Command & Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight first impressions

Hardware? More like hard limit

As serious gamers here at Atomic, we're typically running some decent hardware. Filling out my personal machine is an overclocked Core i7 920, 6GB of speedy RAM, an overclocked Gigabyte 5870 and a 24" LCD. Naturally, you'd assume that a rig like this could return some pretty nice performance. Well yes, to a point.

It seems that even with all the settings put to the highest we were getting a constant 30fps ingame, very smooth performance in any case. Unfortunately we hadn't actually checked the Vsync box - the game artificially limited itself to a maximum of 30fps regardless of what we had set. With all that horsepower not being seen, it felt a little restrictive, so we bumped up antialiasing a few notches to try and compensate.

C&C4 system settings.

From the main menu you can also access replays of cinematic videos, much the same way as in the preceding games, but you can also examine your Arsenal. This highlights one of the biggest changes to hit Command & Conquer - your progress with either NOD or GDI is tracked constantly both ingame and online by EA's servers. This also means that you can't access the entire tech tree when you start out, with units locked until you gain enough XP to hit the correct level.

Frustratingly, this segmentation and restriction continues even further - you've got the two sides that each need their own levels of XP, but you also have three classes within those sides to contend with. Here's the arsenal for each side, and each class:

GDI Classes

GDI Offense	The GDI offensive class focuses on predominantly ground units, bringing firepower and other battle skills to the forefront of strategy. The crawler literally has legs, and is decently fast on the battlefield. Upgrades focus on power offensive capabilites. Level 20 unit grants the Mastodon; a high-powered artillery walker.
GDI Defence	The GDI Defensive class is more of a turtler's class, focusing on smaller units that are strong against specific units and that can garrison structures. The crawler rolls on wheels, and can construct defensive turrets that cost power to run. Unit upgrades cover helpful boosts to speed and shielding. Level 20 brings the Juggernaut, the long-range artillery unit first seen in Tiberian Sun.
GDI Support	The GDI support class has a large focus on aiding other commanders. Its crawler is actually a flyer, and most units will be air-based with a few small exceptions. Support powers regenerate over time, and can be anything from repair to a tactical Firehawk Airstrike. Level 20 brings the Kodiak, an artillery-wielding airship.

NOD Classes

NOD Offense	The NOD offensive class centers around powerful ground units, with a focus on multiple smaller units. The crawler has legs, and an upgrade can grant a permanent cloak ability. Upgrades focus on unit movement, as well as offensive tech such as superweapons. Level 20 brings the Specter, NOD's powerful stealth artillery unit.
NOD Defence	NOD's defensive class is similar to GDI's, focusing on humanoid units that can garrison structures. The crawler is wheeled, and can build defensive turrets. Upgrades cover defensive upgrades like shields. Level 20 brings the Underminer, a unique artillery unit that fires its shells downwards, burrowing through the ground to strike targets from below.
NOD Support	Finally, NOD's supportive class functions like GDI's. The crawler is a flyer, with support powers like auto-repairing towers and demoralisation. Units are mostly airborne, and the level 20 unlock is the Leviathan, a fireball-hurling fortress that also contains a complement of drones.

So with all the classes out of the way (and for those who are still with us), we'll jump into an example skirmish match to show how the mechanics work.