| | |  | All Games | Home » » » Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath | | | | | | | Description: | | In the name of Kane! The Command & Conquer™ series continues to thrive with Command & Conquer™ 3: Kane’s Wrath. As the expansion pack to the critically-acclaimed and fan favorite, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars™, this Real-time Strategy (RTS) game returns to the Tiberium Universe with Kane at the center of an epic new single player campaign spanning 20 years – from the rebirth of the Brotherhood of Nod after the Second Tiberium War through the dramatic events of the Third Tiberium War and beyond. This story will be told through a new set of high-definition, live action video sequences starring a celebrity cast including Joe Kucan, playing the megalomaniac leader of the Brotherhood of Nod, alongside new talent Natasha Henstridge and Carl Lumbly. With your help, Commander, the Dark Messiah may rise again! | | | Features: | |
• Kane returns as the centerpiece of an epic new single-player campaign.
• Experience a new story that spans 20 years -- from the rebirth of the Brotherhood of Nod after the Second Tiberium War through the dramatic events of the Third Tiberium War and beyond.
• With the introduction of new units, structures, and abilities to each of the three factions, the Tiberium Wars will never be the same.
• Fight the Third Tiberium War your way. Position your forces on a strategic level and then wage conflict in fast, fluid, furious, tactical gameplay. Map out your strategies on the planetary level and wage all-out war on the ground.
• Play to your strengths with six unique sub-factions, each equipped with their own exclusive units, powers, and upgrades. Devastate the battlefield with the immense firepower of all-new customizable Epic-units.
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.25 inches | | Product Height:
| 1.25 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.11 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.48 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.35 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.63 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.31 pounds | | Release Date:
| March 24, 2008 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 38 reviews |
| | | Game Information: | | | Platform:
| Windows 98 / Windows 2000 / Windows XP | | Media:
| CD-ROM | | Item Quantity:
| 1 |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 38 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
62 of 65 found the following review helpful:
 NEW BATTLE PLANS - THINK FAST COMMANDER!Mar 24, 2008
By NeuroSplicer
I generally do not like expansions. They used to be additions only very successful games got to have. Nowadays they are mostly the...other half of the game the publisher withheld when selling us half the original for $50! C&C:KANE's WRATH is a rare exception that brings new dimensions to an already great game!
Story-wise, although an expansion, this is somewhat of a prequel to C&C3-TIBERIUM WARS, as it is set on the history of NOD, starting off just after the 2nd Tiberium War and continuing well past the 3rd.
There is a big campaign comprising of 13 single player missions, new units and upgrades and a new (a la RISE OF NATIONS) Global Conquest mode, that can turn C&C3 into a Turn-Based game! What make this REALLY interesting are the six subfactions, each with its special units, strengths and weaknesses. Not to worry, all GDI, NOD and Scrin get their own off-shooting factions.
On the opposite ends of the spectrum, there is Reaper-17 (a Scrin sub-faction): with hard-hitting and powerful offensive options; and then there is Traveler-59 (also a Scrin offshoot): a much more devious faction that relies on mind control of humans (remember how much fun Yuri's Revenge? was). In between, GDI's (retro) Steel Talons and (futuristic) ZoCom and NOD's (mind-benders) Black Hand and (cyborgs galore) Mark of Kane.
Production of the new epic-units can tip the battlefield scales dramatically. Most are not only devastating but are pretty hard to take down too. GDI gets the MARV [Mammoth Armed Reclamation Vehicle], a souped-up triple-barreled tank; NOD gets the Redeemer, an augmented killer avatar; whereas, Scrin get the Eradicator Hexapod, a impressive six-legged mech.
Revamped units, such as the Shard Walker or the Reaper Tripod, or back-to-the-drawing-board units, such as the Prodigy or the Ravager all add to a renewed experience. Moreover, as a long-time C&C fan, I particularly enjoyed the reappearance of good-ol' units such as Titans and Wolverines on the side of GDI!
The graphics are beautiful, the physics detailed and the explosions and beam-weapons spectacular! Don't forget to turn on the volume on those speakers, because this is a total immersion experience.
As with the original: it misses the 5th star for fun because one cannot hold a battle formation while moving. As most units move at different paces (and although the AI has improved they keep bumping on each other), this results in the more agile, yet vulnerable, units having to face the enemy first - a short-lived sight... May be the next C&C (say, RED ALERT 3) could have some TOTAL WAR infused into it, with battle formations options.
If you are boycotting SecuROM you should know that it is the copy-protection used (nevertheless, it is the usual version used in the original C&C3-TW as well, coming nowhere near the BIOSHOCK RootKit madness!). I usually withhold at least one rating star because of such security inconveniences. However, I enjoyed the game so much that I was willing to overlook it. On the other hand, since it is important for a great number of Amazon customers, I have to mention it for the sake of a well informed decision.
Finally, be advised that this is an expansion and, yes, you do need the original C&C3: TIBERIUM WARS to play it. If you do not have it, take note that there is a pack available, including both original game and expansion (the prices fluctuate so make sure to get the best deal).
