Red Alert is one of the best alternatively history RTS games on the PC, where Einstein went back in time to kill Hitler, and managed to start the Cold War early, except it got hot, and strange weapons like Tesla guns, Chronospheres and Chronotroopers, and so on are now part of the arsenal. The mobile version manage to shrink a lot of that down to the phone, but is it playable? The result is surprisingly, yes, though some missions are extremely frustrating, or almost impossible.
There are two types of missions in RA... the "lone-wolf" missions where you control a single unit, either Tanya on the Allied side, or Natascha on the Soviet side. Both are super-commandoes and will easily take out most enemies... except vehicles and turrets. The problem, of course, is trying to sneak through somewhere that's nearly impossible! In the other type of mission, you are actually playing the RTS... build structures, harvest resources, defend your territory, build units, and use your units, split into 2 squads, and smash the enemy defenses, and eventually wipe out their base.
What's more both sides can build special structures and call down "special weapons", like an airstrike, or chronosphere teleportation, and so on.
The graphics are limited by the phone's capability, but it definitely DID feel like an RTS, albeit a somewhat simplified one. Still, most of the tech tree is there, and the flavor is maintained. The 2D isometric view is quite functional but more reminscentof the first C&C rather than the current Red Alert 3.
There are two campaigns: Soviet and Allied, AND a skirmish mode where you play full RTS against the AI on different maps you unlocked. So the replay value is definitely there.
The contorls are a bit clunky. Unfortunately, there's no "build queue", so it's a bit more hands-on. On the other hand, you can't exactly do a 'swarm' either as building is a bit slower.
All in all, Red Alert is a fine RTS on a mobile, but one wonders why would you want to play RTS on a mobile any way.
Overall rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: real RTS with buildings, units, special weapons, and so on, full of Red Alert flavor
Cons: limit of the phone means not a "full" RTS game, units limited in AI
Verdict: not a bad Red Alert derivative, but why play RTS on a phone?
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