R.U.S.E.
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''R.U.S.E.'' is a
real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in turn-based strategy (TBS) games, players take turns to p ...
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
developed by
Eugen Systems Eugen Systems is a French video game developer based in Paris, France. It was founded in January 2000 by Alexis Le Dressay, a DPLG architect, and Cedric Le Dressay, a software engineer. The company currently focuses on developing real-time strate ...
and published by
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', ...
which was released for Microsoft Windows,
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
, and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
, in September 2010. The game was subsequently released for
macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...
through Steam on November 15, 2011. ''R.U.S.E.'' is a strategic war game set during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and focuses on the invasion of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
during late 1944. The campaign includes many historical and some fictional events. It focuses on
information warfare Information warfare (IW) (as different from cyber warfare that attacks computers, software, and command control systems) is a concept involving the battlespace use and management of information and communication technology (ICT) in pursuit of a ...
instead of a brute-force approach. Players can use a series of ruses and decoys to trick their enemies and change the outcome of the battles. However, the outcome of the battles in the game also relies quite heavily on how a player manages their economy and which units they use. In December 2015, Ubisoft pulled the game from Steam due to the expiration of the military license. In 2018, the Xbox 360 version was released on Xbox One via backwards compatible release.


Gameplay

''R.U.S.E.'' gameplay screenshot


Units

Units in R.U.S.E are commanded using the mouse and can defend themselves against enemies provided they have the right weapon to counter them and within the range of fire. When units are ordered to attack, a crosshair indicates their rate of success in eliminating the target. It can either be: very easy, easy, balanced, danger or high danger. The latter meant that the target is highly dangerous and the unit(s) may refuse to engage when ordered to do so. Critically injured units will pull back with a (!) on top of the unit. Units that are unable to engage contact will pull back automatically when threatened. Sometimes a unit may be unable to pull back because it is experiencing shock or stress. Damaged units recover themselves when not engaged. Some units in R.U.S.E can be upgraded to enhance their defence and weapon. Some units require an upgrade cost to allow production.


Aircraft

The player who controls the sky can control the battle. Aircraft are fast and can travel all over the map without being affected by any type of terrain. They are produced from the airfield. Aircraft carry limited ammo and must land in order to reload before they can strike again. Aircraft include reconnaissance, fighters, fighter-bombers and bombers. Paratroopers are infantry that can be deployed by air. Paratroopers have no defense ability during flight. Some air-reconnaissance can defend themselves with a light machine gun, but will not be able to fight off most aircraft that attack it.


Buildings

There are two primary types of buildings in R.U.S.E.: defense structures and production buildings. Defense structures can be used to defend against enemy units. Each faction has a set of unique structures which can defend against certain types of units. These buildings cannot be captured. Production buildings produce units or supplies, and consist of the Headquarters, Secondary Headquarters, Administrative Building, Supply Depot, Barracks, Armor Base, Artillery & Anti-Air Base, Anti-Tank Base, Prototype Base, and Airfield. These building produce units and upgrades for those units based on what faction you are playing as. Units will vary on cost, armor, and firepower based on the faction that you choose.


Factions

In the campaign the United States is the only playable faction (although units from other factions are placed under the player's control in several missions), but other factions are present in the game and can be played on- and offline in battle mode. The factions include the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
,
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
,
Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...
, the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, and Japan. Each possesses a unique balance of strengths and weaknesses, which allows for more dynamic gameplay. For example, the US relies on fast units and air power, while the Germans rely on powerful, heavy tanks (such as the Tiger and King Tiger). The new faction, Japan, is quite different from most other nations. For example, it is the only nation to not have concealable anti-air guns. Its tanks are comparable to the Italian line, where a 'medium' tank is a light tank to all other factions. It has advanced artillery, but, unlike all other nations (US, Germany, USSR), the HA-TO does not have the 2.4 km range and fires like an assault gun (one 300 mm 170 kg shell at a time). Besides nuclear weaponry, it is the most powerful artillery gun in the game, with two shots generally being enough to destroy most buildings.


