Customer Reviews

R.U.S.E.

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

R.U.S.E is a great strategy game and a very unique one.

There is no other strategy game like it.

I played more than 50 top RTS games over the past 5 years and R.U.S.E is on my top 10 list.

It is a perfect strategy game for the casual players who doesn't like (or cannot handle) click fest strategy games such as Star Craft II.

You don't have to click fast with the mouse in order to win.

The pace of the game is reasonable and you have enough time to react and win without having to click the mouse like crazy.

R.U.S.E is mostly about strategy and tactics.

There is some economy too but that will take only 10% of your time unlike Star Craft II where is takes 80% of your time.

There are many strategies to explore with the different factions, units and ruses (read game description above).

The best way to enjoy the game is to play skirmish battles vs the AI, since this game mode offers unlimited play time.

The AI plays well in higher difficulties and offers a good challenge.

There are also lower difficulty levels for beginners.

If you haven't played strategy games before, then R.U.S.E. is a great game to start with.

It promotes high level of thinking and problem solving, and it offers great satisfaction.

Leading up to the day Halo Reach came out, I found that I needed something to tide me over until I could blast some covenant. After trading in a couple older games I had, I picked up Tom Clancy HAWX 2 and a game I didn't know much about called R.U.S.E. After spending a good deal of time with the game over the past weekend, I'll give a detailed first impression of the game and let you know if it's worth your time and money investment.

R.U.S.E. is a strategy game. You need to understand that first and foremost. What this means is that you will be moving units around the field and creating them from your base. While it has some of the same mechanics as a Starcraft or Command and Conquer, it is a little different. To begin with, you don't collect resources in the typical sense. Sure, you create supply depots, but once you create them, you can forget about them and not need to worry about collectors to get the cash flow going. If enemies attack you need to defend your supply depots, but for the most part, you'll set and forget them. If you aren't into strategy games though, this game won't change your mind about them. If anything, it's more difficult than most strategy games, but I'll get into that later.

While R.U.S.E. (from here on out I'm dropping the periods) is a strategy game, it does have a story. The game takes place during World War 2 and you control an officer during certain invasions. You'll encounter incompetent leadership, spies, and other page turners that actually make the story a little engaging. It's nothing to write home about, but it's better than nothing. The story isn't where the game really shines though, it's the art of deception that the game brags about constantly.

RUSE is all about tricking your enemy and doing things under the radar. While playing the game, you will get ruse's given to you at time intervals throughout the game. These include things like radio silence (hides units from enemy), spies (show enemy units), ones that show enemy movement, and others. These are critical to your gameplay. I cannot express this enough. If you do not use these strategically you will be blown away in seconds. For instance, if you send your bombers in to take out an MG post, if you don't throw on radio silence the enemies fighter pilots will tear you to ribbons. With your bomber squadron obliterated, it's going to take time and money to rebuild all the while the enemy is on your doorstep. By hiding your whereabouts you can destroy the enemy and be back in your base before they actually know you're attacking. It's a beautiful system that is wonderful while it works but frustratingly difficult when it doesn't. Keeping track of where you set up a ruse and how long it has left can be difficult. You get a notification on the screen but it's hard to tell what sector the ruse is for. Plus, you usually have to travel across multiple sectors to attack and enemy and with a limited amount of ruse's, you will be vulnerable at one point or another. Overall though, the RUSE system is a nice addition and sets it apart from other games.

The presentation is the next thing I'd like to touch on. The presentation of the game is refreshing and new. The whole game takes place on a board in a military office. Think of a chess board that looks like a battle field. If you are zoomed all the way out, you can see in the background the office where your general is at. Zooming in a little you see chips on a playing board that looks like a setup you would see in a Warhammer Games Workshop store with grass, mountains, and structures. As you zoom in even further, the game switches to actual units and it's like you are on the battlefield. This works perfectly for the type of game it is and I loved switching between the two. The only issue I had with this though was unit selection. In a strategy game, this is a big issue too. Zoomed in all the way, selecting units is near impossible. Your units are usually big (tanks, planes, mortars, etc.) and they take up space. So, you have to zoom all the way out and do a mass selection on their chips. But sometimes you won't want all the units, but zoomed out they are grouped together. Good luck picking and choosing units when they are stacked up like poker chips with a numerical number above representing the total amount of units. So, you have to zoom in to select individual units but with their size it's an issue again. You end up selecting individual sets of units (you can grab all tanks or all infantry on a whim) and move them somewhere, then go and get the other unit and move them, then the next and move them until you have your force and you can continue. It's a lot of extra steps that are unfortunately a pain sometimes. In a game where you are constantly trying to monitor everything on screen, it can be quite the hassle.

Gripes with unit selection aside, the game is actually pretty damn good. It's not perfect by any stretch and it gets really (really!!!) hard even on the easy difficulty in later levels, but if you are a strategy fan, you'll be hard pressed to find another game that is as fun and as unique as this one on the home consoles.

