The classic real-time strategy franchise Command & Conquer has been largely neglected by its caretaker EA in recent years, but modders have used open source tools like OpenRA carrying the torch for nearly a decade, regularly patching and improving the original Command and conquer and its sequel Red alert with new quality of life features. In some cases, dedicated fans have even managed to use the engine behind the games to create something unique. Such a mod, Combined armsa project that has been in development for almost four years has recently received a new update from the developer I lay downand has enough content to be considered an original entry in the C&C series.
The full list of changes and additions is too extensive to summarize here Combined arms contains all five factions from the entire Command & Conquer series, each with their own sub-factions that have unique powers, units, upgrades and other bonuses. For example, playing as a U.S. sub-faction for the Allies gives you enhanced airborne capabilities, while playing for the Soviets as the Psi Corps gives you access to mind control units.
The mod uses some content from the original Command and conquer And Red alertbut also folds assets Red alert level 2 And Tiberium Warswhile combining them with a wealth of new sprites, all rendered in the original, chunky C&C style.
Combined armsThe 34-mission campaign summarizes plot points that bridge the timelines of various C&C titles. In a similar sense, Combined arms Also includes nine new tracks that combine series composer Frank Klepacki's original songs.
Unfortunately, Combined arms Some of the polish that was included is missing Command & Conquer Remastered Collection back in 2020, but it showcases many of the quality of life improvements that the OpenRA engine added to the base game, including new accessibility options, ultrawide monitor support, build queues, and more.
At the time of writing this article Combined arms is the fourth most popular mod on Moddb, and after trying it out myself, I would encourage any Command & Conquer fan or RTS fan to give it a try. The mod is available as a standalone download. Simply download and install the moddb package.
