I don't know how I missed it, but the demo for Command & Conquer 3 hit Xbox Live for Gold members last Friday. I've been a fan of the series since the Red Alert era but I haven't played many of the new games (no Mac ports! boo!), so I've been eager to check out this latest entry.

After playing through the Tutorial and two single-player missions included with the demo I have to say that I'm pretty impressed. The control scheme takes a little getting used to but I do think that it's a great improvement over most RTS-on-console controls, which usually try to emulate a mouse and keyboard rather than replace them. The graphics are detailed and there are some cool lighting effects (including the new base-destroying ion cannon!) and I didn't notice any slowdown. The made-for-TV-movie full motion cutscenes are back, too (whether you like them or not.)

Also included is multiplayer on Live but I haven't tried it yet -- I'm not that eager to get destroyed by everyone that's been practicing since Friday. The demo weighs in at a hefty 1GB, but it's worth the wait. I'm looking forward to playing the full game next month.