This is roughly how this review would begin if it were possible to transfer it to today’s game – R.U.S.E. The fact is that the developers from Eugen Systems stated from the very beginning of the development of the game that the main feature of this strategy is indicated in the name – deception. No, you don’t have to wring your fingers in front of the camera or try to lie while blushing in embarrassment. Instead, you will be given a kind of deck of cards with various tricks, such as: accelerating your units or accelerating the enemy’s retreat. A card that prevents your troops from retreating. Obvious "spy – decryption of orders – radio silence". Well, the most important trump card for many may be the deception that was shown in the first trailer: fake units and buildings. Don’t think about it, the developers didn’t even think about resorting to legalized cheating, you need to think about the use of every trick. Firstly, the map is divided into sectors, and therefore you cannot use one trick on the entire map. Secondly, their number is also limited, and the speed of their appearance is sufficient to keep you on your toes. And, of course, the duration of each trick is limited.
“What about the units??!"- you ask. Well, first of all, get ready that there are not tens of thousands of their varieties here. Everything is very concise. Three types of tanks, and don’t think that if you built three heavy ones, you won the match, but more on that later. Three types of aviation, one type of infantry, one air defense and artillery. There are also t.n. “experimental” units, access to which opens after the construction of a research center. True, there is also one nuance here: almost everything in it needs to be researched first, and then built.
Also, among other things, it is worth noting the excellent balance of different types of troops. Your flight of bombers will always be ambushed by anti-aircraft guns in the city. The enemy can place several artillery installations against your column of tanks. In general, the role of the latter here is incredibly large: rather than push straight through the orderly ranks of the enemy, it is easier to deploy the battery, furnish it with anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns and admire the work. Moreover, this work is perfectly voiced; when approaching, you can hear the charge whistling in the air, and the sound of the explosion itself is very impressive. Also, here you will have to completely forget about rushes, because they are useless here. Where is the guarantee that that column of tanks over there is real?? That’s right, she’s not there. Actually, this is included in the subtitle of the game: Truth Is The First Casualty Of War (Truth is the first casualty of war). In fact, even if that column over there is real, this does not mean that a huge flight of fighters is not flying behind it. Although, no, you know that planes fly there. The fact is that after a while you are shown the movement of enemy troops, but you know nothing about the type of troops: the chips show only the type (air – ground) and size (only for ground). As a result, we understand that the game is simply riddled with some kind of… anxiety, probably. You know that many opponents are coming towards you… that’s all! As a result, you pull up your army to the intended attack point…and suddenly a report comes that from somewhere on the side a tank is destroying your base, and you missed the message about the enemy using a jammer. Or they didn’t miss it, but didn’t know where it was used. As a result, you spend almost the entire game bouncing between the front lines… and that’s great! Using the mechanics of a regular RTS, the developers managed to create a real, dare I say it, puzzle, the conditions of which change every second.
No less interesting is the situation with resources, more precisely with the resource – money. Well, let’s start with the fact that in the beginning you will really miss them. The fact is that at first you only have 200 dollars, with which you can build, for example, 5 supply bases. Then you will have to wait for the trucks with tools to reach special points with money, which are called warehouses here, wait for the construction to be completed and… watch the empty treasury and trucks with money trailing like turtles. While they are traveling, many troubles of varying severity can occur: from a small reconnaissance by enemy infantry to an attack on all fronts. And it’s hard to say that even with the most streamlined system of money delivery using strongholds, money flows in a rapid stream. More like a thin stream that just made its way through the asphalt. As a result, you will have to think about every purchase you make and regret the loss of every unit. For this, too, we can only praise the developers.
Maps are also not wastelands with https://phtayacasino.co.uk/ trees, buildings and other landscape elements stuck here and there. Everything here plays into building tactics: your troops move faster on roads, and only on them can trucks drive. Cities and forests where certain types of troops can hide can also be considered strategically important points. Troops hidden in this way are not visible to the enemy and their discovery will be an unpleasant surprise for him.
It is also worth noting that there are several factions… but when playing, the difference between them is almost imperceptible. On the other hand, this was done to maintain the most fragile part of any strategy – balance. Another interesting feature worth noting is the presence of several time periods. They differ from each other both in available buildings and possible units.
Phew, I’ve lost my mind (as usual). Now, a few words about graphics and sound, and then a small update.
In principle, there are no special complaints about the graphics. The scale of the type “look at the map where the units are displayed” is very well done. But there are two points that really confused me: monolithic stone trees and ghost buildings.
The first ones look like trees, every leaf is worked out… but they don’t move, the foliage doesn’t rustle, the trunk doesn’t bend in a strong wind.
But the second ones look like ordinary buildings, even snow settles on them… but the equipment passes through them like a knife through smoke!
Otherwise the picture is pleasant, the sun is shining, the birds are singing ^^.
By the way, about singing. The sound here is excellent. In addition to the sounds of gunfire and the roar of exploding shells, the voice acting deserves special attention. The fact is that you don’t need to look at the map and wait for a miracle, you are notified about everything by an assistant who walks somewhere out of visual reach, so his voice comes from one side or the other. It’s like he’s also walking around the table and monitoring the situation.
Actually, this can be summed up: the game came out great. And if you look at the yellowish stream of games from UbiSoft, then it’s generally wonderful. Fans of complex tactical strategies should pay attention to it.
I will now start posting reviews on stopgame.ru, I’ll add a link to the blog in it later in the top menu. That’s the whole update