So I've just gotten this game to work recently...

[Harmless]

(Welp, picture isn't working so go search up some images of Red Alert 2 gameplay)

Red Alert 2: God of the RTS. Just got it working on Windows 7 so the cutscenes would show and the menu isn't buggy graphics-wise. You've probably heard of it or not, but if you haven't, please please please try getting it now. Recently there's a program called Tunngle that is an extended LAN service that allows people to play online on games that normally had their servers/multiplayer function shut off (same case goes for Star Wars: Empire at War). You cannot get the game on steam, but Amazon and Origin have Red Alert 2 at very good prices (Red Alert 2 for only around $7.00 last time I checked on Amazon!). And if you need some convincing, I'll gladly provide some.

Awesome soundtrack.

Balanced units.

Amazing gameplay. Notice in the picture how the allied chopper in the Top-Left actually DESTROYED the bridge and prevented the tanks from passing. Yeah. Really in-depth stuff with simple commands.

A memorable (and actually pretty difficult, but not too searing difficult) campaign.

The unit AI works WONDERS compared to unit AI in most other RTS's.

NO ♥♥♥♥ UNIT COUNT. This may seem like a bad thing, but unit counts were horrible to begin with in RTS's. There also seems to be a disadvantage in trying to squeeze 100 tanks single file at your opponent's base. Yes, units cannot overlap eachother, meaning you have to manage your numbers regardless. Given, that number of tanks is still hard to achieve, but if use correctly can provide a lot of firepower.

Excellent unit and model designs, way ahead of their time. Even today they look great. No seriously.

The game is not perfect, granted the campaign later after the first 10-12 missions gets very difficult even on Easy (more manageable on Easy actually, but still), and not until Yuri's Revenge expansion for RA2 did the game come with the ability to set people on Skirmish matches on teams.

But those flaws hardly outshine what this game is capable of. Yuri's Revenge is a great expansion to the game as well, adding balanced gameplay, remodeling the Soviet tree to something even better, adding a third faction (who may seem pretty broken but he does has his flaws), and adding a few more units to each faction. It's great.

Who knows, this might even get you into RTS's if the fairly simple (and fairly expensive) Supreme Commander 2 didn't.