Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars review

It’s been a dozen years since the Global Defense Initiative and The Brotherhood of NOD started battling for control of the world, and the forces of evil still won’t go down. Armed with a shiny head and an all black wardrobe - that screams "I'm the bad guy" - the malevolent psychopath Kane is on the rise again. But the Scrin, a new alien faction, threatens both sides with metal bugs of death.

That’s Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars' story in a nutshell. For all the hype about the geektastic cast for the campaign movies (Michael Ironside, Tricia Helfer, Billy Dee Williams, etc.) the epic tale still boils down to mission after mission where you run around doing what you are told. It's never clear if the hammy acting is because the esteemed players are taking the material too seriously or not seriously enough. No matter; if you love cheesy full motion videos, this story is for you.

Above: He won't be selling the smooth taste of Colt 45, but Billy Dee strikes back as GDI Director, Redmond Boyle

It's a good thing that the underlying game is much better than the hokey script these guys are reading from. The franchise has always carved its own path through the real time strategy world, and there is never any doubt that this is a C&C game.