Not to be left out of the action is Westwood's Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. This title is receiving a quiet sort of anticipation, and is looking really good too. Red Alert 2 is taking on the tongue and cheek mood of the alternate Red Alert universe and going a step further with the effects as well. The cut scenes were cinematically filmed as Westwood Studios is known for, and certainly is not lacking in humor or sex appeal. While keeping a serious nature listening to orders, one furious soldier bares her midriff in a skimpy tank top leaning into the camera.

The C&C universe will have plenty of the classic units and weaponry, and so many new units to enhance gameplay. The Tesla and Chrono weapons bring new ways for players to zap their opponent's units out of existence while weather control devices and psychic warriors can hinder the other side's prospects as well. There are also plenty of air and sea forces that can change the tides of battle.

The game will certainly live up to what can be expected from one of the strongest developers of RTS titles. What we are not seeing is a 3D world, which is expected to be their next endeavor and should be announced towards the end of the year.

While Electronic Art's holiday list includes quite a few console titles, including a strong presence of Playstation 2 titles, the PC titles coming out have a lot of promise. Both American McGee's Alice and Black & White have been in development for quite a while, and will have the rich graphics and story to show for it. The Sims: Livin' Large and C&C: Red Alert 2 have a proven track record and promise to offer more of what gamers have come to love and expect.

By
Enid Burns
Contributing Editor