Command and Conquer: Generals was one of best playing RTS games released in 2003. After eight months the first expansion pack offering more campaigns, units and a new challenge mode for Generals titled Zero Hour sees the light of day. While Generals was a fantastic game to play and the first of the series to see new 3D graphics, it seemed rather short and lacking in some areas. This is where Zero Hour comes in.

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Game Play

The story has It that the U.S led forced won the original battle (no surprise there then) and the GLA is now trying to reorganize its splintered cells and a gamma toxin general named Dr. Thrax is preparing to seek revenge against the U.S. In total Zero Hour offers fifteen new missions split over three campaigns along with an additional twenty five much needed and welcomed multiplayer maps. As well as the new campaigns normal to any RTS expansion pack there are new structures, units, and upgrades available for each of the factions. This expansion pack allows players to take charge of one of three unique armies: the U.S., China, or the GLA (Global Liberation Army). While more and more developers seem to be offering expansions as full games without the need to purchase the original, Zero Hour requires you own Command and Conquer: Generals.

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Zero Hour introduces nine new sub factions. Each sub faction is commanded by a General that has unique abilities, personalities, tactics and taunts. For example one of the U.S sub factions has superior super weapons. As a trade-off you do not have the whole arsenal of tanks you would normally. Another example is the toxin general for the GLA who specialises in biological weapons. The idea is that if you have a particular style or technique when playing you can choose to play a faction that offers the best advantages for that strategy. It is an incredible and well thought out idea but it does not work in practice. Anyone who is playing this game online will know you need to be flexible with your strategies otherwise you will undoubtedly play someone with an answer for that strategy. If you are tied to a strategy from the start it will make it near impossible to recover from a loosing battle by changing strategies.

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Paramount to any successful expansion is the quality of the new units and structures. For the GLA you can now build Combat Bikes, Battle Bus. Structures can now be fortified and workers can now increase production by buying little red shoes for their feet. The GLA can also perform a “Sneak Attack” on a base by using the tunnel network. The combat bikes will be a firm favourite for many as infantry units can mount the bikes to be extra mobile. Combat bikes can also ride up and down cliffs and mountains which can make them ideal for small yet very sneaky attacks on bases with few entrances. The U.S now have the Fire base for extra defence, the Avenger which provides a target for nearby units to increase their rate of fire, Hellfire Drone, Sentry Drone, Microwave Tank and a bunker buster bomb upgrade to aircraft which destroys all units hiding in a tunnel. The Chinese see the introduction of the Helix 2 Heavy assault helicopter, the Banshee tank, and the Hackers Internet Centre. Along with the structural upgrades each General now has some new powers. The upgrades seem fairly balanced between the sides and do offer some unique and enhanced game play elements.

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The balance of sides for any multiplayer and single player RTS game is essential. Balance problems of the three main sides have been addressed in part, but you can still find a side that best suits your style of play. Even with the introduction of the sub factions with their unique strategies and abilities you can still pick a favourite which you seem to win with more often. The difficulty level of the game seems around the same with the AI being very predictable in the style of play. Because of this predictability it’s often better to play the campaigns through or play against friends for a more unpredictable and interesting game.

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The introduction movie and the in game movies are awful. The quality is great, but they just do not work or fit the game at all. This is a shame as it really spoils the story of Zero Hour which could have been told so much better. The movies with really bad actors in them should have been replaced by ones with more style. If they had to use really actors they could have made them interesting and of a nature which actually makes you want to watch them. Also Zero Hour still has the annoying flaw of not being able to skip mission briefings. This means that if you play a mission you have to make sure you save the game as the first task you do. If you do not and fail the mission you have to sit through the whole movie and mission intro again. Sometimes this can go on for what seems like an age. If they are going to make you sit and watch the movie more than once, at least they could have made them look more than an after thought.

The addition of twenty five new multiplayer maps and varied factions to play will add a new element of freshness to online play and the much requested ability for RIGHT-CLICK movement has now been added to the option menu for those that prefer it.

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Graphics

Even though Zero Hour is just an expansion, the development team have still chosen to upgrade and enhance the existing graphics. On launching Zero Hour you will instantly recognise the style and high level of detail present in the original Command and Conquer: Generals title. However Zero Hour has been given a bit of a face life in that explosions now look far better than before, the terrain detail now seems much more detailed. While it’s difficult to put a finger on all the changes made, you can certainly tell that improvements have been made.

Sound

As this is an expansion pack you can’t really expect too much new from the sound. But for those who have not yet played Generals and may want to purchase a likely double pack of Generals and Zero Hour, expect superbly fitting and engaging music coupled with the enjoyable, and sometimes annoying character speech. The speech for the introduction movie and mission briefings is all of very good quality even though the movies are very amateurish.

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Overall

Command & Conquer: Generals Zero Hour does offer a lot of game play for your money; new units, new game modes, a fair amount of new missions and updated graphics. However it’s a real shame that certain aspects let the game down and spoil what could have made Generals the best RTS game available. The movies are awful and feel amateurish, and flaws in the game that people complain all the time about on forums are still apparent.

Nevertheless Zero Hour represents good value for those that enjoyed Generals and the new factions are fun and add a new challenge to multiplayer games.