The moment you get the hang of it.
As a long-time player of the Command & Conquer series, Kent immediately noticed the difference in this new title.
Although the core engine is still the same, the entire game system feels very familiar.
For experienced players like him, it's practically free to get started.
But that doesn't mean the game will remain unchanged.
The most obvious feeling...
The three-dimensional effect is much stronger!
Is it because of the shadows?
Kent looked at the map with some surprise.
These units are undoubtedly still drawn using 2D pixel maps.
At its core, this is definitely still a 2D game.
However, it delivers a surprisingly good visual effect. The pixel edges transition naturally, and the texture design is harmonious and unified.
The original Command & Conquer, also known as Dawn of the Kyber Crystal, benefited from the support of numerous Star Wars IPs.
However, its visuals aren't particularly stunning.
The building designs, in particular, appear very plasticky under bright sunlight.
From a distance, it looks like a plastic toy displayed on a sand table.
In this generation, however, this situation has been greatly improved.
Both the texture quality and the overall color tone have shown significant improvements.
The textures aren't exactly "clean." As pixel art, it employs a lot of special drawing techniques, completely abandoning the original method of tracing images.
Instead, it went to the other extreme.
Design it with pixel art as the primary goal.
This design style allowed the entire art team to unleash their creativity and redesign units and buildings from scratch using a style more closely aligned with pixel art.
Of course, the shadow rendering system, which was developed alongside the aircraft's functionality, is also indispensable. Excellent 3D effects are achieved with minimal rendering overhead.
Shadows are key to creating a sense of three-dimensionality and texture.
Strictly speaking, it should be about light and shadow relationships and occlusion relationships.
These were things that were difficult to achieve in the original, older engine.
The absence of true 3D geometry does not mean that designers cannot depict three-dimensional space.
In the world of art, especially in the field of sketching, artists have been studying this art for countless years.
A solid-color circle may not allow people to clearly see its three-dimensional structure.
But as long as you add transitions between light and dark shadows, and add highlights to bright areas...
The human eye will automatically interpret it as a sphere.
Pixel art, on the other hand, adds an extra layer of cognitive filter on top of this foundation.
In other words... Gestalt!
You can find the latest updated chapters of this book by searching "Deqi" on Bing! The reason we get this result isn't because the engine has been upgraded to be particularly advanced.
Compared to the original C&C, the biggest difference in this project is actually the gradual maturation of Blizzard's art team.
After several large-scale projects, the art team has now expanded significantly.
In addition, there's Nasca's experience with the Metal Slug project.
The entire project team's approach to pixel art has changed dramatically.
That's how optimization sometimes works.
A seemingly insignificant change can dramatically alter the overall feel of a game.
All of this requires only a tiny bit of additional performance overhead.
This overhead can even be offset by the new optimizations brought by the updated engine, resulting in a deficit of several frames.
[Yeah?]
With Kent selecting Tanya as the protagonist of this level, all units, under Kent's command, advance towards the oil drums.
"Rat-a-tat-tat--" The machine gun sound sampled by Hans Zimmer Studio came out perfectly in line with intuition.
The next moment, all the oil drums exploded into a sea of fire with a deafening roar.
The power station next to it was also blown up and turned into a crater.
Of course, the most crucial thing is that the Tesla coil, which was originally flashing with electricity, has now stopped firing.
This means that Kent can now freely move his troops directly into the positions.
There were only a group of regular soldiers on the scene. Let alone so many armored units, even Tanya alone could break through them.
After rescuing the old man from the laboratory and escorting him onto a helicopter for evacuation, the mission was considered complete.
It was easier than I imagined.
Especially for veteran players like Kent.
However, judging from the overall configuration of this base, if a complete novice comes to play, they will probably have to endure some hardships.
Skipping the cutscenes will cause you to miss valuable hints and prevent you from knowing that you should prioritize dismantling the power plant.
This might cause them to overlook those few inconspicuous oil drums. Many first-time players, after seeing how powerful the coil is, will choose to launch a full-scale attack to forcibly replace the coil.
This is clearly a tactic that will result in huge losses.
But... it is indeed feasible.
This is where the advantage of invisible weak bootloaders lies.
Compared to directly forcing players to attack certain buildings, campaign missions offer players more freedom and more possibilities.
There are many ways to pass the game, but how to pass it most elegantly is worth discussing.
