C&C Generals: Zero Hour (Expansion Pack) Review - PC

Gameplay

Zero Hour comes with the highly anticipated new innovation by EA LA that would create a new adventure for all General fans; the inclusion of the Challenge mode is groundbreaking for the real-time strategy genre. Seen throughout the fighting genre for years in the Mortal Kombat series and other titles such a Tekken, Zero Hour offers a mode that allows you to battle through eight general's backyard's in a versus manner. Even the pre-game 'entertainment' if you will is a screen like in most fighting games that has a picture of both players with the versus between them so it gives a very different feel to the game. They taunt and some can be clever and a lot can be cheesy but still there welcome with the mode and gives off a nice personal touch to each character. Once you get into the gameplay you will be shown the opposing generals base and they will say a few words before allowing you to get ready for the onslaught of there attacks.

Generals are strong, they can be extremely hard in the hard mode and you really have to be aware of the threat they pose. Each general has there own set field from air, tank or chemical to name a few, the choice of your general can be vital to your progress through the challenge mode. I suggest you pick a side you are comfortable with and enjoy playing as and master that particular general to take on challenge mode with. Myself I liked the tanks, so General Kwai was an obvious choice being the tank general. Dr. Thrax seems to be the strongest and this is only amplified in online play, statistics show that using him is the most successful over all other generals and the original armies. Its down to personal preference, all generals have there good and bad points so whoever you chose you shouldn't be too disadvantaged. A good way to practice these sort of games is to do skirmish games and advantage yourself on the hardest difficulty by picking teams that would be weak against your chosen general, for example picking Dr. Thrax as your general and picking the Infantry general as your opponent. Infantry are weak against chemical's which plays into your hands (continued next page)