Games preview: Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath, Xbox 360

Originally released as an expansion pack for the PC version of Command & Conquer 3, Kane's Wrath arrives on Xbox 360 as a complete budget-priced game. Fighting on the side of Nod and wiping out the formerly friendly GDI doesn't significantly change the game's dynamics, and the continued hammy posturing of dear old eggheaded Kane maintains the spirit of ludicrousness so traditional in C&C's live-action cut scenes. But playing this for the plot would be like watching Rambo for the character development; it's all about the real-time strategy, which is recreated as a mouse and keyboard-free experience with surprising aplomb. That said, if you haven't played C&C3, there's a lot about the game that you're assumed to just know, enforcing much use of the dreaded instruction book. It's also inexplicably missing the superb Global Conquest mode that made this a must-have on PC, leaving the overall package feeling a little bit weak.