With this level design, players will not only avoid feeling controlled, but will also learn the game's basic mechanics subtly.
The defensive structures rely on power plants for electricity (at least the coils do), Tanya is a formidable individual fighter, and the destructive power of the exploding oil drums is astonishing...
Many interesting facts were hidden within the battles.
To be honest, while there were campaign levels in the Dawn of the Kyber Crystal era, there were also some.
However, due to capacity limitations and the strategic direction at the time, that game was primarily designed for competitive gameplay.
They didn't put in much Kung-Fu Master in the campaign. [The Russian troop strength increased tenfold.]
We do not have enough troops to stop the enemy on every front.
Inside the meeting room, Schwarzenegger briefed Harrison on the situation on the front lines.
As if sensing that a player had connected, Harrison waved his hand, signaling Arnold to be quiet.
The two then looked towards the camera.
We have to talk about veteran actors.
Although the video resolution isn't particularly high, some facial details will still be lost to some extent.
But he's a veteran actor who's been in Hollywood for many years.
Every move, every frown, every smile—it's all an act.
With just a glance, the relieved expressions on their faces were clearly visible on the screen.
It was as if two people who were so worried they were going bald had suddenly met their savior.
"[Commander] Harrison spoke."
No extra dialogue is needed; excellent camera work and a well-written script are all it takes to achieve this effect.
With just that opening line, Kent exuded an indescribable... sense of honor.
A brilliant strategist entrusted with a heavy responsibility and trusted by the Supreme Commander!
[You performed exceptionally well in the operation to save Einstein ]
I'm counting on you again this time.
Kent turned his head as if to take credit, and gestured with his chin towards the old man who was still watching.
His expression lacked any of the composure expected of someone who had also become a father.
He's as infuriating as can be.
"Snort."
George gave a soft snort, deliberately turning his head away as if he hadn't seen anything, his eyes fixed on the screen.
Video games truly possess an inexplicable magical power. He hadn't seen his son with this expression in a long time.
It's as if no matter what he experiences in his daily life, or how much pressure he faces as the head of the family, as soon as he sits in front of the game console, he transforms back into the carefree child he was in his youth.
Sigh!
Kent is like that, isn't I the same?
Thinking back to when I was happy playing Battlefield 1991, wasn't it just like that?
How come I didn't discover how amazing video games are so much sooner?
Oh right, because GAMENOVA hadn't debuted yet back then.
Thinking of this, George suddenly grinned involuntarily and chuckled.
"Alright, I've already learned it. Go clean up and prepare some midnight snacks. My grandson and his mother will be starving when they get back in the early hours."
He was pushed aside by Kent, his old bones bursting with the strength he had only possessed in his youth.
He then grabbed the mouse and took control of the entire game.
... This second stage naturally introduces the construction system.
Establish bases, build power plants, construct military camps, mines, sandbags...
Any veteran player of the Command & Conquer series will find this building system familiar.
But for George, everything was so new.
This is completely different from Battlefield 1991; it's a completely different gaming experience.
In campaign mode, it's like a well-made sci-fi war movie.
Players can truly follow the advance of the battle lines, participating in countless major battles step by step, and even influencing the course of the war.
It has depth and twists, with ups and downs, and everything that should be there is there.
Unfortunately, due to capacity limitations, it can never achieve the scale of a true feature film.
However, the parts that require player intervention rely on Gestalt effects to help players complete the storyline.
Not to mention, this time there are also different routes available in both red and blue versions.
From another perspective, it's just another series of equally stunning quality. And in the battle mode, you can engage in passionate PvP battles with players from all over the country, enjoying a strategic game akin to playing chess.
It requires both strategic thinking and quick reflexes.
Compared to Battlefield 1991, it's hard for George to say which is more difficult.
But there is one thing that is definitely common to both games.
Fun.
This is fucking hilarious!
People need to learn to make peace with themselves.
George now feels like slapping himself a few times.
Why put on that pretentious, aloof face for them?
If I had admitted from the beginning that I liked these things, Emma and the others would definitely have been more enthusiastic about taking me along.
Instead of having to sit there pretending to read a book while the whole family is happily enjoying party games.
Sigh, I'm getting on in years, it's time to let go of this meaningless "face." "Come here, kid, I need you to teach this bastard a lesson, his technique is too good."
George called out towards the kitchen.
The match was still too difficult for him.
But it's okay, my grown son is back.