Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun (Video Game 1999) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
18 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
8/10
A hallmark (for a game, that is)
Gaia=GOD-48 April 2000
Had this actually been a film it would have been one of the most nonsensical and implausible sci-fi movies ever. However, as the 'movie' only serves to keep the game going, I'll judge it against gaming standards and as such this is better than anything done before. Acting is great, the two plots evolve in reasonably understandable way and -best of all- neither movie nor game dominates the other, which unfortunately is pretty rare...
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Great game
TMLS1 January 2000
Well, what can I say? The "real" Command and Conquer 2 follows on from 1.5 (Red Alert) and then some.

As in the first game, you can take control of either the evil NOD or the heroic GDI. Each faction has its own attributes, and both are fairly evenly matched. When you have selected your side, you are treated to a FMV sequence, where star actors such as James Earl Jones or Michael Biehn have put in some of the best performances in a video game. Once the sequence is over, you're into the game, and it plays just the same as other RPGs - point, click and build.

But it's on the multi-player side of things that the game really scores. Westwood, the developers, have obviously put in a lot of time and effort into the making the multi-player game as even as possible, whatever side you choose. And, with a ranking system you know just how good the person you're playing against is.

Get it now!!!
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Best Command and Conquer game, starring Michael Biehn
Kyle Reese21 March 2002
The game is enjoyable, although it gets quite hard. The special effects are good, and the plot is great. The character of McNeil is super, and excellently portrayed by Michael Biehn. James Earl Jones is also good as General Solomon, although some of the supporting acting is bad. But it is a computer game after all, but the bonus of having my favourite actor in the movie scenes is a special treat.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Hella' Fun Game
Steel Wall10 December 1999
If you like RTS (real time strategy) games, you will love TS. It blows all other RTS games away. The FMV's are real smooth and have feature some top notch actors such as James Earl Jones and Micheal Bein (good guy from the first terminator and aliens). There are a ton of units and structures. Also, TS' multiplay is the best I have seen in an RTS game because the servers are always being upgraded so you don't get much lag. Its hella' fun!
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A classic strategy game to remember in history
reephamike-12 May 2006
When I first played Command & Conquer I started off playing Red Alert 1 which was a good game, then I played the original C&C Tiberian Dawn. After three years of playing the game I was drifting away from C&C with boredom when Tiberian Sun was advertised on the TV! I've never seen a game advertised on the TV before. I was very excited, I read all the magazines that showed details about the game and then when it finally arrived I was pulled into the new Tiberian world.

Tiberian Sun, I don't how but it does, gives you sparks of wisdom, feelings of adrenaline and shock in how plummets into a nightmare while the human race fight for either the survival of the human race or the dawn of a new Tiberian world on Earth forever.

Tiberian Sun is a game to remember for it's amazing potential and outstanding acting, particularly from Joseph D Kucan who plays Kane in the videos as well as the talented James Earl Jones and Michael Biehn.

I will never forgive EA games for taking the game franchise and striping away it's glory and shine. But in my mind, the world of Command & Conquer still flows.
4 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
The Best RTS to date.
S-Runner6 September 1999
This game is the best RTS (Real Time Strategy) game to date, with magnificant AIs, awesome graphics and changing day time, full 3D terrain and all but that won't mean scrap to the tight movie goers.

