R.U.S.E. GamesCom 2009 Preview
The real-time strategy (RTS) genre has grown from strength to strength since its inception into the world of gaming all those years ago, but Eugen Systems, the developers of R.U.S.E. are really looking to expand upon it and take it to a new level.
The whole premise behind R.U.S.E is that generals often do things behind smokescreens. Players can only see what their opponent wants them to see, while they are busy doing something else, hence the name of the game. Fog of war has enabled this in the past, but R.U.S.E makes things much more basic, and it really allows the game to feel much more like a chess match.
Players can build anywhere on a map, but obviously the closer to an opposition base structures are, the more likely they will be destroyed. It also takes more time for the structures to be built, as the units need to travel to the designated location. However, it can be a good tactical plan, when used in conjunction with what makes the game unique, the Ruses.
There are 10 in total, and up to 15 can be used at any one time, although they have to be stored up. Camouflage allows a player to mask their activity in a certain area, which means any units they have are then invisible to the opposition forces. This can however be countered by using scouting units, such as spy planes. Decryption can also be used, as it highlights enemy positions and also shows where they are moving to, perfect for building ambushes. Another is Blitz, which makes everything in the targeted area work at twice the speed. This affects movement, fire rate and income. Seeing the game in action, it's easy to understand why this game could become exceedingly complex. The tools are definitely in place to witness some epic strategic battles.
A ruse can only be used on a specific area of the map though, and the maps are usually separated out into around 8-10 sections. However, the maps are quite large and the detail is immense. It's possible to zoom right in and see all of the detail on the environment, as well as vehicles and infantry units. It's seriously quite impressive how good they've made it look.
There are set to be six different factions to play as, although it's unclear if they will offer unique experiences in terms of ruses and units. In terms of the single-player campaign, it's expected to last a typical player around 20 hours, and there are 15 missions in total. Upon completion, there is of course multiplayer, which is where players can really test their wits.
The game is currently scheduled for a Q1 2010 release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
