Zero Hour Reborn

New Generals

The mod not only redesigns old generals but also introduces many new ones, based on the idea that each main faction (USA, China, GLA) has gained "Rogues" — generals with combined technologies and unusual gameplay features:

• The American Rogue utilizes hi-tech developments and elite tank/special forces air drops.

• The Chinese Rogue focuses on tank assaults.

• The GLA Rogue relies on terrorist skills and powerful artillery.

Full list of new generals:

• New Chinese Generals: Empress Leang (infantry + air force), General Napalm, General Artillery.

• New GLA Generals are depicted in a provocative manner and stylized after real-life political figures or dictators, each with their own special mechanics: sabotage, stealth, technology theft, etc.

• New American Generals: Griffon (helicopter orientation), Ironside (siege, heavy armor, and amphibious operations), and The President (superweapon and elite infantry orientation).

In many cases, old generals also receive deep overhauls: the Chinese Tank General, the GLA Toxin General, and the USA Laser General — all have completely updated units and superweapons.

Units, Abilities, and Maps

A huge number of new unit models and special abilities in the General's menu. Things like "Nuclear Artillery Barrage" for the Chinese, small nuclear warheads for the GLA, plasma bombardments, and orbital strikes for the USA appear.

The mod features many new superweapons; standing out are: The American President's "Ion Cannon," the Laser General's "Shockwave," and "Baikonur" for the faction stylized after Iraq — possibly the most destructive of them all.

Some effects and models are clearly borrowed from other mods, particularly Rise of the Reds. Maps with the possibility of naval battles and fleet control have been added — this offers a new gameplay experience, although the naval implementation faces engine limitations.

Balance, AI, and Gameplay

The mod leans towards "creative" and epic gameplay with many powerful units and spectacular superweapons. This makes matches visually impressive but significantly complicates balance. Some factions/units seem too strong relative to others.

The AI works, but with a large available unit set, the AI doesn't always effectively use new capabilities — this is particularly noticeable in skirmishes, where many play against bots. The mod also adds many stealth units, but detection means are insufficient. Plasma/orbital and other powerful strikes make the early and mid-stages of the battle extremely chaotic.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a very interesting mod that can keep you engaged for many hours. The abundance of new features initially evokes delight, but the project's lack of polish can leave a negative impression. It's hard to say which outweighs the other; it depends on what kind of mod you are looking for: one that will entertain you with an abundance of chaos and content, or one that is maximally respectful of the original.

Pros:

• Lots of new content, interesting generals and superweapons, impressive models, and special effects.

• Great variability and a powerful "modern" combat aesthetic.

• The set of maps and overall possibilities make the mod excellent for fast, spectacular matches and for those tired of standard Zero Hour.

Cons:

• Balance issues — some generals dominate.

• Bugs and crashes may occur.

• Incomplete implementation of some features (e.g., naval combat).

• Controversial use of general images, which may cause negativity among some of the audience.