I don't know about you, but <em>Command and Conquer: Generals</em> and the early 2000s was one of my most fond memories of real time strategy, and PC gaming growing up. I couldn't tell you how many hours that I put into the game, but what I can tell you is that the voice acting and sound effects of this title never really left my mind. 


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/holoz0r/Eo8UjfzzNnRv1XhXniKu9qxqKE7cqe2mDYCa4NLbcGWbk9sgGTrCzV9khGsEpDGTw4n.png)


Set in the (then) future of 2013, it depicts the United States and China joining forces to fight the Global Liberation Army, who are depicted as a terrorist organisation utilising all sorts of unconventional arms such as chemical and biological weapons, as well as the ... sound I still hear in my head "AK-47s for everybody!"

Every faction plays differently. Using the resources of Power and Cash (Power is generated from reactors) - and cash is obtained through supply caches, or in the case of China, being able to hack the Internet's most naive users (is this strangely prophetic, with the dimminimus exemptions the world benefits (or benefited from until just shortly)? ) and GLA being able to salvage enemy units they destroy in battle. 


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/holoz0r/EoEofTbm2dFuAmYnThbGnWeWugNKxvuh2Xuwynvp9SuoNsxtBW4nSv9WLhpASJrcMxu.png)


You also get different play styles. The US has few, but strong units. The Chinese faction has swarms of units, and the GLA has a variety of specialised units to counter specific threats. It is fun, well balanced, and enhanced by special "General" bonuses, akin to "god powers" in <em>Age of Mythology</em> where you can call in special strikes, repairs, units, or other devasting effects. 


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/holoz0r/EorztQTqhFuHbXewMcGdLu73fUkx9scwzkhihVJAhtmUaDzYbeshQUiyrMM6DutwAwL.png)


There is no doubt that <em>Command and Conquer: Generals</em> is widely loved by those who played the game, but I must say, it has not aged in the best manner. While I was able to get it running on 2025 on modern hardware using Proton's compatibility layer in Linux, there are many things that are missing that I feel like the paper manuals of the era would have addressed - if not modifying config files by hand. 

1) There's no way to see a list of all the game's keyboard shortcuts, which is really important for strategy games.
2) There's no native widescreen support, so you're left playing in a 4:3 window
3) The interface takes up an enormous amount of the screen real-estate
4) Mouse clicks appear to be inverted from every popular strategy game. Left click moves, right click deselects. 

The single player campaigns, each consisting of just over a half dozen missions feels "light" for the period, when you compare it to the expansive campaigns of other RTS games of the period. 


![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/holoz0r/Eo8RPqb2rckwfuCTWsh2x1fwBiUrZcT4tsfr1GRjQji7H8FgoP9nxtsHZr9YeMKynN2.png)


But did any of that matter with a fun skirmish mode and so many fond memories of destroying the enemy in a myriad of ways? 

To me, not so much. I loved playing all of the factions, and each of them have their unique strengths and things to make you smile. 

It is a game that leans to the "not very politically correct" side of the spectrum, with stereotypes (particularly in the Global Liberation Army) - and as a result, to those who are sensitive to cultural issues and unable to examine something as an artefact of their time ... may find offense here. 

Yes, this is a game about war. Yes, it is a game about politics and global conflict. But it somehow has an inescapable charm, all linked back to the voice acting. To me, it is nothing more disturbing than a South Park episode. 

The great news about this game is that you can still enjoy it, twenty years after its release, so you don't need to hear me wax nostalgic about how much fun I had it. 

Even better, the art style has held up well for its age, and the game is still fun, in spite of its quality of life issues. Be prepared for it to not be a modern RTS game. Prepare for some level of pain and discomfort, and you'll do just fine.