R.U.S.E.

R.U.S.E.
Developer(s)	Eugen Systems
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Engine	IRISZOOM engine
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Release date(s)	NA September 7, 2010 AUS September 9, 2010 EU September 10, 2010
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T PEGI: 16
Media/distribution	DVD, Digital download, Blu-ray Disc

R.U.S.E. is a real-time strategy video game developed by Eugen Systems and published by Ubisoft which was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, in September 2010. It focuses on information warfare 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. The game was released for Mac on November 15, 2011 through Steam.

Story

R.U.S.E. takes place during the period of World War II. The game contains a single story arc, portrayed through the perspective of Joseph Sheridan of the United States Army. Sheridan, a Harvard dropout, joins Army and eventually assumes control of the First Armored Division. The game opens in 1945 as General Sheridan liberates Colditz Castle 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 leads 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. 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 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, this along with remarks from Kate strain 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 Kate, Campbell remarks that he cannot offer the same "incentives" as Kate and states that he will request a transfer. 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. Kate leaves for Washington D.C. for a new "promotion" leaving Joe 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 onto the key city of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. After pushing back the German offensive Sheridan and Campbell interrogate General Von Richter, a German general who gave Sheridan much trouble in the past. 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 for plotting to kill Hitler.

Returning to the present, Sheridan, Campbell and the undercover agent, Angie, head for Torgau on the Elbe 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 Richtor, who also does not want the weapons to end up in Soviet hands. Under the cover of Von Richtor's German troops, Sheridan and his men reach the weapons facility in the Soviet zone and destroy it. In the process Sheridan learns Prometheus's is none other than his former attaché Kate Garner. It is revealed that Kate 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 V2 Rockets equipped with nuclear warheads. Despite having destroyed the research facility Sheridan learns that Kate had already moved several rockets to another location.

Sheridan and Campbell prepare to attack Kate's base and destroy the weapons of mass destruction, but are forced to re-think their strategy when Joe receives a warning from Kate that she will use the V2 rockets if they continue to provoke her. Sheridans assures Kate that he won't back off, and Kate simply responds that Sheridan will be "rolled over by the modern world" as communism will be inevitably victorious. Good news arrives when the Soviet Government declares the 8th Guards Army (the branch of the Soviet military Kate was working with) is an extremist renegade faction and Allied Commander General Eisenhower orders a full scale assault on Kate's base. With the help of some newly developed nuclear equipped Artillery, Sheridan manages to destroy Kate's base, destroying the German nuclear warheads and killing Kate in an atomic blast. At the end, Sheridan expresses his wish to take a vacation and see Europe "without the bullets".

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 cross hair indicate 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 and 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.

Categories

There are four classes of playable units. Class of a unit can be identified by highlighting a unit and pressing TAB on the keyboard.

Manned units

They are identified with a helmet icon. Most of these units can travel anywhere but will use the road to increase movement speed. There are several subclasses of infantry. It includes foot infantry, paratroopers, manned anti-tank, manned artillery and manned anti-air. Some anti-tank and infantry based units can lay ambushes on tanks and other units, provided that they have not been detected by enemy reconnaissance units. An ambush (surprise attack) inflicts triple the damage it would normally do. Infantry and paratroopers can capture infrastructure. Both of these aforementioned units type can station in towns, ready for surprise attack. Depending on the factions, infantry may not come with anti-armour ability as standard unit production. An upgrade may be required to equip them with anti-armour ability.

Vehicle

Vehicle have a logo of a truck on the unit identification. R.U.S.E. gaming platform will calculate the shortest path taken by any unit when they receive an order. Unless the player preselect the unit's movement pathway, vehicles by default will use the road. Units in this class are usually unarmed, including land-reconnaissance vehicle and the supply logistic truck. Armed vehicle with this logo are mostly light armed and are fragile.

Armour

Armour units are identifiable with a numbered shield. Higher production correlates with a higher shield number and increase in firepower. They can be anything ranging from armored recon to tanks, assault guns, armored anti-air and anti-tank. Armour units cannot travel through forest terrain with the exception of armored reconnaissance units.

Armour class 1

Usually effective against infantry units. Tanks under this class are produced at a low cost and moves the fastest compared to other tanks. Like the Panzer III and the T-26.

Armour class 2

They are better than class 1 and have a higher graded weapon. Movement of these vehicles are compromised by the increase of firepower. Hence, they travel slower and are more expensive to produce compared to a light tank. Like the SOMUA S35 and the M24 Chaffee.

Armour class 3

This class mostly includes armoured artillery, anti-tanks and tanks. Class 3 armour in some factions may have to be purchased to allow production. Like the T-34 and the Panzer IV.

Armour class 4

This class enjoys thick armour combined with a higher graded weapon. Like the Tiger I and the Matilda II.

Armour class 5

They are produced from prototype factories and some armour base provided that upgraded has been made from its Class 4 counterpart. Like the Panzer VIII Maus and the FCM F1.

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 airport. Aircraft carry limited ammo and requires landing to refuel before they can strike again. Aircraft includes reconnaissance by air, air fighters, air-bombers and heavy bombardier. Paratroopers are infantry once they are deployed on land, but until then, they are transported by air and produced in the airport. Paratroopers have no defense ability during flight. Some air-reconnaissance can defend themselves with a light machine gun.

Buildings

There are several different types of defence structures that can be placed on the map. They can be used against aircraft like the Anti-Air Bunker from the USA, against armoured units like the Anti-Tank Position from the UK's HQ, against infantry-based units like the Machine Gun Nest from Germany or a combination like the Maginot Bunker and the Fortified Position from France.

Factions

In the campaign, the player can only play as the United States but can use the German forces later on in the missions (although units from other factions are sometimes 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, United States, Germany, Italy, France, and the Soviet Union. Recently, RUSE Official page has announced the release of a new faction, Japan. Each possesses a unique balance of strengths and weaknesses, which allows for more dynamic gameplay.

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 three different categories: those that reveal information (such as Decryption), those that hide information (such as Radio Silence), and those that allow for fake structures/units, designed to trick the enemy (such as Decoy Offensive).

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 amount 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.

Development

Features

The game supports multitouch screens and Playstation Move. 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. gameplay screenshot

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	74.8% (PS3) 76.9% (X360) 78.2% (PC)
Metacritic	77% (PS3) 79% (X360) 77% (PC)
Review scores
Publication	Score
Edge	8/10
IGN	8/10

External links

• R.U.S.E official site
• R.U.S.E Un-official Unit Encyclopaedia