Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge

Overview

Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge is an expansion pack to the 2000 game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. The game was developed by Westwood Studios and published by EA Games. As with its predecessors, the game is more of a humorous take on war. The game features fully-acted cutscenes and traditional real-time strategy gameplay.

Soundtrack

1. Brain Freeze (4:00)
2. Drok (2:35)
3. Deceiver (3:53)
4. Phat Attack (3:57)
5. Bully Kit (4:14)
6. Defend the Base (4:25)
7. Tactics (3:27)
8. Trance L. Vania (3:28)
9. Score (1:50)
10. Credits (1:50)

Gameplay

Yuri's Revenge is a traditional real-time strategy game. The player (in the single player campaign, the Commander) has a small amount of units that must be used to build up a base. The initial troops usually consist of few tanks and handful of men, and a Mobile Construction Vehicle, MCV for short. Deploying the MCV opens up the construction menu, and while initially only the power plant is available to build, more structures and units becomes available as the tech tree opens up with each built structure. The game has a fairly basic economy, and everything in the game costs a set amount of credits. The player starts with some to allow initial base construction, and will accumulate more by collecting and processing ore. Some maps also contain oil rigs, which when captured by the players engineer, will continuously generate a small amount of credits. Other map specific neutral structures are also available for capture, granting the player various power-ups, such as paratroopers or auto-healing infantry.

New Features

• Ability to play as Yuri's forces in multiplayer
• Three all-new neutral buildings
• New units (outlined below) and structures for Allied and Soviet factions
• New campaigns for Allies and Soviets
• Exciting new locales, such as Egypt, Hollywood, The Moon, London, and Transylvania

Story

As with Red Alert 2, Yuri's Revenge has two branching storylines. The Allied campaign's storyline is considered canon with the rest of the series, however. Each story is centered around Yuri, and his group of traitors attempting to conquer the world through mind control and other chemical and mental warfare.

Allied

The game begins with a surprise attack on the United States by Yuri's many Psychic Dominators. His devices open up on various locations all around the globe, sending waves of psychic energy, controlling the minds of people everywhere. The Psychic Dominator in San Fransico doesn't activate because of an air strike, which fails, but a stray plane falls and damages the Nuclear Reactor on Alcatraz Island.

Using Albert Einstein's device to go back in time, the Allies go back to before the events of Red Alert 2 and keep the Psychic Dominators from ever being created. Because of their presence, the events of Red Alert 2 are changed drastically. The Soviets beg for peace, and join the Allies.

With the new support, the combined forces head off to Yuri's final base in Antarctica. With the use of both Allied and Soviet technology, Yuri is quickly defeated and then whisked away to a specially designed prison to hold him. Using the Psychic Isolation Device, Yuri is now so weak that he "couldn't even mind control a fly."

Albert Einstein then explains that the timelines are merging, and that one must take precedence over another. Thankfully, General Carville's return takes precedence over Yuri's unfortunate announcement, and the new timeline becomes the true timeline.

Soviet

The Soviet campaign begins with cities falling to Yuri's Psychic Dominators everywhere. The Soviets send in a special attack force to San Francisco to secure the Allied's time machine. Their plan succeeds, and they alter the timeline to their choosing (making several changes, such as Soviet victory).

In the past, the future Soviets send a message to the leadership in the past, telling them to stop Yuri for the sake of the future. In addition to this, the Soviets warn themselves about Albert Einstein's Chronosphere (which caused their demise in Red Alert 2). An attack force is sent in, and the Allied surrender.

Battles are fought everywhere, from Casablanca, to London, even The Moon. Eventually, a deciding battle takes place in Transylvania, where the combined forces of the Allied and Soviet manage to destroy the Psychic Beacons protecting Yuri's castle, and storming in. Unfortunately, Yuri is not found in the castle. A transmission is uncovered, revealing that Yuri has escaped, capturing the time machine, and is planning on altering the past himself. Soviet special agents quickly sway his plans by giving the time machine too much power, sending Yuri back to the Cretaceous Period, where he is presumably eaten by a T. Rex.

New Allied Units

Guardian GI

• Cost: 400
• Armor: Flak
• Weapons: Assault rifle, Anti-tank missile
• Required to produce: Barracks

An upgrade on the default infantry unit, these uncrushable units can quickly assimilate any enemy tanks. They can bunker like the weaker GIs. In their bunker position, they fire missiles similar to that of an IFV (a versatile vehicle from this game's predecessor).

Battle Fortress

• Cost: 2000
• Armor: Heavy
• Weapons: Heavy Machine Gun
• Required to produce: War Factory, Battle Lab

The answer to the Soviets' Apocalypse Tank. With its single machine gun, it may seem like an easy target, but when it crushes any tanks in its path, its power is shown. It doubles as a transport that can carry five infantry units, as well.

