Rise of the Reds – or ROTR for short – improves upon the C&C Generals formula while also adding its own distinct elements to it. Most notably, the mod adds two completely new factions, the tank-heavy Russian Federation and the defence-oriented European Continental Alliance. In addition, the three original factions China, USA and GLA have been greatly expanded and redesigned in a variety of ways, with several new units, buildings, powers and abilities to explore and combine in your in-game tactics.
Another great mod from the makers of Shockwave. Along with Shockwave this is easily one of the best mods out there for ZH (even in its beta state). If Shockwave could be described as an unofficial expansion to Zero Hour, then Rise of the Reds could be described as an unofficial "Generals 2".
Like Shockwave, Rise of the Reds adds 100s of new units and abilities to the game, and adds two entirely new factions (Russia and the European Continental Army) with their own unique arsenals, custom architecture, and voicework; and adds a more detailed backstory featuring a WWIII-type scenario with a corrupt Russian general masterminding an invasion of Europe which leads to all-out World War.
The main 3 factions have also been revamped (particularly the GLA) and feel a bit different than their original zero hour counterparts. While Shockwave more or less kept the core gameplay of ZH and simply built on it, Rise of the Reds changes some of the core gameplay elements a bit more. Overall this is for the better, and still maintains the same feel of Zero Hour, though some the changes may take a little getting used to (ex. Jarmen Kell no longer snipes vehicle crew, and instead has a stinger to shoot down aircraft - USA Humvees no longer have fireports, but can upgrade individually with a much more powerful TOW missile - China loses the Helix but has a brand new attack helicopter, etc).
As of the current release, you get to play as all 5 base factions, however the separate generals and planned future campaigns are not yet available. Nevertheless this mod still plays like a full release and doesn't have a BETA feel at all. Whether this or Shockwave is the best mod for ZH is really a matter of personal preference, but both of of top notch quality and breathe life back into a 13 year old game which otherwise would likely be forgotten.
If there's any real complaint I have with this mod, it's that the online multiplayer matches are very prone to crashing or disconnects. Sadly as good as this game is, I play it mainly for the multiplayer, which is much deeper and more enjoyable than playing against an AI. And the majority of online skirmish games I've played on SWRNet either fail to load or crash halfway through the match - limiting it's potential outside of a LAN match with a set of friends. This however might be more due to the fact that it's built on a very old game, or that you'll be playing against people in foreign countries and with varying internet speeds, than the mod itself. Nevertheless it's disappointing, and as much as I'd like to - I won't be playing it (or any Zero Hour mods) regularly unless a reliable multiplayer becomes available.