Command & Conquer is one of real-time strategy’s defining series. Westwood Studios’ brutal build-and-destroy wargame has been one of the PC’s most popular series for nearly two decades.

It’s had its ups and downs, but overall, C&C has been a source of military tactical inspiration and multiplayer, multi-unit mayhem for a generation of armchair generals.

Hunting & Gathering: The Early Years

When the original Command & Conquer was released in 1995, Westwood was already a venerable developer aged 10 years old. Founded a decade earlier by Lewis Castle and Brett Sperry in a Las Vegas garage, the studio grew rapidly, releasing a slew of five-star hits in the early 1990s, including Eye of the Beholder, The Legend of Kyrandia, and Lands of Lore. But his most significant contribution to date is 1992’s Dune II: The Building of a Diana.

Its then-unique combination of resource management, multi-unit skirmishing, and mouse-and-keyboard control defined real-time strategy games and defined what had previously been an experimental and intimidating subgenre.

Dune II was an instant classic, but it took the team several years to fully commit to a sequel.

Deploying Units: C&C Invades

When Command & Conquer was finally released, the wait was justified: instead of following a careful reading of the canon of Frank Herbert’s Dune, Westwood was able to tell a contemporary story that pits the developed nation of GDI against the terrorist Brotherhood of Nod in a war over Tiberium, a valuable but toxic mineral.

The action was faster and more tactical than any RTS before it. The technology that made this experience possible was outstanding. The game pitted dozens of units in massive, bloody battles and told a story using cutting-edge full-motion video for the ’90s. It also featured the charismatic Nod leader Kain, arguably the most iconic live-action character in gaming history.

From the beginning of the install to the end of its gripping story, Command & Conquer kept players hooked.

The+Second Wave: Expansions and Sequels

Westwood wanted to take his time developing the technology for the sequel, but he also knew that fans wanted more from C&C.

The campy sequel refined everything about the gameplay of Tiberian Sun while introducing some much-needed intentional humor

Covert Operations was an incredibly difficult map pack for true enthusiasts only. 1996’s Red Alert was so good that the decision was made to make a full-fledged sequel. Red Alert was bombastic and bombastic, boldly asking big questions like “What if Einstein had built a time machine before WWII and used it to kill Hitler?” It featured some of the best tactical design of the time. There was a wide variety of units and levels. The Soviets and Allies had unique units that imposed different tactics on each side, making for an interesting and long-lasting multiplayer experience. Many still consider it the best game in the series. It was so popular that it spawned several expansion packs of its own.

Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor, Westwood’s short and forgettable foray into single-player and multiplayer deathmatch, did little to tarnish the series’s glory. In 1998, EA acquired Westwood, expanding its PC market share by 50%. But 1999 brought the series’ first major setback, with the long-awaited sequel, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. Critics decried the game for being too similar to its predecessor at a time when the RTS genre had formidable competition from the likes of Starcraft.

Still, it wasn’t a bad game, selling a million copies in just a few days, but it wasn’t the world’s greatest title like its predecessor. That said, Westwood’s Pacific Studios delighted everyone with Red Alert 2. This cheesy sequel refined everything about Tiberian Sun’s gameplay, brought some much-needed intentional humor to the cutscenes, and was universally beloved.

Falling & Rising: The Early 2000s

C&C: Unfortunately, 2002’s Renegade killed a lot of that enthusiasm. The idea was a good one. Commandos were one of the most popular units in the series, and a first-person shooter was the perfect way to put players in their C4-equipped combat boots. Again, it wasn’t a bad game. But it wasn’t enough to excite FPS fans. And what about C&C’s old-school RTS fans? Well, they didn’t really want to. The title didn’t sell well and ended up being one of Westwood’s last titles.

As part of a corporate restructuring in the spring of 2003, EA began liquidating Westwood. Employees in the Las Vegas and Pacific offices were merged into EA Los Angeles. During this turbulent period, Westwood/EA released Pacific Command & Conquer Generals.

With better 3D graphics, a more realistic story set in the near future, and the first entry in the franchise with a skill tree, it not only became a fan favorite but also the best-selling C&C of all time. But Westwood’s demise came at a cost: after the Zero Hour expansion pack, C&C wouldn’t be released again until 2007.

The Present and the Future

EALA then returned to the series with Command & Conquer 3. This popular title stuck closely to the series’ formula, right down to the actors who defined its style in single-camera FMV. 2008’s Red Alert 3 added campaign co-op and pushed the limits of camping mode. The game was thought of in a more traditional light, as it pitted a psychokinetic schoolgirl played by George Takei against a skydiving bear played by Tim Curry. The game was also well-received, but these relatively safe games didn’t mark the way forward for the series.

2010’s Command & Conquer 4 attempted to change all that by changing almost everything about how the game worked. Gone were base building and resource management, replaced by small armies battling for points of conquest. While the fast-paced, multiplayer-focused game was certainly different, not everyone liked it. Furthermore, long-time fans felt let down, making C&C4 a boring game for everyone and a disappointing end to the Tiberian saga.

In late 2011, EA announced C&C Generals 2, demonstrating that they had learned from the harsh lessons of their predecessor. The project was being developed by BioWare Victory (actually a spinoff from the existing Command & Conquer team at EALA), and the goal is to bring BioWare’s storytelling to the traditional C&C design format in a PC-only game.

This combination was well-received by fans and arguably represents a good direction for the series. That the 2013 game is inspired by, and celebrated for, its 18-year-old predecessor speaks volumes: even after years of sequels, revamps and imitations, Westwood’s original formula remains timeless.