Command & Conquer: Red Alert Series

Command & Conquer: Red Alert Series

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a series of real time strategy video games set within the Command & Conquer universe. The series is well known for having some of the most quirky and outlandish units in the genre.

The Red Alert series takes place in an alternate timeline, created when Albert Einstein travels back to the past and eliminates Adolf Hitler in an attempt to prevent World War II from taking place. This plan indirectly backfires and results in an unchecked Soviet invasion of Europe by Joseph Stalin in the 1950s. The Stalin-led invasion of Europe serves as the backdrop for the first Command & Conquer: Red Alert game. Two expansion packs for Red Alert were released: Counterstrike and The Aftermath. New units, missions, multiplayer maps and music tracks were included in these expansions.

The story of the original Command & Conquer: Red Alert game portrays the early in-universe history of the main C&C storyline, and leads directly to the Tiberium story arc of the Command & Conquer franchise. However, with the addition of the title Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 at the hands of a new team of developers in September 2000, this connection was rendered unclear, with fans of the series becoming split as to whether or not the time travel excursions of the Red Alert series were forming a separate continuity altogether, or just another side adventure on the way to the Tiberian era. At the time of the release of the 10th anniversary compilation pack, known as Command & Conquer: The First Decade, this new and second C&C development team claimed in interviews on the pack's bonus DVD that the games existed as three separate universes -- Tiberium, Red Alert and Generals. However, with the release of the title of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars in 2007, at the hands of a third new development team from Electronic Arts Los Angeles, EA published a featured document pertaining to C&C 3's storyline in which a direct reference to Kane's appearance in the 1950s of Command & Conquer: Red Alert is made. On July 25 of the same year, a Command & Conquer: Renegade-themed modification for the game Crysis was officially announced by Electronic Arts, which is stated to directly link the first Red Alert game to Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a stand-alone sequel to the original Red Alert game, which unlike its predecessor makes no references to the Tiberium story arc, and which came with its own expansion pack; Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge. In the storyline of Red Alert 2, the Soviet Union invades the United States, using mind control technology to capture US forces and deactivate America's nuclear arsenal. In Yuri's Revenge, Soviet Premier Romanov's advisor Yuri attempts to overtake the world by using his "psychic dominator" technology. A second and last attempt to stop Yuri's plans sends the player back in time to the conflict occurring in Red Alert 2, but instead of fighting the Soviets/Allies, the player fights against Yuri.

C&C creator Westwood Studios also released a music disc with the music from the Red Alert series. This disc came bundled with some of the later release versions of the games.