Command & Conquer the Kremlin

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War reminds me of a game I played in my childhood: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. It’s a real-time strategy game that pits armies of the Allies against Soviets. In the first Red Alert, Einstein developed a time machine and went back in time to erase Hitler from history in order to prevent WW2. A side effect was the Soviet Union became a major super power.

The Soviets had a psychic named Yuri, who could control the minds of others. Near the end of the Soviet campaign, he kills the Romanov and takes over the Kremlin building. As the commander, the player is tasked with building an army and destroying it.

That’s the first time I heard the word “Kremlin,” so every time I hear that mentioned in the news, it brings up memories of the game. I installed the game and played that mission today. Then I discovered that there is an active fan-made mod (called Mental Omega) for this 20+ year old game that adds a mega campaign, another faction, and many new military units. So I’m going to try that out.