Fun, but not quite the same as it's predecessors.
Coming hot off the heels of Kane's Wrath, I expected very little from RA3. It looked to be yet another bastardization of Westwood's former intellectual property. Fortunately, I was wrong.
At it's best, the game can be a blast. And at it's worst, an unstable, DRM infested heap.
Breakdown:
-Graphics:
While it certainly won't win any awards, it's visuals can hold their own among today's RTSs.
They seem to have gone for more of a cartoon-ish look, in keeping with their humorous approach.
There are definitely no graphical bugs or other visual issues that I am aware of.
-Sound:
Nothing special.
-Substance (story etc...):
Just like in RA2, EALA went for a more humorous plot, involving yet another time travel related blunder. But this time, the soviets are to blame.
The result of all this is the rise of a new threat (and common enemy among the soviets and allies), the "Empire of the Rising Sun", aka Japan.
Just like in it's predecessors, RA3's technological state is the result of a drastically altered timeline, which produces some strange and cheesy (but pretty damn cool) weapons, like Tesla Tanks, War Bears, Cryocopters and Attack Dolphins. The Empire's arsenal is no less absurd, filled with units like transforming tanks and giant mechs.
And just like before, each campaign leads to a different ending, almost like a "what if the _______ won?" situation.
Unfortunately, it feels as though this game was made largely for profit (unlike it's predecessors), what fun comes from this game feels almost like pure luck.
-Technical:
The biggest problem with this game is the absurd DRM employed by EA. Among things like a limited number of installs, they even go so far as to intentionally leave out key files, forcing you to update the game at least once (foiling piracy).
The game also has a host of technical problems that always lead to some sort of crash or freeze.
TL;DR:
-GOOD= Old school RA fun (albeit somewhat watered down), amusing plot, big cast of well known actors.
-BAD= EA's obsession with your money (less quality than polish, insane DRM), frequent crashing/technical problems, not as much replay value as you'd likely hope.