Robot Tank

• Cost: 600
• Armor: Medium
• Weapons: Short Range Rocket Pods
• Required to Produce: War Factory, Robot Control Center

Being a robot, it is immune to Yuri's psychic powers, making it an effective unit against Yuri's attacks. Quick and powerful, it serves well as a hit and run unit.

New Soviet Units

A variety of new units are introduced in this game. Here are the Soviet units.

Boris

• Cost: 1000
• Armor: Flak
• Weapons: AKM machine gun, Flare gun
• Required to Produce: Barracks, Radar Tower

Boris' true strength isn't in his machine gun--although it is useful for taking out enemy infantry units. The area Boris excels in is covert operations. Using his flare gun, he calls in two MiGs, who proceed to annihilate whatever target Boris has aimed them at.

Siege Chopper

• Cost: 1400
• Armor: Light
• Weapons: Machine Gun, 155mm Cannon
• Required to Produce: War Factory, Radar Tower, Battle Lab

Only an annoyance in the air, these Choppers' great application is its ability to deploy itself once it lands. It then turns into a powerful cannon, capable of destroying many enemy units and structures.

Spy Plane

• Cost: Free with Radar Tower
• Armor: Light
• Weapons: None
• Required to Produce: Radar Tower

After losing the Psychic Beacons from Yuri, the Soviets produced the Spy Plane. Capable of being created at intervals, the Spy Plane can fly in any area the player desires. But since the armor is light, they're easy to shoot down.

Yuri Units

A variety of new units are introduced in this game. Here are the Yuri units.

Initiate

• Cost: 200
• Armor: None
• Weapons: Psychic Blast Bolt
• Required to Produce: Barracks

The basic, default unit of Yuri's faction. As opposed to more traditional weapons, the Initiate uses the power of the mind to attack. While not as powerful as the bunkering GIs, the Initiate is one of the cheapest units in the game at a cost of 200.

Yuri Engineer

• Cost: 500
• Armor: None
• Weapons: Defuse Kit
• Required to Produce: Barracks

As with the Allied and Soviet Engineers, Yuri Engineers can repair friendly structures and capture enemy structures. In addition to this, neutral buildings can be captured through Yuri Engineers, providing such skills as paratroopers, automatic infantry and vehicle healing, and extra ore.

Brute

• Cost: 500
• Armor: Flak
• Weapons: Big fists
• Required to Produce: Barracks

As with its name, this unit's main application is its brute strength. Being immune to dogs and mind control, they are good units to amass a force with, and then overrun the enemies' base with.

Virus

• Cost: 700
• Armor: None
• Weapons: Viral Dart Gun
• Required to Produce: Barracks, Psychic Radar

This mercenary is a sniper who fires virus-filled darts. After being infected, the unit swells up, explodes, and releases a cloud of infected gas. Viruses are weak against structures and vehicles, so their real application is taking out large groups of infantry units.

Yuri Clone

• Cost: 800
• Armor: None
• Weapons: Mind Control
• Required to Produce: Barracks, Psychic Radar

A seemingly harmless unit, the Yuri Clone mind controls any infantry and vehicle units nearby. Save for a few units, such as Attack Dogs, most can be controlled.

Lasher Light Tank

• Cost: 700
• Armor: Heavy
• Weapons: Short-range anti-tank shell
• Required to Produce: War Factory

This quick, powerful tank is ideal for hit-and-run attacks. With its powerful cannon, it can destroy enemy structures and vehicles with ease.

Gatling Tank

• Cost: 600
• Armor: Flak
• Weapons: Double Gatling cannons
• Required to Produce: War Factory

The two enormous Gatling cannons do more damage the longer they shoot. Due to this unique skill, Gatling Tanks make quick work of air and ground units.

Chaos Drone

• Cost: 800
• Armor: Light
• Weapons: Hallucinogenic gas
• Required to Produce: War Factory, Psychic Radar

This unique unit is a robotic drone that makes enemy units attack each other. It can drive both infantry and vehicles into insanity, making them fight amongst themselves.

Amphibious Transport

• Cost: 900
• Armor: Light
• Weapons: None
• Required to Produce: Sub Pen

On navy maps, this unit is crucial. Although it has no weapons of its own, its ability to carry vehicles and infantry units and incredibly important.

Floating Disc

• Cost: 1750
• Armor: Heavy
• Weapons: Transport Beam, Small Laser
• Required to Produce: War Factory, Battle Lab

This unique sapper unit looks as though it has flown straight out of a '50s science fiction film. The Floating Disc not only has a powerful laser, but also the ability to shut off enemy power and steal resources from the enemy. If deployed over a power plant, it shuts off power. If it is deployed over a refinery, it siphons resources.