Ruses

''R.U.S.E.'' employs a system of ruses that allow the player to fool or bluff an opponent. The ruses are divided into four different categories: those that reveal information (such as Decryption), those that hide information (such as Radio Silence), those that allow for fake structures/units, designed to trick the enemy (such as Decoy Offensive), and those that alter unit behavior (such as Blitz or Terror).


Multiplayer

''R.U.S.E.'' features an online multiplayer component and allows for dedicated servers. It contains both cooperative and competitive multiplayer, and it provides for ranked matches. On September 22, 2010, Ubisoft announced that measures were being taken to reduce cheating in the game, with the introduction of the Valve Anti-Cheat system (VAC) in the next patch.


Operations

In addition to the main story mode, the player can take part in several "Operations". These are similar to story-mode missions which use specific conditions not present in the other non-story mode section "Battles", for example, limiting the number of aircraft, tanks, etc. a player can deploy. Some of the operations are historically inspired, whereas others are speculative, for example a 1948 border conflict between the USA and USSR over Berlin.


Plot

''R.U.S.E.'' takes place during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The game contains a single story arc, portrayed through the perspective of Joseph Sheridan of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
. Sheridan, a Harvard dropout, joins the U.S. Army and eventually assumes control of the First Armored Division. The game opens in 1945 as General Sheridan liberates
Colditz Castle Castle Colditz (or ''Schloss Colditz'' in German) is a Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz in the state of Saxony in Germany. The castle is between the towns of Hartha and Grimma on a hill spur over the r ...
to free an undercover operative, code named Nightingale, who knows the identity of an Axis informer, code-named Prometheus. Sheridan then reminisces to 1943 when he was a major during the Allied North African campaign, when leaked information led to devastating Allied losses at the Battle of Kasserine. Sheridan meets British intelligence officer Colonel Andrew Campbell, and working together, in spite of Sheridan's inept commanding officer General Weatherby, they are able to turn the tide of battle. Sheridan is promoted to lieutenant colonel for his efforts. In 1943, Sheridan takes part in the Battle of Monte Cassino, and while he disobeys Weatherby's direct orders to confuse German intelligence, Sheridan is able to push the Germans back and open up the road to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. Sheridan is promoted to general and meets Kate Garner, an attaché from the American War Office. At a victory party, Campbell remarks that the Germans are not fully defeated yet and that Sheridan is turning into Weatherby now that he has been promoted. In 1944, Sheridan is in command of US troops landing at
Utah beach Utah, commonly known as Utah Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five code-named la ...
on D-Day, with Weatherby in command of Omaha beach. Sheridan is able to secure a beach head and defend it against counter-attacks despite Weatherby's inability to secure Sheridan's flank. The operation in Normandy is hampered by inaccurate information given to Campbell by the
French resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
; this, along with remarks from Garner, strains Sheridan and Campbell's friendship. Later that year, Sheridan is placed in command of forces in Operation Market Garden, and Weatherby is discreetly placed in command of forces "in reserve". After an exchange between Campbell and Garner, Campbell remarks that he cannot offer the same "incentives" as Garner and states that he will request a transfer. Despite Garner's insistence that Sheridan has "outgrown" Campbell, Sheridan is still clearly bothered by the British Officer's departure. Despite deeply inaccurate information on Axis forces in the area, Sheridan is able to keep "The Highway to Hell" open. However the British forces at the final bridge to be secured are forced to surrender, thus ending Market Garden as a failure. Garner leaves for Washington D.C. for a new "promotion" leaving Sheridan feeling sorry for himself. Three months later Sheridan and Campbell meet on the Belgian front, and the two make amends, with Sheridan apologizing and telling Campbell that "he was right and that they should have listened to Campbell". With Campbell's help Sheridan manages to
hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (ship), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called a Ferm ...
onto the key city of
Bastogne Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogn ...
during the
Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
despite Weatherby surrendering his forces. During the siege, General von Richter, a German general who gave Sheridan much trouble in the past, personally requests Sheridan surrender. He reveals that the Germans have received orders not to take prisoners of war any more, but despite this, offers to guarantee the safety of Sheridan and his men if they surrender honorably. Sheridan refuses, only demanding to know how an honorable man like von Richter could serve the Axis. After pushing back the German offensive Sheridan and Campbell interrogate General Von Richter upon capturing him. Learning that only the head of the German Intelligence Service, the Abwehr, Admiral Canaris, knew the identity of the spy Prometheus, but the Admiral had been
arrested An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...
for plotting to kill Hitler. Returning to the present, Sheridan, Campbell and the undercover agent, Angie, head for Torgau on the
Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
to supposedly meet up with the Soviets. However, the meeting turns into a race to reach the secret weapons research facility in Torgau before the Russians do. In order to avoid a "diplomatic incident", Sheridan receives help from an unlikely ally: General Von Richter, who also does not want the weapons to end up in Soviet hands. Under the cover of Von Richter's German troops, Sheridan and his men reach the weapons facility in the Soviet zone and destroy it. In the process Sheridan learns Prometheus is his former attaché Kate Garner. It is revealed that Garner had not only been giving intel to the Germans on the American forces but that she also had been giving intel to the Soviets on German weapon research. The weapons in question are long range
V-2 rocket The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develop ...
s equipped with nuclear warheads. Despite having destroyed the research facility Sheridan learns that Garner had already moved several rockets to another location. Sheridan and Campbell prepare to attack Garner's base and destroy the weapons, but are forced to re-think their strategy when Sheridan receives a warning from Garner that she will use the V-2 rockets if they continue to provoke her. Sheridan assures Garner that he won't back off, and Garner simply responds that Sheridan will be "rolled over by the modern world" as
communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...
will be inevitably victorious. Good news arrives when the Soviet Government declares the 8th Guards Army (the branch of the Soviet military Garner was working with) is an extremist renegade faction and Allied Commander General
Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
orders a full-scale assault on Garner's base. With the help of some newly developed nuclear equipped artillery, Sheridan manages to destroy Garner's base, destroying the German nuclear warheads and killing Garner in an atomic blast. At the end, Sheridan expresses his wish to take a vacation and see Europe "without the bullets".