Definitely get this game for the unlimited multiplayer experience you will get from it... or at least for the solo skirmish modes it offers. The AI is quite good on hardest level. I enjoy playing because it is smart like Chess and fun like a video game should be. One clarification is the campaign, well, consider it one long and fancy tutorial that is a must in order to appreciate the depth of the game. The game is called RUSE because ruses are essential element of the gameplay. They are the novelty and innovation of the game. RUSE is a unique game in that sense. So plan on using them all the time and you are guaranteed to hold an edge over your opponent. In fact, ruses are quite realistic as the campaign will teach you that.

Do not be fooled by any bad reviews. They were harsh because the developpers messed up the campaign story and acting. Well, sincerely the story is not boring or stupid nor is the acting mediocre. I would say they are Ok! But this is not why you will be playing it. The true value is the playability and the fun factor you get from its depth, sort of like Chess. RUSE is quite different from say Company of Heores, C&C etc... in many ways. One difference is the units (far more numerous and varied and historic than CoH or any other) move over a huge landscape (think strategy and ambushes in cities and forests...) a bit slowly so that gives you time to SRATEGIZE, BREATH and THINK more. No need to multi task as much. You still need to coordinate and organise your defenses and attacks so you will definitely be busy all the time. Occasionally I take a break to zoom in and marvel at the 3D world unraveling... the bombers, the hills, sea...quite nice with the fast zooming and fluid technology.

So finally, make sure you play the campaign to learn all the properties of the units and how to deploy ruses. I recommend the hardest level if you like some challenge. It will make you tough in the multiplayer arena. This is where the game RUSE really begins.

Let me preface this by saying I am a long time PC real-time strategy game player (RTS). While not a hardcore gamer by any means, I have play a lot of RTS games and there is one thing I have learned over the years; RTS games always blow on consoles and they are often stripped down versions of their PC counterparts.

I am not going to go into the actual gameplay and what the game entails as it has been done in the other reviews and you should be able to come to a conclusion with the help of those. What I will say is the Move controller along with the Nav controller is the most intuitive and wonderful control scheme I have ever used for a RTS game. The way you can navigate with precision is really way beyond my expectations and the selection mechanism is perfect. It is a good thing that RUSE is a good game to begin with, but it really is an enjoyable experience sitting on the couch in front of the big screen playing this game. You use the Move controller as a cursor on the screen and it basically acts as your mouse. The clever part is actually the nav controller as you use the joystick to move the screen about and you squeeze the trigger to make what I call a paint brush selection. The more you squeeze the trigger the bigger your selection brush gets and you just move the cursor over the units you want to select. Very elegant and fast. If you want to rotate or zoom in you just pull the trigger on the move controller and move the controller left or right or up or down. It is very smooth and very quick and I actually think it works better than the mouse in the PC version. In the heat of battle you will be zooming out and in A LOT and it really is very quick and easy with the move controller and I found myself being much more efficient with my forces than I ever was in the PC version.

So if you are a fan RTS games and happen to have a PS Move lying about, at least download the demo and give a try, I think you will be pleased.

I'm not hugely into RTS games, but this one caught my eye because it was Move compatible. The demo for it was amazing - it felt like the game of Risk and Chess rolled into one (and, maybe that's what later missions are like...). I ordered the game, and I was hugely disappointed. The campaign starts off with tutorial missions, which is alright. But, a couple of hours in, you have limited access to units and your objectives are "go over there, kill them" and "hold this town for a few minutes til reinforcements arrive"... not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be. The skirmish battles were just the opposite; you are given one base, minimal resources, and an enemy that is relentless.

Graphics - 9. Being able to go from this large map to zooming in on the country side, and not miss a thing is pretty cool. Obviously, some flaws, but it's a video game!

Controls - 9. I tried playing with both the PS3 controller and Move. Both felt very well balanced. I never missed executing a move because I was fumbling with buttons.

Sounds - 8. The explosions and gunshots sound amazing. You hear planes zipping over and tank treads moving over the soil. My only complaint is the voice of the different units - they have very limited dialogue, which can get kind of old if you keep on selecting the same group over and over again.

Gameplay - 5. The concept of any RTS is awesome. Going back to WWII for this game is a great idea. Units can actually use the cover of wooded areas and use an element of surprise to get a drop on tougher units. There is an over-emphasis on the "RUSE" tactics, which range from using decoy units and bases to speeding up unit productions and movements. Every couple of minutes, I would hear "You have a new RUSE available". By the end of a skirmish match, I had 25 RUSEs I didn't even use.

Closing thoughts: In the end, some people are going to like it, some people aren't. I felt middle of the road about it. The big sell point for me was that it was Move compatible, however it failed to really grab my attention.

