Command & Conquer Renegade Updated Preview

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Watch footage of Command & Conquer Renegade as senior editor Amer Ajami narrates.56K

It's been a long time coming for Command & Conquer Renegade. When it was first unveiled in late 1999, this game was supposed to be Westwood's first foray into the realm of 3D gaming, but a few development delays bestowed that honor upon Emperor: Battle for Dune earlier this year. Today, however, as the final weeks of 2001 are ticking away, the game is actually nearing completion--and for real this time. We've been following Command & Conquer Renegade's progress regularly since its announcement, and the latest version of the game we've seen isn't just playable or feature-complete, but it's also pretty much done. And judging from our hands-on time with it, we're sure that Westwood fans will undoubtedly enjoy the unique twist that this first-person shooter brings to the company's memorable series of real-time strategy games.

For those who are still unfamiliar with Renegade, this game was originally designed to be a third-person action game, but it was made into a true first-person shooter earlier this year to further immerse players into its environments (a third-person mode is still available). You'll assume the role of none other than Nick "Havoc" Parker, the loud-mouthed GDI commando unit from the original Command & Conquer, and in true C&C fashion, he'll be tasked with toppling the forces of the Brotherhood of Nod. To liven up the plot, Command & Conquer Renegade will also introduce a third side into this classic rivalry: a splinter group of elite special forces called the Black Hand, which actually operates within Nod. Unlike its Nod counterparts, the Black Hand doesn't care about media perception or public support, and as a result, it's utterly ruthless in its military actions and completely devoted to its cause. Civilian casualties are commonplace during Black Hand strikes, and every one of its kind who has been captured has chosen suicide over interrogation.

The action begins in a Nod base located in a mountainous area. GDI intelligence has received reports that Nod has been rounding up civilian prisoners for use in a mysterious experiment. As Havoc, you're sent in to liberate the nearby town and find out why Nod has suddenly decided to target ordinary citizens. The first thing you'll notice is the abundance of action going on around you. Unlike other similar shooters, you're not the focal point of everyone's attention. That is, while enemies will still try to put the big hurt on you, they'll also be interacting with their own surroundings, including fighting GDI soldiers sent in to provide support for you. In fact, you'll remain in constant contact with General Adam Locke via radio, and he'll routinely provide you with support by sending in GDI transport helicopters with troops or hovercrafts with GDI tanks on board. He'll also update your mission objectives. While Havoc will receive his briefing between each mission, certain events will almost always happen in-mission and will necessitate the need for Havoc's help. For instance, during the first level, you'll stumble across a group of NOD soldiers firing on a house where a GDI officer is trapped. Locke will make saving this officer a primary objective for Havoc, and you won't be able to finish a mission without first accomplishing all your primary objectives. A typical mission will have anywhere between two and four such primary objectives, as well as some secondary objectives that aren't quite as vital but will still earn you points for successful execution.

There are about a dozen such missions in Command & Conquer Renegade, and they'll see Havoc travel through a variety of locations, which vary from a beach in the warm tropics to a massive Nod facility located in the middle of an ice-capped mountain. Throughout all these areas, you'll run into a wide variety of Nod enemies, both old and new. There are about 20-or-so types of actual foot soldiers. These enemies are separated by four distinct ranks, and each rank has around six different soldier types, such as minigunners and rocketeers. Additionally, you'll run across a veritable arsenal of Nod vehicles, most of which are favorites straight out of Command & Conquer, including stealth tanks, Apache helicopters, and the flame tank. These will pose a much bigger threat to you than any of the foot soldiers you'll run into, but thankfully, Havoc has at his disposal a variety of tools to deal with these armored menaces.

These "tools" include an arsenal of weapons that is made up of a whopping 23 weapons. We were surprised to find as many weapons in the game as we did, since the last time we saw Command & Conquer Renegade, we were shown only about half a dozen or so. In addition to the typical pistol, assault rifle, shotgun, sniper rifle, and flame thrower, all of which you can find in just about any first-person shooter, Renegade has a variety of weapons that are themed in a way that's congruent with the whole Command & Conquer universe. For example, Havoc will come across a personal ion cannon that's basically a portable version of the devastating satellite-based system that the GDI employs to pound Nod structures from the sky. You'll also be able to equip several variants of laser rifles, which act as your own personal obelisks of light; two Tiberium weapons that make deadly use of the toxic substance; three types of Havoc's signature C4 explosives; and a repair gun that you can actually use to repair damaged structures and vehicles. This weapon's effectiveness becomes especially apparent in multiplayer, when you'll find yourself using it to repair your damaged base. And like its real-time strategy predecessors, Command & Conquer Renegade also has two superweapons that Havoc can deploy: the ion cannon and the nuclear strike. These two are actually beacons that will be given to Havoc during certain key missions, and they're used in a similar way they were used in the RTS games: place the beacon on your target and then run like hell. The ensuing fireworks spectacle is a sight to behold.

You'll also get a good deal of cover fire from GDI vehicles such as the gunboat and the orca. Additionally, Havoc can actually jump into one of several vehicles, drive them around, and even fire any guns that they may have. From what we saw, the GDI Humm-Vee, APC, medium tank, and the massive mammoth tank were all completely interactive. Control is simple, with the mouse controlling the direction of the mounted weapon, while the keyboard directs the vehicle's actual movement. The game should even let you jump aboard a few Nod vehicles such as the stealth tank and flame tank as well, but our itchy trigger finger always caused Havoc to destroy such enemies on sight--good ole Havoc.

And to keep the game fun after you've finished it, Renegade will ship with three different multiplayer modes--deathmatch, team deathmatch, and Command & Conquer--which will pit a team of GDI players against a team of NOD players, with the objective being to destroy each other's bases. The beauty is that the team's respective bases are all bound by typical C&C rules: blow up the other team's harvester, and it won't be able to make money. Destroy its war factory, and it won't be able to produce vehicles. There are even base defenses--like the obelisk of light--that can come into play. As if Renegade weren't unique as it is, this Command & Conquer mode definitely sets it apart from the competition.

However, there is one aspect of the game that disappoints: the release date. Those of you hoping to find a copy of the game under your Christmas tree, keep hoping. Command & Conquer Renegade will indeed go gold in December, but by the time the manufacturing and shipping process is complete, it'll already be the New Year. Still, fans have waited this long for the game, so what's another month? Look for Command & Conquer Renegade on store shelves in mid-January. In the meantime, enjoy the latest batch of shots and movies we've uploaded for you.