Master Mind

• Cost: 1750
• Armor: Heavy
• Weapons: Mind control
• Required to Produce: War Factory, Battle Lab

Essentially a vehicle version of the Yuri Clone, the Master Mind has another cool ability. Instead of merely one unit, this vehicle can mind control up to three separate units safely. However, it mind controls every unit that comes into its radius and if the Master Mind ever gets over 3 units under its control, it slowly hurts itself until either it dies or until the number of mind controlled units under its control decreases to three or less once again.

Magnetron

• Cost: 1000
• Armor: Light
• Weapons: Magnetic Beam, Magnetic Field
• Required to Produce: War Factory, Psychic Radar

The Magnetron uses its magnetic beam to pull enemy vehicles towards it. It can pull enemy vehicles off the ground so that gatling cannons and tanks can hit it while the unit can not retaliate. It can also pull enemy ships out of the ocean and drop them on land, destroying the unit immediately. If a magnetron drops an enemy unit on a building, the unit is killed immediately and the building takes some damage. Magnetrons can also attack enemy buildings from an extremely high range.

Yuri Mobile Construction Vehicle (MCV)

• Cost: 3000
• Armor: Medium
• Weapons: None
• Required to Produce: War Factory

Need an extra base? Well, the Yuri MCV is just what the doctor ordered While it carries a hefty price, it may be what's needed if a superweapon wipes out part of the base.

Boomer

• Cost: 2000
• Armor: Medium
• Weapons: Torpedoes, Cruise Missiles
• Required to Produce: Sub Pen

An incredibly powerful attack sub, this naval unit can fire torpedoes at naval units, and missiles at land units or buildings. With a fleet of these, enemy structures and units are destroyed quickly.

Yuri Prime

• Cost: 1500
• Armor: Flak
• Weapons: Super Mind Control, Super Psi-Wave

The "hero unit" of the Yuri faction. Not only can Yuri Prime control units like his Clone counterpart, but he can also mind-control structures. He is essential to the success of Yuri! Two Yuri Primes on the map at one time if he is produced while the player has a Cloning Vats. Otherwise, only a single Yuri Prime can be on the field for each individual player at any given time.

New Allied Structures

Robot Control Center

• Cost: 600
• Armor: Light

The Robot Control Center is required in order to build any Robot Tanks. If this structure is destroyed or powered down, all Robot Tanks are deactivated until it is rebuilt or power is restored. Its armor is light, so it does require some protection, as enemies will be aiming to take this structure out. If it is destroyed, a large portion of the defense could be left inoperable.

New Soviet Structures

Battle Bunker

• Cost: 500
• Armor: Medium

This is the Soviets' new defensive base structure. It is garrisonable by up to five Conscripts, making it a formidable defense for ground forces. It is decently armored, so with a lot of this, the base is easily protected for a variety of ground units.

Industrial Plant

• Cost: 2000
• Armor: Medium

The Industrial Plant is incredibly costly to build, but it pays for itself over time. It cuts the costs of vehicles by twenty-five percent, as well as decreasing vehicle build time by twenty-five percent. It is a very good structure when there is a large demand for vehicles.

Yuri Structures

Construction Yard

• Cost: 0
• Armor: Heavy

The Construction Yard is the heart of any base. It is the key structure that allows the player (or the opponent) to build any building. This is basically the root of the technology tree. It must be well-protected, as it cannot be rebuilt for a while (and that costs quite a lot of time and money).

Bio Reactor

• Cost: 600
• Armor: Light

The Bio Reactor is the standard power plant for the Yuri faction. However, the Bio Reactor does have a special ability. It can be loaded with up to five infantry units that each give an additional 20 in power. If the Bio Reactor is destroyed, the units inside are instantly freed and controllable by their original owners. The units put into the power plant can be removed at any given time as well.

Barracks

• Cost: 500
• Armor: Light

The Barracks is where all infantry units of the Psychic Army are produced. Interestingly enough, it is modeled after Yuri's face. Its armor is relatively light, but it doesn't need much protection, as it likely won't be the first target of an attack.

Slave Miner

• Cost: 1500
• Armor: Heavy

As with the other factions, Yuri requires ore to operate. This refinery is mobile, as opposed to the others, so Yuri doesn't have to waste resources in purchasing extra miners for each refinery. Each Slave Miner comes with five mind-controlled slaves who gather and process ore. Slave Miners are also equipped with a machine gun for protection. If a Slave Miner is destroyed, however, the slaves are freed and they serve whoever freed them. If a slave is killed (but the Slave Miner isn't), then a replacement is automatically generated.

