Command & Conquer: Renegade X - Black Dawn is a free-to-play action game from Totem Arts, a dedicated community of designers and modders of the Command & Conquer franchise. In this shooting experience, you follow Captain Nick “Havoc” Parker as he attempts to rescue GDI researcher Dr. Ignatio Mobius and his daughter.

Although not officially a part of the Westwood Studios franchise, Command & Conquer: Renegade X - Black Dawn is a definite upgrade over the original Command & Conquer: Renegade game. It features quality 3D graphics and voice acting. Other canon entries in the franchise include Command & Conquer 4 or Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.

Enjoy the unofficial sequel

Command & Conquer: Renegade X - Black Dawn is the latest update for Renegade X, the unofficial remake of C&C: Renegade, the only shooting game in the otherwise RTS franchise. In Black Dawn, you can also follow the same campaign that sends Havoc to retrieve the Mobius pair, but this time with the backing of an entire GDI army as well as the elite commando unit, Dead Six.

This game offers a single-player campaign and a multiplayer battle experience, both offering good AI opponents that fulfill various roles. These computer characters work as your allies, enemies, and the background characters that move and fight around you. Additionally, the game features improved 3D graphics compared to the original, accompanied by good-quality voice acting and soundtracks. Despite being released several years ago, this game still holds up nicely.

There are minor concerns regarding design and features. The in-game menus have limited functionalities and are visually out of proportion. Users have also reported the sound settings not reflecting in the game. The AI for this game was also bad in the initial releases, but they’ve reworked and improved it over time. Other than these minor concerns, it works perfectly for a several-year-old game.

A good nod to the original Renegade game

Command & Conquer: Renegade X - Black Dawn remains a good game despite its minor flaws and imperfections. For everyone who enjoyed the only non-RTS entry in the franchise, this is a worthy sequel, although from a different developer. It builds on the original premise but with improved graphics and gameplay changes. More importantly, it also offers the flexibility of having both single- and multiplayer experiences. Recommended.