*Warning: This RTS Game May Contain Spoilers*
I played a lot of RTS games, especially the Command and Conquer series. However, out of all the Command and Conquer titles, Generals is perhaps one of the most nostalgic and cathartic memories I have had as a kid. This game gives you a very retro feel without ever being an eyesore to look at, a setting that not many game developers have been willing to adapt, and a well-defined gameplay mechanic. I have recently played this game again after a while, and I still had a blast playing it now. Therefore, I want to show you what it was like playing it today in 2023, exactly two decades after its release, and explain everything from factions and how each of them employs different strategies.
Before I actually go into the gameplay, there is one hurdle that could prevent avid Command and Conquer players from playing Generals. People who own Command and Conquer: The First Decade would know how difficult it is to play the older titles on Windows 10. The First Decade contained all the older Command and Conquer titles from the first Command and Conquer to Command and Conquer: Generals Zero Hour. Now, because the games are very old, It would especially be a pain for some to try and open the games on Windows 10. For instance, I had to look up on the internet and add an Options.ini file into the Command and Conquer: Generals data file for the game to run properly on Windows 10, but once I did that, the game ran like a dream, and I was ecstatic to play it after quite awhile finally. Below is a video on how to make Command and Conquer: Generals, including Zero Hour, work on Windows 10.
Unlike the Tiberian and Red Alert universes, Generals is set in a completely different universe of its own. In fact, it is the first Command and Conquer title to implement 3D graphics. The year takes place around the early 2000s, and the game most likely took inspiration from the War on Terror since most missions occur in Central Asia. The game revolves around three factions: The USA, China, and the global terrorist organization called the GLA, or the Global Liberation Front. In the campaign, both the USA and China are allies and are at war with the GLA which seeks to rid Central Asia and other parts of the third world of the imperialistic influences of the USA and China but are not concerned with the civilians' wellbeing; however, both the USA and China succeed in defeating the GLA. Now, let's look deeper into the mechanics and strategies of each of the factions.
The first faction is the USA. The USA utilizes both air and technological superiority, including the use of drones. The USA has a wide arrange of air units that can excel in almost any ground battle. The Chinook especially can pick up both infantry and armored units, transport them anywhere across the map with speed, and gather supplies to fund the American army. Both the infantry and vehicles of the USA are high quality and equipped to take on any opponent, the real kicker in the shin to the USA is their high prices and slow economy, which makes it harder for the USA to amass a large force in a short amount of time. The USA also has the most advanced intelligence and espionage compared to any faction in the game. Vehicles can add an anti-personnel or anti-armor drone that follows and assists the unit wherever it goes. The best ground units are the Tomahawk, which shoots a barrage of missiles, and the Paladin, which uses a laser targeting system to shoot down incoming enemy missiles. The USA's most important structure is the Strategy Center. This is where almost all of the upgrades for the American army are researched. The Strategy Center The USA can quite easily take down both Chinese and GLA forces with its technological and air might. However, these upgrades take time and money, which could favor the Chinese and GLA in the early game if both can act quickly.
The second faction is China, or the People's Liberation Army. China uses both brute force and strength-in-numbers to overrun its opponents with ease. The Chinese heavily employ propaganda, which boosts army morale and allows vehicles to self-repair automatically. Chinese units that gather in groups of five or more troops gain the "Horde Bonus," which increases the rate of fire by 25%; a red star will appear around the units. Their strongest unit is the Overlord heavy tank, and it can be upgraded with three different installments: a Gatling gun, a battle bunker, and a propaganda tower. The Gatling gun effectively allows the Overlord to simultaneously take down enemy tanks and enemy infantry. The battle bunker can be used to store five infantry. This could be useful if players want to add either anti-armor personnel, anti-infantry personnel, or even both can enter the battle bunker to eliminate both tanks and infantry effectively. The propaganda tower encourages itself and other units around it to increase the rate of fire and automatic repairs for vehicles. No enemy is safe from the Overlord. Their weakest point is their intelligence and espionage.
The last faction is the GLA. The GLA's primary strategy is expendability, hit-and-run tactics, and stealth to defeat the "imperialistic" nations of the USA and China. Units are cheap and can be amassed quite rapidly, and their speed allows them to harass enemy units constantly. Enemy vehicles eliminated by any GLA unit drop scraps that the GLA can pick up for some hefty cash. Even the Maurader tank can improve its rate of fire and add twin barrels by collecting scraps. The GLA is also the only faction not afraid to implement WMDs, Weapons of Mass Destruction, such as chemical and nuclear weapons. Unlike the USA and China, which both use Cold Fusion Reactors and Nuclear Reactors to power their bases, the only obstacles that limit the GLA are funds and terrain, but capturing one of these generators will make the GLA much more efficient, and speaking of terrain, the downside is that the GLA employs absolutely no air power; the GLA only uses ground troops to defeat its opponents but makes up for it with a wide assortment of vehicles, including the Scud Launcher, which can fire a deadly scud missile at enemies from a distance. The GLA's most unique feature is the Tunnel Network. These can be placed anywhere around the map, and units can quickly travel instantly from point A to point B. Units will also be repaired inside these tunnels. Tunnel Networks, when built, come with a small machine gun and two anti-armor personnel. If used wisely, they can be fitted with a camouflage upgrade, making the Tunnel Networks a deadly weapon in stealthily deploying forces on the battlefield. In fact, the GLA structures make use of GLA Holes. Whenever a GLA structure is destroyed, it leaves behind a hole that allows workers, free of charge, to emerge from these holes and rebuild the structure back up again.
All of these factions still how many other features not mentioned, but that was just the whole gist of what these factions can do. After playing all three factions for some hours, I ranked the factions from best to worst. The best faction is the GLA. While the GLA lacks technological and air superiority, they make up for mobility and expandability. If planned wisely, GLA units can quickly eliminate enemies before they can build up a sizable force. The second best is China. Their use of Horde Bonus can easily overpower enemy units if a sizable army is made. If propaganda towers are used, their tanks and vehicles can be very effective in pushing through the enemy front line and dealing the final blow. The worst is the USA. The USA is still a good faction; some players probably play better as the USA, and it really is not the worst faction in the game. However, the USA's rough early game start could be a death sentence for any USA players. Combined with the USA's slow economic growth and expensive tech and units, the USA could easily be overpowered by either the Chinese or GLA players. The plus side is that the USA is the leading air force powerhouse, which can give the USA an advantage on the battlefield.
Overall, out of all the other Command and Conquer titles, this one offers a very fresh and unique experience. Command and Conquer: Generals is quite a relic to cherish with its retro graphics, a unique setting inspired by the War on Terror that not many games I know have done this, and well-balanced gameplay mechanics. I still have a blast playing it to this day. It is a shame gamers cannot play RTS games like this, and gamers like us hope to see new games like Generals. And that is why Command and Conquer: Generals is the best game, even after precisely two decades later.