Need a Jolt?

Command & Conquer fans are probably drooling at the name "Red Alert" right now.

 For my first blog post, allow me to introduce you fine folks to a little game called Red Alert: A Path Beyond.

Red Alert: A Path Beyond (or APB if you prefer) is a team based, online shooter for the PC that is based on the real time strategy game Command & Conquer: Red Alert. APB itself has the same setting as its name sake: An alternate World War 2 where the Stalin-led Soviet Union, rather than Nazi Germany, invade western Europe, and it is up to the European Allies to defend their homes and drive back the Communist war machine. The game's main attraction is its multiplayer, where you play as a soldier from either the Allies or the Soviets, with the objective being to destroy the enemy's base while defending yours.

 The coolest thing about the game is the arsenal that you can utilize; tanks, helicopters, naval ships, submarines, and many other vehicles can be built and piloted by you and your teammates, and they can easily mean the difference between victory and defeat if used correctly. Not only that, but you are not strictly limited to being a simple rifleman with an M16 to your name, for you are able to choose what kind of unit you wish to be at anytime via a purchase terminal, the same can be said for purchasing vehicles as well. True to the name "purchase terminal", a vast majority of the vehicles and units you wish to obtain don't come free (save for a few basic infantry), as they will require a certain amount of credits (ala: cash) depending on what you wish to buy. Thankfully though, money is usually acquired through either time or kills if I recall correctly, so it may not be too long before you can get your hands on that big tank you always wanted. While the matches do take a bit to really pick up at the start, the fun does start when the battles begin to occur. The fights get even more excited when there are a good number of people playing at once, as that usually translates to more enemies to blow up.

 It should be noted again that APB is a team based online shooter, to the point where going at it alone usually translates to a quick and painful demise in game form. That means that unless you are incredibly awesome at games such as this, it pays to have a few teammates backing you up when you need them. For example: never drive a tank to the enemy base all on your own, as the opposing force can and will... "pimp out your ride" in the most explosive fashion possible. That being said, there are some teammates out there in the online world that tend to be rather mean to others among other social problems, so it is only fair of me to give you a heads up about that.

But you really don't have to take my word for it, so how about I give you some visual aid to help you get a far better idea of APB is like that no amount of text can bring home:



IMPOTANT NOTE: The video above shows an older version of APB (1.3.1 if memory serves), as it was the only video I could find that could give a decent gameplay demonstration!

As of this writing the current version of the game is 1.4.0, with it's fair share of bugs here and there to be honest, but since it is in constant development, that will change as time passes. If you wish to obtain more information on Red Alert: A Path Beyond, including download links and forums, be sure to visit their main site.