Art of War 3: Global Conflict and Generals: Art of War are standalone online strategy games from other studios. They have nothing to do with EA's Command & Conquer: Generals from 2003, even though the names and the modern-warfare setting look alike. Below is a short rundown of what these games are, how they differ from the original, and how to run the actual Generals and Zero Hour on a phone.
Three games with similar names
Search for "art of war 3", "generals art of war" or "command generals" and you get several different projects mixed together. Here's what we could confirm from public sources.
| Game | Developer | Platforms | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generals: Art of War | Apex Point | browser; game catalogs also list an Android app | free, online |
| Art of War 3: Global Conflict | Gear Games | Android, iOS | free, with in-app purchases |
| Command Generals RTS | TINYSOFT (per its Google Play listing) | Android | no data found on the model |
| Command & Conquer: Generals and Zero Hour | EA Pacific and EA Los Angeles | PC (Windows) | one-time purchase |
Generals: Art of War
A browser MMORTS from Apex Point with a modern military setting. You start with a small base, put up buildings, research upgrades, build an army, fight other players and join alliances. Game catalogs date its launch to late 2018. The publisher's official site is apexpoint.com.
Art of War 3: Global Conflict
A real-time mobile strategy game from Gear Games. It has two sides, the Confederation and the Resistance, with live PvP battles, co-op and a PvE campaign. The official site is aow3.gear-games.com. In its FAQ the developer says plainly that the game is meant to be played online and an offline mode isn't planned. On PC it's officially available through Google Play Games. The Google Play listing says the game has in-app purchases.
Command Generals RTS
Google Play has one more app called Command Generals RTS. Its listing names TINYSOFT as the developer, and the genre is strategy. It isn't an EA game either.
How they differ from the original Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals came out in 2003, and the Zero Hour expansion followed the same year. It's a PC game you buy once. The sides are the USA, China and the GLA, each with its own generals and campaigns, plus the Generals Challenge mode in Zero Hour.
What that means in practice:
- different developers: Art of War 3 is made by Gear Games, Generals: Art of War by Apex Point, while Generals was built by Electronic Arts studios;
- Art of War 3 and the browser Generals: Art of War are online only, while in Generals you can play the AI for hours with no connection;
- the mobile games are free and make money on in-game purchases, while Generals is bought outright and has no in-game purchases;
- Art of War 3 has its own factions and heroes. You won't find the Overlord, the SCUD Launcher or General Leang there.
This isn't a verdict on which game is better. It's just that if you remember Generals from your PC and you're looking for that game, a mobile strategy game with a similar name will feel different.
Where to find the official sites
People search for the official site to get to the game without middlemen. For the browser Generals: Art of War, that's the publisher's site, apexpoint.com. For Art of War 3, it's aow3.gear-games.com and the game's pages on Google Play and the App Store. We aren't affiliated with either project and don't distribute them.
If you were looking for the original Generals on your phone
EA never released a mobile version of Generals. But you can run the original 2003 game on Android with ZeroFront. It's a launcher with a port of the Generals engine to Android, built from open source code. There's no Windows emulation involved.
What you need:
- Download the APK from the @generals_mobile_bot bot.
- Copy the original Generals folder and the Zero Hour folder from your own copy to the phone. The game is sold on Steam and in the EA App; the site and the bot don't hand out game files.
- Set both folders in the app and tap "Start game".
The full sequence is in the installation guide, and the expansion has its own page, Zero Hour on Android. On the phone you get the campaigns, skirmish against the AI, Wi-Fi LAN play and online matches through Generals Online. Of the mods, Contra 009 and Contra 007 are tested. If something won't start, check the errors and fixes page.
The project is unofficial and not affiliated with Electronic Arts.
FAQ
Is Generals: Art of War a sequel to Command & Conquer: Generals?
No. It's a browser strategy game from Apex Point. It isn't part of the Command & Conquer series and has no connection to EA.
Who makes Art of War 3?
Gear Games. The game is out on Android and iOS, and the official site is aow3.gear-games.com.
Can you play Art of War 3 offline?
According to the developer's FAQ, no: the game is online only.
Is Command & Conquer Generals on Google Play?
There's no official mobile version from EA. The apps with similar names in the stores come from other studios. The original runs on a phone through ZeroFront, using your own game files.
How much does ZeroFront cost?
The app is free, and access works on a subscription. The first 24 hours are free, then you pick 30 or 90 days; the current price is in the bot. Details are on the subscription page.
You can try the original Zero Hour on your own phone through @generals_mobile_bot: the first 24 hours cost nothing.