So I will talk about the filmed sequences, I haven't played the game much but it's way improved since Tiberium Dawn and Red Alert, they film mostly in real scenery, like inside and aircraft, a station, out in the desert but there are still parts of animation (Since ORCA Aircrafts don't exist yet) which are very good as well, the scenes are acted splendedly and look seemlessly realistic, I haven't played much but it's still great.
4 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Notable for what it brings to the table, overlooked due to bugs... and Firestorm is a reasonable add-on
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews21 May 2007
The following review will cover both Tiberian Sun and Firestorm. With how negative many people seem towards this game, one must assume that they forgot the many new things that it introduced to Westwood's on-going Command & Conquer series... or maybe they just got tired of waiting. I believe this game was in development for no less than four years... and it admittedly still feels less than fully complete. There are several bugs, and the AI still needs work(and more hand-holding is required than earlier games, due to some of the new features). Firestorm did not fix any of these issues, and it did bring about one or two new ones. But instead, let's look at all the things that this game did do, rather than the fairly few things that it did not. It introduced several new major things, some of which are really good, including hills, cities(instead of the endless "villages" of the last two games), tunnels, more elaborate terrain, turning power on and off, it made bridges repairable, etc. It tried something new with the cut-scenes(characters no longer talk at you, you play a character seen on screen). Firestorm brought back the familiar method of having the characters brief you, talk into the camera as if they were speaking directly to you(this brings about some slightly awkward editing in a few parts of the briefings, but those are relatively easy to ignore). How you feel about these changes and additions is obviously subjective, but the creativity and courage required should be commended. The whole game has a very slick, stylish look to it. Firestorm maintains this look. The graphics are improved, with much more detailed and realistic effects on explosions and such. The story-telling is adequate. Firestorm has about the same quality of that, though the story is somewhat less... well, less(both sides pretty much follow the same story-line, and while the idea expressed in the plot was originally an interesting one within the realm of science fiction, it is now something of a cliché within that genre). The animated portions of the cut-scenes look stunning. The casting is good, with James Earl Jones and Michael Biehn both given lines and roles that fit them(the former being an authoritative type, the latter being the determined soldier). Firestorm, apart from the character of Slavik, has hardly any of the characters from Tiberian Sun return, though the new ones certainly aren't bad(and at least CABAL comes back, and he's awesome(not that Slavik isn't, too)). The acting and writing vary. As with the first Command & Conquer, there are plenty of highly powerful units, but this game also presents you with ways of dealing with them all. Even the super-weapons are both powerful and possible to stop(well, not the Ion Cannon, but it can do enough damage to be useful, and too little to be devastating on its own). Firestorm adds a few units and changes around some of the ones that were already there, to further increase the level of fairness (as well as making things more interesting and intense, with the new Mobile War Factory that both sides get, the Mobile EMP Cannon and the Mobile Stealth Generator), though the addition of an artillery unit for GDI(whilst definitely a cool addition and very, very helpful) seems completely out of character). Firestorm's new units are implemented in the single player portion reasonably well(and they're helpful, in general, to boot). Both sides have some really cool technology to play around with, and they both have a rather... interesting APC, neither of which I will describe here. Firestorm's difficulty picks up where Tiberian Sun left off, making for a good challenge. The sound is somewhat limited, and the music, whilst still sounding good, doesn't really have the whole adrenaline-pumpin' thing that we've seen in the other games. It does create a solid mood, though. Firestorm has quite a few in-level characters get downright chatty, compared to earlier games, maybe to make up for the limited sound of Tiberian Sun. The level design is fairly good, and both sides *definitely* get a satisfying finale. Firestorm scores reasonably high marks on that, as well... while there are only nine new levels per side, they're all good, connected(unlike those of every add-on in this franchise preceding it) and are often quite interesting... such as the level where you, fighting as NOD, battle using the Tiberium creatures to fight for you and the GDI mission where you must stop a civilian riot; both sides again get a great finale each, though the last level of both campaigns is basically the same. Firestorm, in general, offered far more(well, earlier add-ons had more single player levels, but apart from that) than the expansion packs to the Command & Conquer games prior to it; it had an actual story(if perhaps not the best one), there were new cinematics to brief you on the missions, the new units in no way felt recycled, several new buildings and such were added instead of only(which both Firestorm and Tiberian Sun admittedly does) reusing ones we've seen before... as Tiberian Sun is a landmark in RTS games, Firestorm is one for C&C add-ons. The multi-player is also quite good, with a few dozen playable levels(Firestorm added more levels, as well as the World Domination mode), a solid randomizing generator which you can set values for a number of properties, to ensure more, and several features that can be turned on or off before you start playing, including the old favorite of RTS games(which had not been seen in the C&C games before this point), Fog of War, as well as whether or not bridges can be destroyed, whether or not the players will be allowed bases, etc. I recommend Tiberian Sun to any fan of RTS games, in particular those who want more of the (rightfully) popular Command & Conquer universe. I recommend Firestorm for anyone who enjoyed Tiberian Sun and wanted more of that, because for that, it definitely doesn't disappoint. 7/10
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
A brilliant game. The best I've played.
scott-25623 January 2000
I think that this is one of the best games I have played. It is probably even THE best. The pre-mission videos are brilliant. The cast is brilliant (Michael Biehn and James Earl Jones are some of the well known actors in it). Joseph D. Kucan plays Kane (as usual). The gameplay itself is not a major step forward from the previous C&C games but the graphics, units and general feel of the game are much better. Rade at Westwood Studios has really outdone himself this time.

