good back in the day. Red Alert 2 was one of the best Command and Conquers ever made, but Red Alert 3 was a joke with its graphics, physics, factions, and story, harvesting, etc. C&C3 or Kane's Wrath for the win!
I like Kane's Wrath because I have more factions to choose from and more units than Tiberium Wars. Plus, there are more player-created maps than in any other C&C game I have played.
The Newcomers
I began playing C&C with Generals and proceeded with Kane's Wrath, which were both very good games! Now they released this mobile title, and I can only say that you are not going to be disappointed! Even people who "pay to win" can be beaten if you try hard enough, and it offers you many different ways to play! I just want to get Rivals over Renegade, which is a horrible game!
This is a good game, but I couldn't find my favorite version, 1.07 Tiberium Dawn.
This 2000 expansion to Tiberian Sun adds new campaigns for both GDI and Nod, along with additional units and technology. The story follows the aftermath of the second Tiberium war and the rise of CABAL, an AI gone rogue. Fixes the balancing issues of the base game and provides a much more creative and interesting campaign. There is even a level where you have to use non-lethal force to avoid killing anyone, not something you see often in an RTS.
I played Red Alert 3, and I think it is the best C&C game. But I just got Red Alert 3: Uprising, and I think it is even better because it has new units that are really epic. My favorite units are the Giga Fortress, Harbinger Gunship, the Grinder, and the Reaper.
Tiberian Twilight, released in 2010, is the final chapter in the Tiberium saga, focusing on the conclusion of the GDI and Nod rivalry. The game introduced new mechanics, such as class-based gameplay, but received mixed reactions from long-time fans. This game was fun, but the lack of base building made it a forgettable and unaddictive experience. Its single-player was enjoyable, but its multiplayer is an insult to the Tiberium saga.
I was extremely disappointed when I bought this game and realized there was no base building. I wasn't a fan of the crawler.
This game is pretty old and isn't great, but gameplay-wise, it is decent.
Released in 1997, Sole Survivor is a multiplayer-only spin-off in the Command & Conquer series. Players control a single unit in deathmatch-style gameplay, marking a significant departure from the traditional RTS formula.