R.U.S.E.

by Ubisoft

Product Features

• R.U.S.E. displays maps a hundred times larger than in traditional RTS games, which makes raises strategy to an unprecedented scale and gives deception a lot more depth.
• RTS action that includes becoming a master of deception on the battlefield using tactics like decoys, camouflage, radio silence, deciphering to mislead enemies.
• Experience war as a strategist commanding a huge spectrum of mechanized and infantry units.
• Choose between six Axis or Allied powers with specific units and abilities and tactical leanings.
• Test your strategic skills with fast-paced, addictive adversarial skirmishes, up to 8 players.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0020KXYPG
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 1.6 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 7, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,754 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #43 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Adventure
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Xbox 360 | Edition: Standard

Amazon.com Product Description

R.U.S.E is a Real-time Strategy (RTS) game utilizing a revolutionary deception gameplay mechanic that adds a whole new dimension to its classic faction and resource collection based battlefield action. This mechanic allows and encourages players to engage in elaborate tactics of misdirection, which are as important as any other battlefield tactic to overall success in-game. Additional important features include six historically accurate Allied and Axis nation factions from the conflict, each with specific units, huge maps magnifying the importance of strategy and multiplayer support up to eight players. Tactical deception system. View larger. Easy targeting functionality. View larger. WWII specific weaponry. View larger. Rebirth of the RTS Genre Through Deception Developed by Eugen Systems, R.U.S.E is a WWII based Real-time Strategy (RTS) game that is set to refresh the genre through the introduction of battlefield deception on a major scale. Of course the existence of deception as a tactic is as old as the RTS genre itself, but the approach to this taken by R.U.S.E is far beyond anything that has come before it. Instead of the one-off ploys and minor misdirections enacted at players' discretion seen in other games, R.U.S.E. Raises deception to the level of an integral battlefield tactic. Deceptive tactics, known as "Ruses," allow players to do things like bluff enemies in order to lead your nation's army to victory, camouflage your troops, lure your opponent with decoy units, sabotage his logistics and more. Ruses are built into the game's mechanics in the form of "cards" that can be played at particular times. There are many of these to choose from and use in accordance with particular scenarios and unit abilities. Just a few of these include: Radio Silence - A way to hides all units in a sector from an enemy intelligence system. Spy Plan - Reveals all unidentified units in the sector and keeps spy units hidden from the enemy detection system as long as they do not leave the affected area. Decryption - Reveals all enemy orders in a chosen sector. Decoy Offensive - Creates 5 decoy units to simulate an actual attack, drawing enemy forces out. Camouflage Net - Hides buildings and production facilities from enemy intelligence resulting in possible flanking scenarios by unexpected forces and unseen resources. Dimension is another fundamental aspect of R.U.S.E. That highlights the importance of deception. The IRISZOOM Engine, utilized by R.U.S.E. Displays maps a hundred times larger than in traditional RTS games, which raises strategy to an unprecedented scale and gives deception a lot more depth. With the zoom, you are able to both command your units as a chief-in-command and manage your troops at a tactical level as a ground officer; for example by deploying a fake offensive on your opponent’s HQ while carefully hiding your infantry in villages to ambush the surrounding tanks. Playable Factions and Multiplayer Because R.U.S.E. Is set during the WWII era, playable factions seen within the game are reflected in the combatants of that conflict. Centered around the European theater, players can expect see nations including: US, UK, Germany, USSR, Italy and France. Each have specific units, strengths, tendencies and tactical deceptive leanings. Also, since fooling a human player is very different than doing the same against AI, in addition to a deep 23-mission single player campaign, multiplayer options play a major role in R.U.S.E., To the tune of up to 8 players getting together and battling it out online across huge battlefields. In fact, multiplayer is the dominant mode available in R.U.S.E. And players will be able to set up games with their own preferences thanks to several parameters (number of available ruses, conditions of victory, game time, 1939, 1942 or 1945 mode, etc.). Key Game Features RTS action that includes becoming a master of deception on the battlefield using tactics like decoys, camouflage, radio silence, deciphering to mislead enemies. Experience war as a strategist commanding a huge spectrum of mechanized and infantry units. Choose between six Axis or Allied powers with specific units and abilities and tactical leanings. Test your strategic skills with fast-paced, addictive adversarial skirmishes, up to 8 players. R.U.S.E. Displays maps a hundred times larger than in traditional RTS games, which makes raises strategy to an unprecedented scale and gives deception a lot more depth.

Product Description

Features include:

•R.U.S.E. displays maps a hundred times larger than in traditional RTS games, which makes raises strategy to an unprecedented scale and gives deception a lot more depth.
•RTS action that includes becoming a master of deception on the battlefield using tactics like decoys, camouflage, radio silence, deciphering to mislead enemies.
•Experience war as a strategist commanding a huge spectrum of mechanized and infantry units.
•Choose between six Axis or Allied powers with specific units and abilities and tactical leanings.
•Test your strategic skills with fast-paced, addictive adversarial skirmishes, up to 8 players.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fumbling but still fun, September 14, 2010

By 

T. Caughey - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: R.U.S.E. (Video Game)

I desperately wanted to love RUSE and for the first two hours I did. You begin the game as an (initially) interesting US Army Major of the 1st Armored Division in the infamous Kasserine Pass. At your command are historical units engaged in deliberately paced and tactically based action all presented in an attractive and zoom-able tabletop environment. What's not to love?

