One of the most notable changes in this new title is the graphics. Like its predecessors (for their time anyway) Tiberian Sun is blessed with an ample dose of gorgeous graphics. Coloured lighting is now in which is used well to add diversity to the battlefield during Ion Storms, day/night cycles and with light from light posts. The much talked about voxel engine is also regularly in evidence, and it even tends to play a part in the gameplay. Although the use of voxel technology isn't obvious in the first few missions, you slowly notice that various units turn perfectly smoothly and even tilt while going up hills. You'll even find yourself turning newly discovered units around just to watch this effect. While this has long been possible using polygons in strategy games, voxels tend to look a lot more detailed, although the larger units can appear slightly blocky at times. Finally the terrain is most certainly the most detailed and crisp in any RTS yet. Snow, cliffs, rivers, and forests are all well drawn and realistic. Forest fires will even burn and spread as they should. Overall the graphics in Tiberian Sun manage to carry over the visual style of the earlier versions while including all the visual perks you'd expect from a 3D engine (although it, of course, uses voxels).
As is fitting for a war game like Tiberian Sun, explosions, machine gun fire, laser fire and unit feedback sounds just right. Explosions are meaty, laser bursts are nice and sharp and all the other sounds just sound right. They aren't exactly spectacular, but they more than do the job. It can become a bit tiresome hearing the same voice from every unit though, be it tank or infantryman, and a little more investment in the voice talent department by Westwood would have been appreciated. In addition, Tiberian Sun still uses the standard RTS tactic of making sounds louder the nearer they are. While this works well, use of EAX or A3d audio is becoming increasingly common and their use in Tiberian Sun would have been a welcome bonus. Still, nit picking aside, the sound in Tiberian Sun works well, just don't expect to be overly impressed by it.
Music is also good. Rather than the pounding war music of Red Alert, Tiberian Sun goes for a more ambient/background feel to the music with varied music that never becomes too intrusive during play. Overall the music compliments the game well.