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
17 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Needs some patches most likelyApr 01, 2008
By Don't tread on me
"Defending the Conservative Right"
I give this expansion pack 5 stars for story line, new technology units and overall fun. I give it 1 to 2 stars for technical quality. I have a Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 video card in the system I play Kane's Wrath on. I can play the game from 5 to 20 minutes at a stretch. It then crashes with a debug that ALWAYS references to the video or some type of graphic rendering. I downloaded a new driver from Nvidia that did help space out the crashes. My DirectX version and settings match up to what EA is suggesting to resolve the issue. As I said, all of this helps, but I am still getting A LOT of video related game crashes.
Your video card may not have a single problem with this game. I only wanted to post this review to offer my own experience. I am definitely NOT sorry that I bought this game despite the crashes. I hope to purchase a new computer (my system is a bit aged) someday which will run this game with no crashes. Until then, I will play it for what I can, hope for some patches from EA and just hold on to it in my library until that new computer graces my home desk.....
8 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Kane is back and he is ticked off.Apr 08, 2008
By Gareth Mc Bride
I am a big fan of the Command and Conquer series and was thrilled when the series returned to form with the release of Command and Conquer 3. The previous release in the series, Generals, did not work for me, as I missed the GDI and Nod conflict as well as the full motion video that had been staples of the franchise from the start.
Thankfully the series not only returned to form, but took the series in a bold new direction by combining all of the classic elements of the series with the latest in 3D graphics and an dynamic story told from the point of three factions including the brand new alien Scrin faction.
With the success of Command and Conquer 3 and the pending release of Red Alert 3, E.A. decided to release a new expansion to the game, Kane's Wrath which provides a brand new story arch for the Nod side as well as a host of improvements for multiplay.
The story spans more than twenty years and places players in the role of Legion, a minion of the enigmatic cult leader Kane who is placed in command of the armies. The missions are introduced by the use of full motion video sequences as well as in game messages that appear in the command bar.
With the story spanning the end of the second Tiberium War as well as the third war and beyond, the game cleverly gives players new missions, as well as expands on the back-story of some of the missions from the last game.
As is typical for the series, players must collect Tiberium and harvest it into currency in order to buy more structures and units to build and defend a base as well as an army to carry out the assigned missions. With a multitude of units available, players will have many options to choose from ranging from vehicles, planes, ground troops, specialty units, and the really big weapons which show up later in the game.
The campaigns are enjoyable and do offer some challenges even when played on some of the lower difficulty settings.
The inclusion of new units is always a selling point of any expansion pack in the series and Kane's Wrath is no exception. As well as new ground units, there is a new transport vehicle and a super unit called the Redeemer which has to be seen to be believed. This is not overkill, as the forces pitted against you have their own new super units and it will take skill to complete the missions as raw firepower alone will not do it.
One issue I had with the game that was a source of frustration was the fact that several times, despite clearing every enemy on the map, I was tasked with protecting/escorting a unit after reaching a specific point in the mission. Usually this is not a problem, but time and again, enemy units would appear out of nowhere before I could scramble or manufacture units to counter attack or defend.
I had to resolve this issue by returning to an earlier saved game and staging the area with appropriate defenses in anticipation of what was to come. While it does hamper with the flow of the game I was able to complete the missions but it was a pain having to prepare for what you know is coming instead of being able to react accordingly as threats arose.
The missions as stated are enjoyable and the final mission was a real challenge though it did not start out that way. It took some careful strategy and a few attempts before I was able to complete the task, but after doing so, I was happy to have my strategy pay off.
I would have liked to have seen more missions with the Scrin as they show up briefly in the game but I am sure fans of not seen the last of them.
The acting in the game is solid and it was nice to see Natasha Henstridge of the "Species" films as well as Carl Lumbly of Alias join the series as they really added well to the story as does the always good Joe Kucan who plays Kane.
Graphically the game shines as the 3D graphics and the ability to zoom in on a unit is almost as much fun as watching the tracks and damage units create on the landscapes as they travel.
The only real issue I had with the game other than the escort problem I mentioned above was path finding as units still got jammed up. More than a few times I had to remove one of my own buildings so harvesters would not spin in place and would take their precious cargo to my refinery so I could have the ever important funds to press on the fight.
Multiplay also shines in the game as players match up via the online service in the game and as a bonus, can now play some of the rogue factions in the game. Aside from playing Scrin, Nod, or G.D.I. options such as Steel Talons and various rogue factions are playable online.
In all, despite some glitches the game shines and continues the great legacy of Command and Conquer in style.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Full of surprises, a must haveApr 12, 2008
By A. Salazar
"AJS"
This expansion of Command and Conquer 3 it a whole new game on it self. The new global domination game style reminds me of a variation of RISK; where all three factions (GDI, NOD, and Scrin) battle it out for world domination. The single player missions are also quite enjoyable, taking you back to the end of the 2nd Tiberium war and having change to play with some great units of the past. All in all a must have for the collection, and definitely not just an expansion.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Easily the best C&C title in series history !Apr 21, 2011
By G. Serpen
Even though I had owned C&C3 Tiberium Wars for quite some time, I had ignored this expansion as I really didn't want to spend any money just to get a few additional units and I never really liked epic (or hero) units in RTS games. It was not until I watched VODs and commentaries of some of Kane's Wrath top level games that I realized this was a totally different game than vanilla C&C3.
