The Red Alert 3 single player campaigns are pretty much all you have come to expect from the series: long campy cutscenes with actors that are trying not to wink at the camera, missions which usually present a challenge just because some tactical choices are not accessible and a bit of light storytelling. And there's the possibility of doing co-op campaigns.

The multiplayer is something the Command & Conquer series has always done well. It has been consistently fast and furious, with superweapons going off left and right and mighty armies clashing. I picked the Japanese and had a series of matches against my colleague Andrei Dobra. Here are the results.

The Japanese have no airfield and no dedicated air capabilities. Two of their mechas (and I guarantee you will not remember their games in casual conversations) have the ability to turn into air units, one anti-air and one anti-ground. Compared to the Allies aerial firepower, it's pretty limited, so I choose to go ground heavy, with a few King Oni's leading the way and the other mechas close behind. Transforming them in the head of battle is pretty much useless, so be sure to have a good mix of mechas and flying units. There's only one “tank” that the Empire of the Fading Sun produces and it's pretty good, so I add a few to the mix. Their woman special agent, Yuriko Omega, is powerful, albeit very fragile.

The big problem is that the Japanese superweapons are not too useful, with the nanobot barrier of limited use, and the special powers which are unlocked are not extraordinary either. For example, the Final Squadron X power might seem like a good way to attack the enemy base. It ain't because the planes are very fragile and rarely make it to target. The Psionic Decimator is the only good uberweapon of the Empire and that has a long recharge time.