Command and Conquer 3 Kane’s Wrath Review

Originally released as an expansion for Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars, it was released in 2008.  Command and Conquer 3 is an RTS (Real Time Strategy) game, and is one of the few to ever make a successful launch on a console (versus a PC).

The story picks up where Tiberium Wars left off, with Kane retreating underground and instructing the player, who is now an AI designated Legion, to return the fight to GDI.  I don’t want to give away the plot here, but it functions well with the rest of the story.  I certainly enjoyed it.

The Game plays much like Tiberium Wars, as it is merely an expansion.  However, it does add several new features to the game.

The first of these (Aside from the new campaign) is the Kane’s Challenge mode (Exclusive to the Xbox 360 version), where the player chooses one of the now 9 factions (more on this later) and is pitted against all of the other armies in a series of 10 missions that get progressively harder.

The most prominent and fun addition in Kane’s Wrath is the new sub factions.  Along with GDI, Nod, and the Scrin, all of whom have received minor tweaks, each main faction is given two sub factions that play extremely different from the both the main faction and each other.

GDI has the Steel Talons sub faction, which uses mostly walkers instead of tanks and has plenty of powerful upgrades (Rail gun)for them.  Many of the vehicles have bunkers for infantry to garrison and fire out of.  Contrasting this is the Steel Talons’ limited infantry selection, making them an armor heavy faction.

GDI’s other sub faction is Zocom, whose infantry get major upgrades and the many weapons and changed to cause splash damage.  Because of these strengths however, Zocom does not have access to the rail gun upgrade or Juggernauts (A massive artillery unit).

Nod now has the rather over-powered Black Hand sub faction.  It’s main infantry comes with an ability that turn enemy units against each other and buffs other infantry.  However, the main point of the Black Hand is its flamethrowers.  Once upgraded, they cause massive damage to anything they touch.  By building several Purifier walkers with this upgrade, they become almost unstoppable, as they each buff each other and can fire their flamethrowers while moving, they can tear any base to shreds in seconds.  This faction is also adept at rushing with flame tanks and Black Hand infantry.  A lack of air units is a heavy hit, but I’m not sure if it really balances this faction.

The Marked of Kane (Nod’s other sub faction) has extremely powerful infantry units, the awakened cyborgs and the Enlightened cyborgs, who can be upgraded with charged particle beams, these units are capable of taking out infantry or armor with ease.  The Marked of Kane also has access to many stealth units.

The Reaper 17 is one of the Scrin’s subfactions, and it focuses on armor, allowing upgrades for the Devourer Tank and Reaper Tripod.  Many of the other vehicles also have access to shields and upgrades that increase damage.  However, they lose one of the Scrin’s most powerful assets, their planetary assault carriers and devastator Warships.  The Reaper 17 also doesn’t have access to the mastermind unit.

The Traveler 59 Scrin subfaction focuses on mind controlling enemy units, speed, and teleportation.  They have a cultist unit that can also mind control enemy units, and the prodigy is upgraded with an area of effect mind control and several other abilities.  The massive planetary assault carriers and devastator warships are given the traveler engines upgrade, which greatly increases their speed, rather than shields.  They do not have access to the Devourer tank or shields for Tripods.

I would recommend this expansion.  At this point it’s a stand alone game and it doesn’t cost very much.  The sub factions are a lot of fun to play around with and the game offers plenty of maps and game modes to get plenty of play time out of it.  This game definitely stands up to the series name.

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