With the four-year long wait almost over, anticipation for the 'King of RTS' is very high indeed. After the bitter disappointment that was 'Generals' fans of the series will be expecting a lot from this new title, hoping that even just a small piece of the fabled Westwood sparkle has crept back into this illustrious franchise. With gearing up for the push has the delighted or dismayed the gaming public, or has it ushered-in a sense of hope that the series has regained its roots in the face of stiff from the likes of Supreme Commander?

The first thing that hits you in the face when you start the game for the first time is the amazing presentation that has gone into its menu system and FMV's. Yes, we have returned to the glory days of Full Motion Video with real life actors for this game bringing back a certain nostalgia and love for the older titles in the franchise. In the cast list we have the likes of Josh Holloway (Lost), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers) and of course Joseph D. Kucan, face of the enigmatic Kane (yes, somehow he is still alive!). Production value has quite obviously been high on the agenda, but does it work? Gladly the answer is yes. Personally I found the briefings in Generals to be very dull, the addition of the FMV sequences really spices-up matters and draws you into the story. After playing the demo through to completion I felt the need for more, so in that respect the snippet of gameplay offered really did its job well.

This time around the game starts off with information on the impending doom that is the much revered 'Tiberium', that is spreading quickly across the globe. Unable to halt its spread human civilisation has named certain areas relating to Tiberium infestation. 'Red Zones' are uninhabitable, 'Yellow Zones' are all but taken over and 'Green Zones' offer up the only protection that the GDI forces can offer the human race. With the re-emergence of NOD to the battlefield, GDI is faced with more crises than simply Tiberium growth, whilst GDI want's to halt the strange crystals NOD's leader, Kane, feels that Tiberium may be humanity's ultimate asset. But this game, as we have seen from recent video clips, is not all about the war waging against GDI and NOD. In fact C&C 3 introduces a new race, the 'Scrin', into the fray. Who are these strange beings? Are they the cause of the Tiberium that has swept the globe? No one knows the answer to these questions just yet, but we do know that they are involved somehow, so maybe draw you own conclusions on that one. What we do know is that the player will have the chance to control the Scrin through their own, shorter campaign which will hopefully offer up a few much needed answers regarding the back story.

Once you are in the game it all feels very familiar. There are the old favourites like the Mammoth Tank, the Ion Cannon and the Nuke's. New to this game is the ability to upgrade units on the fly and the slightly updated sidebar, but the general feel of the battles stays pretty much the same. Many are worried that this time around will promote similar approaches to play, in the way that a lot of people like to build up their army first and then go in 'guns blazing', and on the most part this assumption seems pretty accurate. The AI however does seem that bit more competent, utilising flanking techniques and air units to better effect than previous outings, but until the full version is released many of the AI options in the demo have been left out.

C&C 3 uses the same engine C&C: Generals used, but don't worry, there have been many tweaks and enhancements to what used to be a very sluggish engine, running on even a high-end PC. The game itself is very responsive; when you click to move a unit it moves and even with a lot of raging onscreen Tiberium Wars doesn't lag too much. A new particle system has found it's way into the fray making for some stunning explosions and smoke billowing from damaged vehicles and building, all adding a touch of polish that is very welcome in this camp. Also new is the updated sidebar. Even though it bears many similarities to C&C games of old, this updated sidebar adds functionality like the ability to take charge of builds even whilst out on the battlefield. Gamers that have been playing recently may be disappointed by the fact that the game is very 'close-quarters', but as with the push for this game to be a lot truer to the originals there is no zooming out hundreds of meters-up. This can feel a tad restrictive to those used to this new addition to gameplay, but to purists it will make them feel right at home.

The final question is this: 'Will Command and Conquer 3 really cut it in the highly competitive market of the RTS genre, or have the likes of Dawn of War and Supreme Commander stolen the crown?' A question that will be answered in just over a week and judging by the early feedback from the community (regarding the demo) the news doesn't seem too hot for the franchise. Possibly going so far back to the roots of the series has left it in the dust, but then again maybe this is the right move allowing fans of the older C&C games to pick up right were they left off. Once the full game is out and we can test the AI and modes we will all be able to draw better conclusions, until then the wait will be unbearable for some, including yours truly (I'm still clamouring for a Red Alert 3, too).

For those playing the demo prior to the full launch, here is a little tip to get the most out of the trial: If you want to play as the NOD faction then select a 'New Skirmish' and when you go to select your faction hold the 'N' key down and click on 'NOD.' Then start the game as normal and you will be able to test the demo out using the sworn enemy of the GDI. Saucy.

By Thomas Ryan