Citadel Walls

• Cost: 100
• Armor: Medium

Citadel Walls restricts enemy movement into the base. Using these large walls protects any base from infantry and vehicles. With medium armor, it does take a while to blast down the wall, making it a formidable defense, but not something to rely on.

Tank Bunker

• Cost: 300
• Armor: Medium

This Tank Bunker is the defensive structure built specifically for repelling enemy vehicles. The Tank Bunker is useless, though, until a tank is placed inside. Then, it becomes incredibly powerful, protecting the tanks and still allowing them to fire upon the opponents. There is even an attack bonus for the tank within the Tank Bunker. Vehicles inside the Tank Bunker are still vulnerable to air fire, however, so anti-air defense is also essential.

Gatling Cannon

• Cost: 1000
• Armor: Heavy

Yuri's all-around defensive structure, the Gatling Cannon is both a powerful anti-air weapon as well as one that can fire upon ground infantry and vehicles. With several of these deadly structures, Yuri's base can be protected well. The longer the Gatling Cannon is firing, the more powerful it is, making it useful during long combat sequences. It is vulnerable to quick attacks as well as hit-and-run tactics, but overall it is a formidable defense.

Psychic Radar

• Cost: 1000
• Armor: Light

The Psychic Radar is the result of Soviet research, that has now been improved through Yuri's tinkering. The Psychic Radar allows the user to see orders given by the enemy within the device's radius. It also serves as a radar tower, and allows Yuri to reveal a large amount of shroud around a selected area. Overall, Yuri's new device is an excellent upgrade of the previous Psychic Radar.

Yuri Submarine Pen

• Cost: 1000
• Armor: Medium

All naval units are produced at Yuri's Submarine Pen. In addition to being the production center for all of Yuri's naval units, the Submarine Pen also has the ability to repair any damaged naval units. This makes it an invaluable structure, as it can keep naval enemy forces at bay for quite a long time. It needs to be protected from aerial attacks, however, as it is quite vulnerable to such attacks.

War Factory

• Cost: 2000
• Armor: Medium

The War Factory is the production center for all of Yuri's vehicles. It is crucial to create just about everything from Lasher Tanks to Magnetrons. It is a vital branch of the technology tree, and as such, must be protected well. Since vehicles are both a formidable offense and defense, the War Factory will be targeted often in assaults.

Grinder

• Cost: 600
• Armor: Light

Just more proof that Yuri is a heartless maniac. With the Grinder, Yuri can send in any unit and in return, Yuri gains more money. The unit is merely ground into organic fuel. This building especially aids an aggressive Yuri player who is constantly finding himself with a mass of mind-controlled units that serve no purpose. In addition, it can be used in companionship with the Cloning Vats, sending any cloned units straight to the Grinder.

Cloning Vats

• Cost: 2500
• Armor: Light

More technology from the Soviets that Yuri has stolen. Every unit produced out of the Barracks comes with a free, identical unit from the Cloning Vats. It is indispensable for infantry-rush based tactics, and will save quite a lot of money in many cases. It is also the only way for Yuri to gain two Yuri Prime units, as opposed to the default one.

Psychic Tower

• Cost: 1500
• Armor: Medium

The Psychic Tower is the perfect defense that would be expected from Yuri. Any Psychic Towers placed around a base will automatically mind-control up to three attacking units. It is also an excellent defense against grabbing enemy Spies, as well as a great way to quickly gain units for use in Bio Reactors, or to just be sent to the Grinder.

Battle Lab

• Cost: 2000
• Armor: Light

As with other factions' Battle Labs, Yuri's Battle Lab allows him to build more advanced vehicles and weapons. However, it differs in its architectural design (as Yuri definitely has a keen eye for architecture).

Genetic Mutator

• Cost: 2500
• Armor: Medium

The lower-grade superweapon is a result of Yuri's research into biological weaponry. The Genetic Mutator warps the genes of any infantry units. As opposed to other superweapons, this one merely restructures their DNA and transforms them all into Brutes, under Yuri's control. If the opponent is stocking up on a lot of infantry units, the Genetic Mutator is one of the best things that can be done. The newly-formed Brutes can cause some damage to the enemy base as well. Any non-human infantry units will die instead of being transformed (e.g. Attack Dogs).

Psychic Dominator

• Cost: 5000
• Armor: Medium

Yuri's "big-daddy" superweapon, the Psychic Dominator. It is the pinnacle of Yuri's research into the mind-control research. After a long countdown (which is visible to all players), the Psychic Dominator sends an ultra-concentrated mass brainwave that engulfs all of the units in the targeted area, and permanently puts them under the control of Yuri. In addition, it causes destruction, as it quickly destroys buildings and some units.