Mark Botwright
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Reviewed by Ste Carter
Developer – Eugen Systems
Publisher – Ubisoft
Rating – 16 (PEGI)
Formats – PlayStation 3 (also available on Xbox 360 and PC)
Synopsis
Developer – Eugen Systems
Publisher – Ubisoft
Rating – 16 (PEGI)
Formats – PlayStation 3 (also available on Xbox 360 and PC)
Synopsis
The video-game industry is not one that any old mug can enter without the proper acumen or know how. Therefore it's strange to see new developers pop up from nowhere every now and again, especially when there are rival developers who dwarf these fledgling companies and some publishers ignore smaller studio's best efforts. No more so is this the case than with R.U.S.E. developers, Eugen Systems. The Paris based studio, have stated that they intend to only produce Real Time Strategy (RTS) games for all current gen consoles and PC. Very specific indeed, but it also means they won't lose focus on their projects with genres they're unfamiliar with. Their last outing was on PC, Act of War, which was quite well received and scored an average of around 80%. So with that in mind, this surely indicates a knowledge and familiarity with concepts that are required to make a successful RTS game.
Having said this, the RTS genre is a risky one to dabble with if you're a newcomer as the console versions are not played with the easier control method of mouse and/or keyboard. Therefore with a pad only to work with, some game fall into the trap of having a too complex or fiddly lay out that makes playing a chore as opposed to a pastime. But with recent outings such as Command & Conquer (C&C) and Civilization Revolution (Civ Rev) it is clear that it is possible to make successful strategy games for console. And with Ubisoft behind Eugen, then surely it could be assumed that they would not allow the product to be shipped with a broken or fiddly control system, although, Tom Clancy's Endwar was something of a mixed bag when it came to reviews, with voice controls failing to ignite people's passion for the genre.
I will openly admit here that I did not know anything about this game until I saw an advert for it in a games magazine a couple of months back. This usually denotes the belief and confidence that a developer has in its product, though Activision proved us all wrong with Singularity not long ago. Therefore I have had little anticipation about this release, whilst its production has been very much under wraps. But, just like I said with Singularity, this will stand the developer in good stead to establish a name for itself. Assuming, of course, that the controls are not too fiddly and the core game-play and strategic elements are rewarding as they should be.
Presentation
A minimum expectation of games in the current generation is their aesthetics are of a high standard, with the actual game play, sadly, often suffering due to this. Fortunately for R.U.S.E. then, the graphics in game are actually rather good with battlefields often having varied terrains throughout and the units being very detailed. It does sometimes take a while for the game to catch up when you zoom in, and it filters all the graphics through slowly. Hardly ruining the whole experience but it is noticeable, but by the same token, understandable when there is a war going on at the same time in the background.
A game of this type would seem to break the ‘norm' if it didn't tell its story through cut-scenes, which appears to be the standard these days. All is in order in this respect too, with such detailed scenes that, dare I say it, could even rival a game such as Final Fantasy XIII. The characters are all very well animated, and more importantly, believable without being too stereotypical or farfetched.
The attention to detail in R.U.S.E. can be seen time and time again through its game-play. If you were to send a group of tanks to take over a town, or attack a group of enemies situated behind it, then if you zoom in you can see them navigate the town via roads. They won't just trawl through the town, running over buildings or through walls which does slow down your units if the roads are full of twists and turns. This adds to the strategy of the game, planning specific times for your attacks and judging when enemies will leave the town etc. Not only this, but the light infantry also interact with their environment too. When ordered to a similar town to the tanks, or say a town square, they will then proceed to take the nearest cover e.g. hiding behind a well or stack of crates. This adds to the realistic nature of R.U.S.E., as opposed to the two units facing off against one another without ever looking to take cover.
With so many units on screen at once, it's often hard to keep track of where they all are, and most importantly, where the enemy is in relation to them. Whilst zoomed out, a group's icon will become larger depending on how many individual units are part of it, thus representing its strength. This also applies to the enemy too, which allows you to view the strength of their next assault. Each unit will react differently when selected and when they engage in combat. Therefore there is a strong array of sounds when battles are on-going; explosions, bullets being fired, tanks moving and all these fade out when you pan the camera out. Friednlies also correspond back to the player, be it to tell you they have destroyed a target or that they are currently under fire. Little things like this help you keep track of which of your troops are in most need of attention.
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