Unfortunately as the Single Player Campaign progresses the game's mechanics begin to breakdown. RUSE is a game that wants you to look at the "big picture" but ends up forcing you to micromanage on the ground. The combat revolves around the tried and true "rock, paper, scissors" concept. Here this translates as tank units kill infantry units who kill anti-tank units who then kill tank units. This is then reapplied to air units. Pretty simple right? Well not entirely.

RUSE is many enjoyable things but a historically accurate or realistic war game it is most defiantly not. Many of your units, which were historically very versatile platforms, are represented in this game as part time assets that must be babysat so as not to turn into total liabilities. It's very shocking the first time you see armored, self propelled anti-tank units with 88mm cannons and 7.92mm machine guns retreating from Infantry advancing across open terrain because they're "rock" to the infantry's "paper". This creates an environment where the tactical level becomes a burden which must be borne instead of a fun challenge to overcome. The player will also note with frustration that the developers have thrown any and all semblance of historical accuracy out the window at the strategic level as well. Being presented with a situation where you're asked to take part in a counter offensive after the Battle of the Bulge where the Germans have dominating air superiority would be amusing if said level where not so infuriating.

Not to say the tactical level is not without its pleasures. The designers made excellent use of line of sight concepts (despite the ability to shoot through forests which is simply bizarre) and the ambush. The first time I saw a light tank from an advance element sprinting down the cobblestone street of a small Italian town and then the whoosh of my waiting infantry's bazooka and the resulting fireball I had an ear to ear grin of pleasure. This combined with the emphasis placed on recon units allows the true use of enfilade, L-shaped ambushes and some other realistic tactics. Unfortunately, again, as the game progresses you are forced to fumble with poorly grouped and managed units at the strategic level which simply doesn't allow for the implementation of much of the careful attention required to do these things.

While I'd like to be able to say that the Campaign is, by far and away, the worst portion of RUSE the truth is that it has some very stiff competition from the poorly constructed, stand alone "what if" scenarios available. Some are embarrassingly easy, others incomprehensibly hard but none of them are actually fun.

The one aspect of RUSE that does translate well is the multi-player. Because your opponent doesn't have the ability to simply spam you with units like the computer does the tactical aspect becomes fun again and the strategic level becomes as important as it should actually be. The "RUSE ability", which is a collection of psychological actions, fakes, feints, espionage and counter-espionage tactics, actually has a use against a human opponent whereas they are often left either forgotten or unpleasantly forced into use in a linear fashion during the campaign.

The bottom line is that RUSE is not a realistic war or historical strategy game. It's simply an RTS set in World War II which is usually frustrating but occasionally brilliant. The bulk of the enjoyment the player will get out of the game is in playing other people so I'd recommend a rental to WWII and RTS enthusiast so they can try out the multi-player and before they sink the retail price into the game.

Pros:

*Looks great with very smooth camera action.

*Terrain details and map lavished with attention.

*When ambushes and complex plans work the game comes to life.

*Tactical mechanics conductive to multi-player.

*A wide variety of units and factions which play slightly different.

*Real time saves/loads.

Subjective qualities:

*A deliberate, even slow, pace of game play.

*Game play forces player to play on both tactical and strategic levels.

* Campaign missions "unfold" with progressive goals.

Cons:

*Silly unit attributes and abilities.

*Tedious micromanagement which robs the strategic level of any fun.

*A sub par AI which spams the player with units.

*Really poor level design.

*Some missions are frustrating in their difficulty.

*Obvious, eye roll inducing, storyline.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Strategy less micromanagement, September 10, 2010

By 

Jacob LeTourneau "Sideburn Slayer" (Mn, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: R.U.S.E. (Video Game)

This game is like risk, axis and allies, and chess all put into one game with crisp graphics and nice animations. Its the true "thinking man's" game. By a long shot R.U.S.E. is the best strategy game for consoles yet! The solo campaign is a little weak story wise, but there are levels where you are tested on how well you can command and keep your men alive from ceaseless attacks on key cities. (which is super fun) The multiplayer is very diverse and well crafted. 9/10 for me!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sleeper Hit!!! Like Chess and Sun Tzu combined!!, September 8, 2010

By 

WarCenturion - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: R.U.S.E. (Video Game)

This game is amazing. Graphics are good, it's well-polished, and has very strong multiplayer. It's a thinking man's RTS, not a "Micro" player, as you have more control over the strategic actions of your army then micro-control of every individual unit (you do control them, but they have an AI of their own--think End War, but way better, more polished, and on more of a 'grand' scale).

The premise of the game is like chess, except with the old adage from Sun Tsu of "All Warfare is Based Upon Deception". This game is almost a tactics simulator--do you go for cutting off the enemy supply lines, inhibiting his ability to make new units? Do you use feints or "Ruse's" to trick the enemy you're attacking somewhere you're not? Is that enemy armor attack real that's about to hit your base, or fake, even though your scouts do not report any enemy armor bases? Do you go for the heart, destroying the enemy HQ directly inhibiting his command/control and logistics?

I love this game, Well done Ubisoft! Thank you for this sleeper hit!

Pro's:

-Strong Multiplayer

-Amazing graphics/detail during combat

-Thousands of different strategy combinations with RUSE system

Con's:

-"Micro" type players may be disappointed. This game is less about individually microing every unit (ala Starcraft) and more about thinking before you act (chess), and creating a winning strategy.

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