I discovered this game via the demo in the Playstation Store. I had heard of the game but had no idea what it was about- so when I saw the demo I downloaded it. Wow! I loved the concept and this is one of the first good WWII RTS games I have played in awhile.

I'm a longtime fan of the Close Combat series on PC so I thoroughly enjoy WWII RTS's where actual strategy is involved. Now, the Close Combat series do involve a little more strategy than RUSE mainly because in CC you are limited with the kinds/amounts of units that you get and you can't make more.

However, I do enjoy the economy aspect of RUSE that allows you to build units to suit your needs or wants, and you get a very large selection of units including prototype units.

The single player is pretty fun...and, it definitely involves some real strategy at times because as in CC, you are given a certain number/type of units and that's all you have until you either get reinforcements or complete the mission.

Some of the single player missions are challenging, a few are downright frustrating. I know there's a couple, especially toward the end of the single player campaign, that I had to play over and over just to be able to beat them. They are definitely tough!

Multiplayer is a pretty different bag of worms. I do have a few beefs with multiplayer to be honest.

While it can be fun to play, I very often find it very frustrating. In multiplayer there's a certain number of supply depots available and you're limited to a total of 50 units. For some reason, buildings and supply depots count toward your unit count- which is something I don't completely understand. Additionally...say you build a building and either don't want it or don't need it...there is no way to sell it or destroy it to get rid of it! And this is probably one of my major complaints of the game. Often early into the onset of a multiplayer game I'll build something defensive like an antitank bunker, then later on will need one further up from where that one is because that's where my other units are. But I can't sell or get rid of that bunker unless the enemy blows it up somehow.

Another complaint I have is that some units are a little overpowered. Fighter-bombers are the number 1 thing that makes me say that, because every nation except Germany has a diver bomber that goes into its attack motion and attacks/drops is bomb before your AA even starts to shoot at it! (I say except Germany because the Stuka's attack is so slow you can often blow it up before it actually drops its bomb) And if someone has a recon anywhere in your general area, they can just send 8 fighter-bombers in and blow up most of your vehicles, and that's really annoying.

Also, I have faced some people with the Japan expansion, and Japan has a prototype heavy tank that has rocket launchers on it. Everyone who plays as Japan just builds a ton of these tanks, comes near your base and blows everything up with the rocket launchers. The rockets are ridiculously powerful too because I faced a guy who was blowing up my King Tigers with just the rockets from a few of these tanks. Really?

Finally...too often, multiplayer really involves no strategy beyond "build tons of heavy units and attack." Because that's generally what it boils down to. People build 20 heavy or prototype tanks, use radio silence to get them in near your base, and then kick your ass. In fact I often wonder how people do it, because I'll be struggling to build a few basic units and they send down a bunch of expensive prototype tanks and wreak havoc.

Ah, who knows, and sorry for the rambling, I'm just venting a bit. I suppose that is the essence of multiplayer. I DO have fun with multiplayer when everything feels balanced and I'm doing fairly well, and I still enjoy playing RUSE on almost a daily basis. Even the battles against the AI can be fun although the AI is really predictable.

In short- great game, and as soon as the Playstation Store is back up I'm planning to get the expansion packs for the game as well.

So...R.U.S.E. Didn't think I was going to like it as much as I do, but OMG I installed it and went right for the "skirmish" type game, and got my A$$ handed to me. I was like, wow the AI is amazing. They react to what you are doing, if you launch a Blitz with T-95's there going to build and over build anti tank, then it seems, like they get pissed off, and bomb you or invade your towns with infantry, artillery, or any other means.

I downloaded the free addon from the PSN. It came with a mode called nuclear mode, in this i got killed within 16 min on easy yes i know ha.ha. but i was trying different things out) i was in awh.

I would highly recommend this for anybody who likes a RTS, its great for consoles. And if you have the MOVE it works pretty good, haven't tried it alot, but besides its fantastic.

RUSE has been out for over a year. However, there are no comparable RTS games available on console that come close to matching RUSE. Campaign is challenging and will provide 20+ hours of gameplay. Multiplayer is even better, boasting 2v2 battles and even 4 player FFA. There is a free map pack included, which provides two different game modes and 7 maps. The combination of stunning graphics, evolutionary concept, and massive variety of units makes RUSE a 5 out of 5 in my book. A steal at only 15 bucks.

I like the game, the graphics, the design, the gameplay etc.

I just wish I bought the PC version as it gets a bit difficult to wave your hands in the air for hours when you realize it must be so much easier with a mouse. I like the direction this game takes game development for PS3 in general, it's just too difficult to handle for a long time. (On the positive side: you don't waste too much time on it without taking breaks)

I had been putting off the purchase of this game for a while, but I finally caved and I'm glad I did - this game is a lot of fun! Once you get used to the controls and game speed, you'll have a blast!