Hailing from Ubisoft and French-based developer Eugen Systems, RUSE is a very peculiar title. For a game that claims to innovate and re-invent the strategy genre, it doesn’t half stick to age-old strategy conventions such as resources and base building. Eugen are best known for the strategy game Act of War, a fairly successful title that, whilst decent enough, wasn’t exactly ground breaking. Still, it seems to have given them enough experience to create a game that could be a surprise hit.
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When talking about RUSE, the developers tend to sum it up into several ‘key’ phrases (as you do): Simple yet immersive, innovative, large scale ‘tactical’ combat, diverse gameplay... and so on. Rhetoric aside, Eugen seem to have created something that’s probably going to be the next incarnation of marmite: you’ll either love it, or you'll hate it.
RUSE features a simplistic, drag & drop interface that’s designed to cut out most of the more fiddly elements of the strategy games. This is interesting, because RUSE hasn’t necessarily been designed for the consoles, as it’s slated for a multi-platform release. This may mean that RUSE is in danger of being too ‘simplistic’ for the PC audience; however it’s possible that the gameplay itself will make up for the lack of micro-management.
The main map is similar to the one used in Supreme Commander, albeit more straightforward. There is no mini map per say, just one main view that can be zoomed right up so that it resembles a mock-up in a war room, with real-time positions of troops displayed, but which can also be zoomed right in so that you can view the action close up. The maps themselves are very impressive: well rendered diverse areas, and very impressive scales. The map we were shown was supposed to be the ‘smallest’ map, and even that was bigger than what you currently get on the market. To give a further example: whilst in previous WW2 strategy games, you would play a map that is a small part of Normandy. In RUSE, a single map can consist of most, if not all, of the whole of Normandy.
This leads us onto the setting, which as you know is World War II. Thankfully this is not another strict re-enactment of that lovable conflict, but rather just a theme with which to base the game in. We’re still waiting for someone to do a decent strategy game based on World War 1, but we’ll forgive Eugen this time. Also, it’s refreshing to know that several world locations will be used, such as Africa, Italy and other major WW2 fronts. Lately, developers seem to be forgetting that the war raged for a good 5 years prior to the Normandy invasion, AND that the war was fought in places other than France.
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But how does this game handle? Well, from what we’ve experienced so far: not badly. Base building is quick and simple. You simply chose a building and drag it. Roads and supply lines are an important focal point of battles in RUSE, and bases follow similar priorities. Buildings can only be built adjacent to roads, so some small planning is required. There is only one resource – money, and this can be generated by building supply depots on pre-determined nodes scattered throughout the map. These nodes are finite, so as the nearer supply points are depleted, you must throw the proverbial net further and further afield. This can increase the danger of interception from the enemy, as the gold can only be made available to you if a supply truck successfully makes a trip from the node to your main base. Simple, yet effective, as it can go some way to force opponents into combat. Either you will be fighting over the same much needed resources, or you will be trying to harass each other’s supply lines.
Gameplay itself can also be more ‘fluid’ then other games of this type. Despite static bases, the vastness and diversity of the terrain can offer plenty of opportunities to outflank and out-manoeuvre an opponent. Choke-points, ambushes, slug-fests... all these different tactics and combat states can exist within the same match if one fights smartly, and for once we could be facing a game where brute force isn’t the answer. (Unless your opponent is rubbish, in which case brute force is always the answer.)
These stratagems are further aided by the main feature of the game – the ‘Ruses’ themselves. In simple terms, these are simply commander powers that you can employ at any point throughout the game, and can range from decoy troops, to spying, to camouflaging your troop movements. Ruses can also be combined for more effective strategies, and the points required to use a Ruse get generated as the match wears on. There were just over a handful of Ruse’s available for testing, but more are promised.
Despite the over-done setting, and the ‘back-to-basics’ feel of some elements of the game, RUSE is honestly the most intriguing title so far. It remains to be seen whether the simplified control system and action-based gameplay will satisfy the PC crowd, but there’s no reason this title shouldn’t do well on the consoles. Despite conducting our hands-on session on the PC, the game was played using a 360 controller, and the controls were fine. As always, the controller lacks the ‘finesse’ of a mouse, but no amount of innovation is going to overcome that obstacle, even voice control.
A quick round-up of the rest of the details: There are 6 factions available to play from both the Axis and the Allies. Each faction has certain strengths and weaknesses, and each requires a different play style. They can also be used in any combination, so get ready for some Germany v Japan bonanzas. Multiplayer is pegged for up to 4 v 4 on PC, and at least 2 v 2 on the consoles. Multi-player should also ship with a variety of game modes and maps.
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So far, RUSE is shaping up to be another decent strategy title. The only criticisms so far is the fact that combat seems to lack that gritty ‘realism’ that you see in other games, although this is more of an aesthetic point then anything. Other notes of concern are that it seems a tad too ‘easy’ to mislead your opponent, thus forcing you to try and cover all angles all at once (which can be a waste of resources). Also, balancing could do with some tweaking, especially regarding ground-to-air combat. Finally, and this is being very picky now, some of the building options seem erroneous: e.g. there is a separate building for tanks, anti-tanks etc... This hints that there may be some ‘padding’ going on, but the gameplay doesn’t seem to suffer that much for it.
At its core, RUSE seems to be trying to offer all of the cinematic, blow for blow action that you find in more tactical/combat orientated games, yet still maintaining the long term strategic planning of the C&C RTS lineage. Throw in some funky command-level powers, and you have a game that’s so far building up to be, if nothing else, a very unique experience. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on this one, and I think RUSE may yet deceive you... in a good way.
RUSE will be released simultaneously on PC, Xbox 360 & PS3 in Q1 2010.