As I said before. This is one of the best games out. I think that if you like RTS games you will DEFINITELY like this one. It's a must for all game players. I am looking forward to the mission pack called Firestorm due to be released soon).
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
decent
maverick-695 November 2000
a decent game, but not as good as red alert was. although the cast was like a big time movie with michael bien, and james earl jones, the game plays more like a movie than like red alert where the characters give you direct orders and talk to you. the units and technology is awesome and the cinematic scenes are great. like i said, a decent game but not as good as red alert.
2 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Great game then and still lots of fun
cormac_zoso9 July 2008
i just got vista and was going thru games to get rid of and thought just for a hoot i'd reinstall this ... probably hadn't played it in three years ... been going on a real gaming jag ever since ... a great game and works on vista ... still highly recommended

i just got vista and was going thru games to get rid of and thought just for a hoot i'd reinstall this ... probably hadn't played it in three years ... been going on a real gaming jag ever since ... a great game and works on vista ... still highly recommended

i just got vista and was going thru games to get rid of and thought just for a hoot i'd reinstall this ... probably hadn't played it in three years ... been going on a real gaming jag ever since ... a great game and works on vista ... still highly recommended
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
C&C fans deserved a bit more
Knersuz24 January 2009
I'm in two minds about Tiberian Sun. On one hand it's disappointing that a game that took about 3 years to develop featured so little innovation. It was very much another Red Alert, just with better graphics. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with a game that's just like Red Alert if you are a Red Alert fanatic! Like with the original Command & Conquer, GDI and NOD are fighting it out over control of the alien substance Tiberium (Why they need to go to war about it is a bit silly because Tiberium is replicating like mad and there is more than enough going around for everybody and their sisters). You can play either the GDI or NOD campaign, each campaign's storyline are told through cinematic cut-scenes which are linked to the missions you have to perform.

The GDI storyline is a bit of a haphazard mess that is difficult to follow and the cut-scenes aren't really convincing. Michael Biehn looks bored most of the time and James Earl Jones's role is reduced to barking orders while looking panicked, although to be fair to the actors, they aren't helped by the weak storyline. Westwood fared much better with the NOD campaign, the relatively unknown actors look like they are having fun and the storyline is much more interesting (I guess being evil is always more interesting).

The single player campaign's biggest shortcoming is again the computer AI, which is even worse than in the older C&C's. The computer seems distinctly disinterested in beating you and rarely attacks or defends his base in numbers. Tiberian Sun is definitely easier than its predecessors.

Since games like C&C don't really depend on good graphics to be enjoyable (unlike say, first-person shooters), Tiberian Sun is still worth trying out even though its about 10 years old by now. If you are a fan of the series or even if you haven't played Red Alert before and you are into RTS games like Starcraft its worth a try.
1 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Deserves its own movie
therealkromaxtra4 May 2023
This has got to be one of the best Tiberian franchise instalment. The game follows on from its 1995 predecessor, exploring two rivalling factions - the noble Global Defence Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod (aka Nod). The latter are considered a terrorist organisation led by the charismatic leader, Kane. Kane seeks a new world order and is a closet (but not-so-closet) believer in aliens. He believes in the mystical benefit of tiberium, a substance overgrowing across the world- both a prized resource and a toxic chemical, akin to say nuclear power. This game delivers some compelling videos that propel this wonderful story.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Absolutely Brilliant!
TinMut4 September 1999
This has the best FMV I've ever seen in a game, if all games pulled it off like this FMV might be more popular. Most games try to use FMV and it just doesn't work properly and doesn't seem right.

