Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour (PC, EA, MA15+)

Reviewed by PETER ELEY

Herald rating: * * * * *

Zero Hour is an expansion pack for Generals, the latest version of the Command & Conquer real-time strategy series.

Generals managed to make the news this year because of

its controversial content, which mimicks the US invasion of

Iraq, and has terrorists using weapons of mass destruction.

Look beyond that, and it is a high-quality game, taking the tried and tested principles of C&C games and adding excellent 3D graphics.

The game had some flaws -- it was too easy on anything but hard settings, had a limited range of weaponry and lacked the easy-to-use random map generator of other C&C titles.

Zero Hour addresses the first two issues, and adds new content to the extent that it turns a good game into an excellent one.

There are new missions, and while good, they are more of the same. The real difference is in the way you can play single-player games, such as the new Generals Challenge.

There are nine generals, three from each faction, the US, Global Liberation Army and China.

All have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, US General Alexander can build particle cannons quickly and cheaply, but can't produce tanks, while Chinese general Ta Hun Kwai sends out legions of tanks, but can't use China's nuclear weapon.

It's an intriguing new mode, and many players probably won't play anything else but this or the similar skirmish mode, which lets you take on multiple computer or multiplayer opponents.

There's still no random generator map, which added longevity to C&C's Red Alert series. Generals does have a map builder, but it's quite hard to use and doesn't have any official support from EA.

The number of new skirmish maps is quite limited, and some seem similar to those in the parent game.

A number of websites offered skirmish or multiplayer maps for Generals, so it will be worth checking those out for Zero Hour maps.

* Email Peter Eley