The RTS equivalent of FPS. A breath of fresh air and an adrenaline ride. Balanced, Beautiful and overall Brilliant.
The first thing I look at in an RTS are the races. RA3 offers 3 drastically different races. You get much more of a feel of a game when you can easily identify each race and their capabilities. This will aid you in adapting your tactics for RA3. Different races to the extent that the core mechanics change, in my experience have been present in some of the most popular RTS. In this instance, The Allies base building is the most common of the C&C games. You build your structure and place it once it is finished. To tech up, they research a new tier seperate for every command post that they own. This research will unlock higher tier units. As for their military, they are well suited for players who use alternate means to win a game. There are many different ways of winning as the allies but they seem best suited to aircraft. In contrast, the Soviets find it difficult to win any other way than mass force steamrolling. This is not a bad thing as it will fit each individual gamers tactics and style. When the Soviets build buildings, they place them on the map and wait for them to build. While they might be vulnerable in the build phase, some players may find it easier to manage rather than timing your building queue checks. The Empire is based on a principle of versatility. Most of their units can transform, usually into aircraft. This alone will give you a tactical advantage over everyone else; it is just a matter of how to employ their units. As for their base building, they are able to rush the landscape faster than anyone else because they produce expensive nanocores that move around the map and deploy anywhere, hence the Empire is not hampered by a build radius. 3 unique races are the first step to a good game.
The game looks fantastic as well. You have your standard corny cutscenes with an extra corny story for good measure. This reminds you that it is a game and gives RA3 a playful air. Tiberium Wars, while still corny was a lot darker in comparison. Most of the game is genuinely funny as well. Not only the cutscenes, but many other little touches. Each unit and their own quirks like the Allies ore collector for example who in a cheery voice apon selection will often say, "collecting ore is all right". The tutorial will have the highest concentration of humour though. The animation in the game itself looks great and cartoon-y despite minor animation faults.
The speed of RA3 is what makes it really good. This coupled with the intense need to micro your units and base. Only once before have i played an RTS so intense that my hands shook in-game. Red Alert 3 offers many moments like that. One false step in-game can have dire reprocussions, so focussing on the game makes you feel like you are micro-ing well. It is good when a game feels rewarding to play because it is a huge factor contributing to continuous play. And i believe C&C RA3 has plenty of play to offer.