Shallower and more unbalanced than Red Alert or the original C&C, but magnificent graphics and destructive units make Generals a fun, if not good, game.
C&C: Generals is the latest addition to the classic Command and Conquer franchise, which I've been a big fan of since I first played Red Alert back in '96. For the most part, Generals continues the grand tradition of de-emphasizing resource gathering (you only need to gather one), and emphasizing the good old tank rush.
Generals has three sides, and each side has an incredibly cool and varied arsenal: the U.S. have amazing air units, the Chinese have unstoppable tanks that can be upgraded with propaganda towers and nuclear shells, and the GLA (a terrorist coalition) have vehicles that can upgrade themselves from the scrap left over from destroyed enemy vehicles. The sides also vary in base defense and resource gathering, making for three very diverse sides. There are some balance issues in multiplayer games (U.S. air is wayyy too good, ditto to China's tanks), but this isn't a reason to not play.
The major addition to the C&C formula are the General level-ups: the more enemy units and buildings you destroy, the more special abilities (such as air strikes and instant-repairs) you get.
The main showcase of Generals is the graphics and mayhem. Believe me, watching stuff blow up in this game is a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, watching stuff blow up is all that's fun in Generals. One of the best things about Red Alert and the original C&C were the cut-scenes, so between missions you could see the mad ranting of Kane or the Allied generals who are at their wit's end trying to stop Stalin's war machine. Also, the world map has changed, so you no longer get to see which sides owns what territory. The missions themselves don't really tie together at all, so Generals has NO STORY and NO CUTSCENES...basically, it lacks the driving force present in the older C&C games. You are now killing your enemy for the sake of killing an enemy, and not because you care particularly about your side.
GOOD: Great graphics; cool units; varied sides; tons of explosions; General level-up system adds a new layer.
BAD: Very shallow; single player campaign is very short and has no story or cutscenes; sides are a bit unbalanced.
OVERALL: Anyone who likes commanding tanks and watching their enemy explode (i.e., everyone) will have fun with Generals, but it isn't good in the Starcraft/Red Alert sense of the word.
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