14 DAY TRIAL // Ubisoft is announcing that it aims to launch a new intellectual property, called R.U.S.E. The game will be a real time strategy, with development duties handled by Eugen Systems, known for creating Act of War: Direct Action in 2005. R.U.S.E. is set to arrive on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC at the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010.
The game was shown for the first time at the Game Developers Conference, although the current build is a very early alpha version. The main idea behind R.U.S.E. is that the traditional military based real strategy concept is being paired with a deep intelligence-based system that allows players to bluff in some situations, mislead enemy forces and deceive them in a variety of ways, which are simulated in game via a system of battle cards. Unfortunately, the chosen backdrop for the game is World War II, which has already been covered to death by strategy titles.
This new level of gameplay will be complemented by the fresh IRISZOOM Engine designed to take advantage of the i7 processor from Intel in order to allow the player to have a big picture view of the battlefield and go for a close up on the action when he/she feels like it.
Ubisoft says that “the exclusive IRISZOOM Engine [...] offers an intuitive interface that allows for smooth, rapid transitions from a birds-eye view of the entire conflict, down into the heat of the battle and vice versa.”
John Parkes, who is a marketing director at Ubisoft, stated that “With R.U.S.E., Ubisoft is once again shaking up a genre, offering an RTS with a twist that will thrill gamers. Ubisoft is known for innovation and R.U.S.E. continues that tradition, offering the most immense and detailed maps ever seen in an RTS. Players can explore the maps using IRISZOOM Engine, which provides an aerial, smooth interaction unlike anything ever seen before.”
The last real time strategy delivered by Ubisoft was Tom Clancy's EndWar, a game that featured vocal control over units and was built around small scale tactical engagements. It was innovative, but in a narrow way. It was released on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC.