No one fears failure. Failure isn't a real threat. It's a paper tiger that's conveniently trotted out to hide behind when you don't want to take action. Failure will growl and snap but deep down you know it's fangs are dull and useless. Failure is the security blanket of excuses. What you're truly scared of is ten times more frightening than the prospect of failure. You're afraid of success. 

Success brings with it some uncomfortable partners. Like change. Its a force to be avoided at all costs. You'll do an absurd dance of denial and debate to try to sidestep it. You've been friends with her for months. You think about her all the time. All you need to do is tell her how you feel. How you really feel. One sentence would do the job. Three words would be enough. Thats all it would take. She wants you to say it. You can hear it in her voice. You can see it in her eyes. But you refuse to utter a simple phrase, and all because you're afraid that 'things will change'.

The designers at EA know all about the fear of change. They could've expanded on Red Alert 3 and made it an innovative, compelling, fun RTS.  PCs are hundreds of times more powerful than when the original game came out. Graphics, AI, story. They have the power to make it all groundbreaking. But they don't. Change must be avoided.  Instead, it's better to stick with the status quo. Remodel a few units, but keep the core game play untouched. There's no need to update the AI.  The same 'tactics' that worked in 1997 will still work today. Even if it simply consists of building a few dozen tanks and sending them off to the enemy base. Supreme Commander may have pushed the envelope on the scope and depth of a modern RTS, but Red Alert 3 doesn't see any reason to take a step forward. Just friends is good enough. Anything more would be too scary. 

There's another monster that comes with the fear of success. The loss of hope. Hope is too precious to be jeopardized. When you look at her, you hope that you have a future together. You hope that one day you'll feel the warmth of her in your arms as you hold her tight. You can imagine the soft curves of her body being traced by your fingertips. Her lips must be so delicate and sweet pressed against yours. As long as you have hope, that fantasy never has to end. Fantasies are a sure thing. She'll never leave. Even if she does.

Red Alert 3 wants you to believe that it will live up to its own hype. Maybe the next mission will have the huge battles you wished for. Maybe the next cut scene will make the high school play of a plot more palatable. But it never happens. Instead of trying to fulfill its promise, Red Alert 3 is content to shovel the same mission types and retreaded cut scenes at you. It was good enough in the original Red Alert. It was good enough in Red Alert 2. It's good enough now.

Wrong. Its not good enough. Not even close. Especially when all you need to do is to show up at her door, or make a phone call, or send an instant message. Instead of being content to live off of the crumbs of a near relationship, you have a chance at a gourmet meal. Don't hide behind the spectre of failure. Don't let the warm comfort of hope stop you from embracing change. Embrace her.  

There is nothing on this earth more terrifying than success. Don't fear it.  

Score 6/10