As the
Soviet Union faces defeat at the hands of the
Allied Nations, Soviet General Nikolai Krukov (played by
Andrew Divoff) and Colonel (
Tim Curry) use a time machine beneath the
Kremlin to travel back to
Brussels in the year 1927 at the
Solvay International Physics Conference and eliminate
Albert Einstein, thus changing the future. Returning to the present, they discover that Cherdenko is the
Premier of the Soviet Union, much to General Krukov's chagrin; in this timeline the Soviets are on the brink of conquering Europe, when the Empire of the Rising Sun (
Japanese Empire) declares war on both the Soviet Union and the Allies with a desire for complete world domination, something they perceive as their divine destiny. Due to the elimination of Einstein, nuclear weapons have not been invented and the Soviet Union is unable to stop the invasion. This begins a new Third World War, which is now a three-way war between the Soviet Union, the Allies and the Empire.
Soviet Union In the Soviet campaign, the player assumes the role of a Soviet commander whose first task is to expel the Imperial Japanese forces from Soviet territory by defending the city of
Leningrad, securing a satellite launch facility and eventually re-taking a Soviet naval base on the Pacific coastline in the city of
Vladivostok. Afterwards the Allies are rallied together by
U.S. President Ackerman (
J. K. Simmons), forcing the commander to lead attacks in Europe on their HQ in
Geneva, and later capturing and securing a research lab in
Mykonos; during these assaults, an attempt is made on Premier Cherdenko's life. The fight against the Allies in Europe culminates in a strike against the Von Esling Airbase in Iceland; during the conflict, Cherdenko names General Krukov as the traitor who tried to take his life, ordering the commander to kill him. Next, the Soviets launch an invasion of Japan, in order to kill Emperor Yoshiro (
George Takei) in his palace at
Mt. Fuji. Despite an initial setback, the commander successfully defeats all three Imperial commanders and kills the emperor on board his large battle
mecha, effectively eliminating the empire from the war. Dr. Gregor Zelinsky (
Peter Stormare), the scientist who created the time machine, contacts the commander and tries to reveal the events that altered the past, but the communication link is abruptly cut and Zelinsky soon disappears. The Premier orders the commander to
Easter Island, to arrange a trap for the Allies, under the ruse of a
peace treaty, effectively removing the Allied Military leaders from action, only for Cherdenko to finally declare that the commander has outlived his usefulness and launch a surprise attack against him; fortunately, he is defeated and killed at his volcano fortress. The Soviet commander launches a final invasion on
New York City, destroying the
Statue of Liberty. The war ends with the player becoming the next Premier of the unopposed Soviet Union.
Allies In the Allied campaign, the player takes on the role of an Allied commander, who must first repel a Soviet invasion of
Great Britain. Later, the Allies launch operations on the European continent, retaking
Cannes and saving Allied leaders there, followed by destroying the Soviet HQ in
Heidelberg, Germany. The campaign, however, leaves both sides vulnerable to the Empire of the Rising Sun, who make their move by sending a floating fortress to blockade the Allies and the Soviets from entering the
North Atlantic. This prompts a joint attempt between the Allies and the Soviets to repel the Japanese, retaking a naval base in
Gibraltar and destroying the Imperial fortress in the
North Sea. U.S. President Ackerman, who did not approve of such a coalition, goes rogue, and attempts to destroy
Moscow with a laser superweapon hidden in
Mount Rushmore. The Allied commander defeats Ackerman's forces and kills the president himself when he attempts to escape. With the alliance secured, the coalition plans a joint attack on
Tokyo to wipe out the entire Imperial Japanese military leadership with one stroke. This critical battle gets complicated when the Soviet forces fail to show up, leaving the Allied forces to fend for themselves. Despite the overwhelming odds, the commander succeeds again, wiping out the Empire's forces and vital structures required to maintain their war effort. After the battle of Tokyo, Dr. Zelinsky defects to the Allies and informs them of the time machine he created and what the Soviets did; he also warns them of Cherdenko's secret gathering of force in
Havana, Cuba, prompting the Allies to investigate further. Discovering that the Soviets have constructed secret Kirov Hangars beneath sporting arenas, the Allied commander eradicates the Soviet forces in Cuba, preventing specially modified Kirovs from leaving Cuba's airspace. Following this, the commander and his forces are teleported to
Leningrad, and ordered to bring the Soviet leaders hiding in the
Peter and Paul Fortress to justice. Cherdenko and his General attempt to escape to the Moon but are captured and placed in a
"cryo-prison" for life. The
Vice President of the United States accepts power as the new American President in a public speech informing of Ackerman's treachery and thanks the Allied Commander for his heroic deeds.
Empire of the Rising Sun In the Empire's campaign, the player takes on the role of a military vassal of Crown Prince Tatsu (
Ron Yuan). Emperor Yoshiro's strategy involves striking at symbolic targets, such as important monuments, and employing fear to deteriorate the morale of the enemy. On the other hand, the Emperor's son, Crown Prince Tatsu, advocates direct strikes on true military targets, although his father would overrule him. The validity of the emperor's strategy however is soon challenged by the Allied full-scale attacks on
Pearl Harbor at the Imperial islands of
Hawaii and on one of the Empire's Floating Fortresses in the Pacific. Though both attacks are repelled and Hollywood is taken with an assault on
Santa Monica supported by the Floating Fortress attacked previously, a joint Allied-Soviet task force gains a foothold in
Yokohama. Having replaced President Ackerman with an android
doppelgänger, the Emperor learns of Zelinsky's defection and Cherdenko's time travel. This devastates the Emperor, as he thinks there can be no divine destiny if history can be
altered. He surrenders the leadership of the Empire's military to his son. Under Prince Tatsu's command, the joint Allied-Soviet invasion of Yokohama is repelled and a full-scale attack on the Kremlin results in the deaths of Premier Cherdenko and General Krukov. Finally, the Empire invades
Amsterdam, which holds the Allied Headquarters as well as FutureTech, the company responsible for much of the Allied technological advances. At the brink of defeat, Dr. Zelinsky deploys a prototype FutureTech ultraweapon that annihilates almost everything in the city, yet the remaining Imperial forces succeed in destroying what is left of the Allied and Soviet forces. Thus the war ends and the Imperial Commander is given the title of "Supreme
Shogun". ==Development==