14 DAY TRIAL // One of the games that Ubisoft recently announced but failed to elaborate upon was R.U.S.E., a strategy title that is being developed by Eugen Systems, team that has also delivered Act of War: Direct Action, a competent RTS but lacking innovation.
At the E3 industry trade show, the publisher offered more information on R.U.S.E., aiming to kindle the interest of gamers who might have been put off by the fact that the title is set in World War II.
R.U.S.E. is based upon deception and will make players focus on one of the most underplayed aspects of warfare, the fact that you cannot fight an enemy if you are not sure where his/her troops are. Gamers will learn to rely on specialized recon units and on an extensive spy network in order to make sure that they know the layout of enemy troops and the strong and weak points in their disposition.
Alternatively, the game will also offer a variety of means, from decoys to camouflage, from radio silence to encryption and deciphering, to trick the enemy and mask your own moves.
Ubisoft and Eugen Systems are promising that the array of troops that will be under the player's command will go from infantry to vehicles, some armoured, and aircraft. Each unit will have specific abilities that will be integrated with the overall theme of misdirection and manipulation of the enemy.
Logistics and supply line management will play an important role in R.U.S.E., with gamers looking to cripple each others’ game effort by making sure that they lack the resources needed to efficiently conduct the war effort. Presumably, this will be one of the main mechanics in multiplayer, with gamers engaged in matches that will be fast paced and played either in co operative mode or in competitive mode.