Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a single-player and multiplayer real-time strategy game.

The story presents an alternate history in which Albert Einstein travels back in time and eliminates Adolf Hitler before World War II. His intervention prevents Nazi Germany’s rise but allows Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union to expand unchecked across Europe. The player joins either the Allied or Soviet forces as they attempt to control the continent through military campaigns, covert operations, and large-scale battles.

Gameplay follows the formula established by Command & Conquer. Each mission begins with limited units or a small base, and the player must gather ore using harvesters, construct new buildings, and produce combat units to achieve victory conditions. Bases include structures for power generation, unit production, defenses, and research. Resource management is critical, as ore refineries and harvesters provide the credits needed to sustain an army.

Both factions share some common mechanics but feature unique units and abilities. Allied forces rely on speed, naval dominance, and advanced technology, fielding units such as light tanks, artillery, gunboats, and spy units that infiltrate enemy structures. Soviet forces emphasize brute strength and numbers, deploying heavy tanks, attack dogs, submarines, and powerful air strikes. Superweapons add further variety: the Soviets can unleash a devastating nuclear missile, while the Allies employ a Chronosphere to teleport units across the map.

Combat is viewed from a semi-top-down isometric perspective, with sprite-based graphics and terrain that influences strategy. Missions include a mix of outdoor battlefield scenarios and special indoor operations where players control small squads of infantry without base building. Objectives range from eliminating enemy bases and escorting convoys to sabotaging key facilities. Success unlocks subsequent missions and progresses the branching campaign story, complete with live-action cutscenes between missions.

The game also supports skirmish and multiplayer play. Up to eight players can compete over local networks or the internet, choosing from maps that emphasize different strategic opportunities such as naval dominance, choke points, or resource distribution. Options include adjustable starting resources, unit limits, and AI opponents.

Various versions and expansions introduced differences. The original release on PC included two full campaigns, while later add-ons, such as Counterstrike and The Aftermath, added extra missions, units, and multiplayer maps. Console and handheld versions, including PlayStation and PSP, adapted the interface for gamepads and sometimes modified mission structure or added exclusive scenarios.