ero Hour, the first expansion in the Command & Conquer Generals series, offers up a slew of new ways for the armchair general to get his military fix. Not only are there 15 new missions across the three single-player campaigns, there is a new Generals Challenge mode that gives the player the chance to play with nine stylized generals.

Not only are there new challenges, there is a wide array of new units, upgrades, structures, and general powers across the three factions. From the China’s ECM Tank to the GLA’s Combat Cycle, the new units add some nice variety to the already potent arsenals found in the original. On the upgrade front, my personal favorites are getting the "Worker Shoes" upgrades for the GLA to increase production and the U.S. Bunker Buster upgrade. Not only are they fun in game, but they run the fine line of good taste. EA certainly isn’t afraid to embrace the recent war and exploit elements you see broadcast on CNN. While I have no personal stance on the "war," it’s nice to see titles try to be relevant to today’s issues.

Of course, the best part of any Command & Conquer game is taking it online and seeing how you match up with players from around the world. This is where Zero Hour really shines. You can use the standard game and features for your online sorties with all the new units, structures, etc. Or, you can use the nine new Generals from the Challenge mode I spoke of earlier. The great thing about this feature is that each general not only has his own set of advantages and disadvantages, but that there are structures, units, upgrades, and General powers that are unique to them. This really changes the strategies you want to use for each given conflict. Plus, it just gives the online experience more variety (which is always a welcome addition).

Zero Hour is a great expansion to an already solid game.  

ADAM BIESSENER   8.25 Zero Hour is about what you’d expect: more stuff (e.g. units, upgrades, etc.). A whole bunch of new single-player missions and campaigns (including a Generals Challenge mode where you can win medals based on performance) are in Zero Hour as well, and will definitely be nice for those who don’t spend the majority of their time online. The campaigns are interesting, with well-designed scenarios to play through and a overarcing storyline to link them together, but I’ve got one big beef. When you restart a scenario, you are forced to watch the entire three to five-minute intro sequence again, which can’t be fast-forwarded at all. Beyond these improvements, however, the gameplay hasn’t changed at all. For people who like C&C Generals, you can’t go wrong here. If Generals doesn’t do it for you, Zero Hour won’t do anything to bring you into the fold.