I'm starting to think PC gaming might be dangerous to humanity's long-term survival. Hearing Renegade-X's soft-spoken AI announcer just gave me a nostalgic shiver of childhood days spent building tanks and targeting Ion Cannons. That's a powerful weakness for future robot armies to exploit in their inevitable campaign to enslave us all. Until that dark day arrives, we can at least busy ourselves with a free, tactical multiplayer shooter. The C&C inspired FPS has now entered open beta .

It's a timely release. With Titanfall offering a fresh take on the all-out arcade action shooter, Renegade-X should be a welcome diversion for those after a more tactical experience. A spiritual successor to Westwood's C&C: Renegade, its main mode - Command and Conquer - tasks players with destroying their enemy's base, while also defending their own. Rather than a single defence point, each building of the base serves a different function, from charging special weapons to powering team bonuses.

To download the game, and to find some useful tips to start you playing, head over to the official Renegade-X site .