Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour

A few days ago, I wrote about Command and Conquer Generals and why I consider it to be my favorite game ever made. The sheer amount of replayability the game has due to the huge amount of units, vehicles, mods, strategies, and maps is something to behold. I really don't see how anyone can be bored with a game like this. However, there's only one problem with Generals, and that is the fact that Zero Hour makes it even better. If you own the first game, there is absolutely no reason not to have played this at some point. Zero Hour is Generals' one and only expansion, meaning it requires the base game in order to run. It is essentially the same game, but made even more impressive by the inclusion of new units, maps, missions, bug fixes, and a new game mode. Zero Hour sets itself apart from normal Generals because this time around, EA actually decided to let the game live up to its namesake. Zero Hour introduces 3 generals for each of the 3 teams making a return from the base game: The US, China, and the GLA. This means that in addition to playing as each one of these teams, you now have the ability to select a specific general from a certain faction, and they all have different units to complement their strategies. For example, the leader of the GLA's toxic weapons program is Dr. Thrax, and the vehicles/soldiers under his command are augmented with anthrax weapons which makes them extremely dangerous to enemy infantry units. He can also upgrade his poison weapons to Anthrax Gamma, which is purplish-pink, as opposed to the inferior, blue Anthrax Beta used by the other GLA commanders. The downside to playing as Thrax is that his forces are fairly weak against structures, but that's the price you pay for such useful abilities. Another example would be the chinese general Kwai, who specializes in building advanced tanks to beat his enemies. This means his team has access to stronger tanks and the tanks under his command cost less money. The downside to Kwai's army is that he specializes in armored vehicles and only armored vehicles, meaning his planes and soldiers are more costly to produce. By introducing new teams to the already existing factions, Zero Hour greatly streamlines and simplifies the gameplay experience of an already incredible game. Whether you like to play defensively (like me) and just build tons of vehicles while letting the enemy come to you, or you prefer to rush your opponents with lightning fast strikes on important positions, Zero Hour has a commander just for you that is sure to suit your playstyle. I've been playing this game for such a long time that I can effectively use all of the available generals, despite how much variety there is between each one of them. That's the best thing about this game for me. There's so many different ways to play it, but that isn't even the tip of the iceberg. Aside from introducing 5 brand new story mode levels for each of the 3 teams that continue the plot from the first game, Zero Hour also introduces one of the best things ever put in a video game: the challenge mode. As stated before, there are 9 generals available to you in Zero Hour, 3 for each team. In challenge mode, you select a general of your choice, and the game then pits you against every other general in the game, each one with their own battlefield environment to fight them on. One of the most frustrating is the battle with General Townes, who is the USA laser general. All of his vehicles use laser weapons instead of conventional explosives, which makes them pinpoint accurate and more deadly. If you're tough enough to achieve victory over every other general in the game, you face off against the female General Leang, a very prestigious chinese commander stationed close to Tibet, and she has access to literally everything from every single faction. It is quite frankly insanely difficult. Finally, Zero Hour also brings new things to the table in terms of the actual units, with all the factions receiving new ones. Some are useful, and some of them you just don't need. In most strategy games, if you have access to a powerful vehicle or unit that is going to let you win most of the time, you're always going to use it. This game is no different, and you can usually win the game as long as you know which units are good and which aren't. Zero Hour introduces new vehicles such as the chinese ECM tank, which is one of the most essential vehicles in the game (despite being unarmed). While not able to deal any direct damage, it can freeze enemy vehicles in place with its jamming array and deflect enemy missiles so that they miss their targets. It cannot use both of its abilities simultaneously though, so good micromanagement is crucial. There are more new units, but it's too much to write about in one review. Zero Hour also adds one last welcome addition to Generals, which is the inclusion of a map editor called the Worldbuilder. Using this .exe program, players can view and edit maps included with the game, rename them, or even make their own. Some take months to complete. The Worldbuilder also shows the paths the AI (artificial intelligence) is programmed to use on its way to attack your base, which is exceptionally helpful. This basically means that if you look over the maps in the map editor long enough, you'll never be caught off guard again. To summarize, Zero Hour is a great addon to Generals (as well as its only one). It introduces a new game mode, new vehicles, new buildings, new levels, actual generals to play as, and a map editor. It enhances an already great game and further cements the reasons why Generals is my favorite game ever.