Development

The game supports multitouch screens and
PlayStation Move is a motion game controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Initially released in 2010 for use with the PlayStation 3 home video game console, its compatibility was later expanded to its successor, the PlayStation 4 in 2013, its Pla ...
. It is powered by the IRISZOOM engine developed by
Eugen Systems Eugen Systems is a French video game developer based in Paris, France. It was founded in January 2000 by Alexis Le Dressay, a DPLG architect, and Cedric Le Dressay, a software engineer. The company currently focuses on developing real-time strate ...
to enable the seamless zooming from aerial view to detailed maps. ''R.U.S.E.'' was originally going to use Ubisoft's permanent Internet connection DRM, but this was removed in favor of Steamworks. ''R.U.S.E.'' is
AMD Eyefinity AMD Eyefinity is a brand name for AMD video card products that support multi-monitor setups by integrating multiple (up to six) display controllers on one GPU. AMD Eyefinity was introduced with the Radeon HD 5000 Series "Evergreen" in Septemb ...
validated. In December 2015, ''R.U.S.E.'' was pulled from Steam due to a military licensing issue which was revealed on March 31, 2016. According to Ubisoft, they stated the reason that "Due to the expiration of licensing rights over certain military items within the game, ''R.U.S.E.'' is no longer available for purchase". Players that have already bought the game aren't affected by this.


Reception

''R.U.S.E.'' received "generally favorable reviews" on all platforms according to the
review aggregation A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
. In Japan, where the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were ported for release on October 21, 2010, ''
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...
'' gave both console versions each a score of 29 out of 40, while ''Famitsu Xbox 360'' gave the latter console version a score of one seven, one eight, one seven, and one eight for a total of 30 out of 40.


References


External links


Official website
via
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
* {{Authority control 2010 video games MacOS games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation Move-compatible games Real-time strategy video games Ubisoft games Video games developed in France Video games scored by Tom Salta Video games set in Tunisia Windows games World War II video games Xbox 360 games