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05/09/00 Page 1 of 6 It was only a matter of time before the Command & Conquer series eschewed the shackles of 2D graphics for the more robust and modern 3D world. While voxel technology was adopted by Westwood for Tiberian Sun, Firestorm, and Red Alert 2, the Command & Conquer series was, for the most part, still mired by two-dimensional tiles and units. It's somewhat poetic, then, that the first C&C game to fully embrace 3D graphics isn't a typical Command & Conquer game at all: It's Renegade, a 3D game that's light on strategy and heavy on action. Don't misunderstand, though. Renegade is still very much a Command & Conquer game, complete with Global Defense Initiative and Brotherhood of NOD units, structures, and soldiers. All the established C&C rules still apply. Instead of taking control of hordes of tanks and infantrymen, however, you assume the role of a single foot soldier named Nick Parker.
Essentially, Parker (whose codename is Havoc) is the commando unit from the original Command & Conquer. Astute fans of the classic game will remember that this special infantry unit was the Rambo equivalent of the GDI. At his disposal was a near infinite amount of C4 explosives, which he used to single-handedly destroy enemy structures, and a sniper rifle that was capable of felling NOD soldiers with one shot from a great distance. And since he was the most durable infantryman available to the GDI, the commando quickly became a lethal favorite among gamers. Westwood attempted to cash in on his popularity by introducing the Tanya unit in Red Alert and the Ghost Stalker in Tiberian Sun. However, among true Command & Conquer fans, the commando was irreplaceable. And though Renegade presents the commando from a new, and dare we say fresh, 3D perspective, Havoc will undoubtedly be welcomed by those who've been itching to hear those wacky "I gotta present for ya" one-liners again. The decision to go with a 3D action game centered in the Command & Conquer universe was a long time coming for Westwood. Renegade executive producer and Westwood cofounder Louis Castle reminisces on the design team's inspiration for the game: "The more we thought about it, the more the commando character came to mind. In C&C, he's about six pixels tall, but he made a huge impression with his sarcastic comments... The more we thought about the commando, the more the idea for the action game came into focus." And so Castle and the designers at Westwood set out to create a brand-new perspective on the tried-and-true world of Command & Conquer. What better way to introduce their audience to this latest creation than with an instantly recognizable icon like Havoc? Nearly 18 months later, Command & Conquer: Renegade is nearing its final stages of development. We were recently given the opportunity to take a look at the game. Here's what we came back with. Next: Havoc's world |