You should be aware of 4 major changes to Kane's Wrath economy :
1) Refinery cost has been increased from 2000 to 3000 credits.
2) Harvester health for Scrin and GDI factions have been reduced 50% (NOD harvesters were weak to begin with).
3) Capturing tiberium spikes now earns you 10 credits per second rather than 25.
4) Base expansion by crawling your base to the next closest tiberium field is no longer possible.
All changes made to existing units and the addition of new units to the game are really secondary to the changes in the economy as the flow of the game has changed dramatically. C&C3 TW was about eco-boom. Refineries were cheap, it was easy to expand. If you memorized an effective build order for each map you could outspam your opponent and create massive armies. Army composition mattered if 2 opponents of equal skill faced each other off but with so much money flow it was possible to create an army with anti-tank, anti-infantry and anti-air without scouting what your opponent had and you could win if numbers favored you. In other words, TW was a homage to classic C&C.
Kane's Wrath is less forgiving. The game flow is similar to Starcraft in the sense that the early to mid-game is usually focused on harvester harassment. Protecting your harvesters is critical as you are usually on a tighter budget and you won't be able to spam refineries and harvesters. It is tougher to recover from an economic setback. You have to put more thought towards the timing of your expansion and timing of your teching as both put you in a vulnerable position. Because your economy won't support as many production queues as TW did, scouting is crucial in order to gain enough time to set your counters up.
TW may be considered an action-RTS, KW on other hand is more competetive and suited to e-sports. Don't let that scare you, TW still requires more actions per minute because you are handling larger armies and you are building structures and training units constantly from a greater number of production queues. KW requires you to put more thought into what you are building and prioritize certain production queues or upgrades because the number of harvesters you have usually won't support them all simultaneously. KW tempo is slower than TW although the first 7-8 minutes are still faster than Starcraft 2 (because you start the game with money as opposed to harvesters) so it is no slouch.
Faction diversity in KW has increased. Each faction now has a hard hitting steamrolling sub-faction and a tactical finesse sub-faction. The downside is that the original factions have most of their weaknesses covered and they've become jack-of-all trades factions. For example GDI did not have good anti-air in TW, now they've got tungsten shell upgrades, slingshots and hammerhead helicopters garrisoned with rocket troops that never need to return to an airfield to reload. NOD has great artillery (spectres) now. The Scrin (and T-59 sub-faction) are still hardest to play because their weak Tier 1 (no tanks, no ranged infantry) has not been strengthened. The addition of the mechapede unit to all Scrin factions is useful but their Tier 3 was already very strong. Unfortunately with 9 factions and only 2 patches the game is far from balanced. Vanilla GDI and Black Hand are the stongest factions in the game. However if you approach the game with the intent of having fun rather than competition it really doesn't matter, there are no huge imbalances.
So you may be asking yourself why should you play this game when it's online community has dwindled to the point where you can only find games at weekends during peak hours whereas with Starcraft 2 you can find a game anytime ? Well, as most of you know, SC2 does not support LAN gaming so if you don't have the bandwidth for a 3v3 game with your friends, Kane's Wrath might be a better choice. KW is also a better choice for casual RTS gamers. The game has good depth but simpler macro mechanics than SC2 and the learning curve is not as steep. The micro mechanics are of similar difficulty to SC2 but a little more interesting (units can shoot while moving, garrisonable structures, tanks may reverse move) so it feels less static. KW maps are less campy as the maps are usually open (no elevated bases with single ramp) so turtling is harder but it is still a viable strategy, especially with NOD defenses. KW encourages heavy turtling only AFTER you set up your expansions because a single tiberium field won't support you for long. If you are used to walling off as Terran in Starcraft you may find KW difficult at first, but many urban maps (not used in official ranked ladder games) have clear choke points which may make the transition easier.
I would not suggest you buy this game if you only play campaign mode. Campaigns are scripted therefore you won't notice the major differences between TW and KW with linear, objective-based gameplay. If you play against skirmish AI, TW is more challenging because the faster pace and larger armies favor the computer. TW "rusher" or "guerilla" AI will easily launch attacks on you on 3 fronts so TW skirmish may feel more overwhelming. The slower pace in KW makes it easier to take advantage of the AI's weaknesses (harvester defense, unescorted engineers, expanding using vulnerable expansion vehicles only, love of superweapons) even though both games' AI share the same weaknesses within their core tactical logic. On the positive side, both games have multiple alternative build orders per AI personality so even though "turtle", "steamroller" and "balanced" personalities are easier to skirmish against, you may want to set the AI personality to "random" so you may practice scouting and map awareness.
After the C&C4 debacle it is possible that EA pulls the plug on the series. As such, this game deserves a spot in your library as the best C&C game in the long history of the series. Many may consider Red Alert 2 as the best, but that is because they grew up with that game. KW will age better over time. I still feel SC2 is the best RTS out there because it is the only game where all factions have completely different economies but KW is a very close contender to the crown!
See all 38 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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