Command & Conquer 4 open beta begins Thursday

With less than two months until Command & Conquer 4's launch in North America (March 16) and Europe (March 19), EA and GameSpot have partnered to launch its international open beta. Starting at 9 a.m. PST on Thursday, January 28, any registered GameSpot user can sign up for the public test via its official page. Everyone who signs up will get a beta key, although demand may cause some applications to be temporarily wait-listed.

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight will be set in the year 2062, when Earth becomes so completely covered with the toxic (yet energy-rich) mineral known as Tiberium that the human race is in peril of extinction. In the face of this threat, the longtime enemy factions join forces against a common foe. EA has suggested that this uneasy truce will lead to an explanation of the long-term plans set forth by Nod leader Kane in previous games, such as Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars and its expansion, Kane's Wrath.

C&C4 will offer two different campaigns for each faction, which can be played solo or in cooperative mode. In addition, the game will have a brand-new, five-versus-five, objective-based multiplayer mode for online play. The game is currently PC only.