Developed by UbiSoft, RUSE is an RTS for the PC and the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles.
The Intro
The intro into the demo is pretty straight forward, displaying scenes of large-scale battles between opposing forces. I’m already disappointed in the game due to the graphics themselves. Usually when I look at an introduction, I expect the graphics to be better than what appears in-game. The intro to the RUSE demo looks like it was pulled from an Xbox title (the original, that is). Enough of my poor animation ranting. Let’s see if the game play can make up for it.
The Game Part
In the demo, going solo is your only option. There is only one playable mission, so you have to make the best of it.
The Story
The opening cinematic is interesting enough hinting at complex tensions between key figures in allied forces. The single mission you can play pits allied forces against the Germans accompanied by the Italians.
Game Play
RUSE plays like a war game, which I think is pretty cool because it is a war game. To start the level, you are flown into a battle model that becomes the battle itself. Under your control are four Sherman tanks with which you will storm the beaches. I’ve always wondered why wars couldn’t be fought through video games. Anyway, units attack automatically and can be selected by a single tap of the A button. Pressing the X button will select the unit and all other identical units within the screen. A cool feature when multiple units are selected is that you can see a “preview” of your units’ formation before you move them anywhere.
Upon ordering your units to move somewhere, they are automatically deselected. While I can see this as a useful feature in an intense battle where you are in charge of many different groups of units, it was quite annoying during the extent of the demo. Units taking heavy fire become “routed” which means they can’t attack and their movement speed is reduced drastically.
Much like Halo Wars, all production is centered around a central HQ. In contrast, however, buildings can be placed almost anywhere on the map, whereas buildings were always adjacent to the central hub in Halo: Wars. Supply depots are used to generate supplies that can then be used to train units or build new structures. The barracks is the general military force production building that can produce most general combatants such as recon units and infantry. Soldiers/buildings can be produced from anywhere on the battlefield, although they still come from their respective structures.
The environment plays a large role in the outcomes of battles. Units hiding in woods/bushes become 25% more resilient to damage and gain the ability to lay ambushes. These surprise attacks cause up to three times as much damage as a normal attack would.
A Ruse, for which the game is named, is basically a power-up of sorts. The three available in the demo version are Blitz, Fanaticism, and Terror, each giving boosts to units in some way.
Midway through the demo, the game play becomes increasingly complicated. Tanks, Anti-tanks, and artillery are all made available to you meaning you have to decide the best course of action.
Conclusion
Wow, this game has potential. At first, I laid it off because of the graphics, but, honestly, this game doesn’t need them. The concept is so well thought out, so basic, and the game play is so well put together, that the graphics don’t affect the final product much at all. I’d highly recommend this demo to anyone looking for half an hour of entertainment and encourage you to seriously think about purchasing the full game. You can get it from Amazon.com for some incredibly low prices.
A strong RTS. Possibly even better than Halo Wars.