Westwood have just made the FMV work, regardless of the big name actors it would still be as good. The FMV was good in Tiberian Dawn, but it has been taken to the next level now that the sun has risen.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Perfect
btorun-368-61249624 May 2012
Tiberian Sun is a perfect RTS. It fulfills everything a good strategy game promises and even further.

We have before the level and after the level nice cut scenes with brilliant actors. Michael Biehn and James Earl Jones are very talented actors and they really fit to the game atmosphere. Although Joe Kucan is not a famous actor, he is the bad ass here. He delivers the best performance and is the leader of a cult in real life.(Kane Cult :D) I also enjoyed other actors and actresses. Although CGI looks cheap, it's not disturbing. By the way this game is from 1999, so don't expect visual superiority.

Gameplay is also very realistic. I played a lot of strategy games but none of them was as dark as Tiberian Sun. Wars have always been dark and depressing and Tiberian Sun gives this feeling best. Soldiers burn, explode, get fired in different circumstances. Aircrafts do not explode on air, they crash.

We have very opposite sides. GDI, with intentions to control Tiberium growth and NOD on the hand tries to unleash Tiberium to all world. GDI relies on brute force and air force. NOD counts on its stealth technology and hit-run tactics.

Although it's a very old game I still play it. I enjoy it more than all other C&C games and Blizzard RTS games. Although the game looks very simple you can develop different tactics to beat your opponent.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
goOD
Vermithrax10120 June 2003
This a cool Strategy game that improves gameplay a lot form the first one. THe graphics are good, and the CImeatics are fun, and range from good acting (Micheal Beihn, James Earl Jhones) to poor (some supporting actors) THe ating is mediocre. But it is enjoyable.
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Superb
gillmurphydogg6 January 2023
I am still pinching myself that this game had the legendary James Earl Jones in it! He does such a great job spearheading the GDI against the brotherhood of Nod and their ruthless charismatic leader Kane (played by underrated and underutilized Joe Kucan).

The story revolves around the aforementioned forces going head to head for law and order as each side perceives it. And all the while in pursuit of Tiberium- a much-sought-after resource. The script, acting and direction are commendable for a video game.

This game and franchise deserves its own film. I'm still unclear why it has not made it to the silver screen!
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Supreme
ventidiusrex6 March 2022
The live action sequences in this game were delightful and always exciting in between stages. Hard to believe they got the likes of JEJ onto this. There was the occasional questionable acting but overall it was a great piece.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Fair game, albeit outdated. Terrible acting.
paul5129 March 2005
The release of this game was delayed by at least two years, I believe due to the purchase of Westwood Games by Elecronic Arts, though I am not sure of that. Teaser trailers for the game Tiberian Sun have been included on Westwood Games for literally YEARS before they finally released it.

As a result, the game was outdated the minute it was released. The graphics are sub-par compared to other games released in the same time frame. Ironically, Tiberian Sun was released AFTER Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2, and RA2's graphics and game mechanics are largely superior.

The voice acting...uh...I've never been really impressed with Kane but his appearances in this are less impressive than his 5 second appearance in the first Red Alert. And wow, Michael Biehn is completely bad. I thought he was solid in Aliens, but...his career hasn't skyrocketed and I can see why (Adventure, Inc? GAG). Even James Earl Jones doesn't really spice it up much. I heard they filmed the video sequences over the course of about two weeks...I guess it shows.

I guess I'm a bit jaded, as well. I'm a big fan of games that have the characters talk to YOU as if you're the actual commander, as they have in the original Command and Conquer and Red Alerts. This is not done for some reason in Tiberian Sun---it's also notable that in the expansion for this game, Firestorm, they return to treating the player as an involved character.

Overall, fair plot, fair game play, average graphics, rotten video.
1 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed