By Quintin Smith on May 13th, 2011 at 4:51 pm.
Oooh! Ruse developers Eugen Systems have spilled the beans on their latest project, Wargame: European Escalation, and those standing behind the protective bean screen have relayed the relevant information to the internet. It’s going to be another real-time strategy game using the same engine as Ruse (and the same incredible zoom effect, which it turns out is called IRISZOOM™ (hnng)), only this time the setting will of a fictional Cold War conflict that “could have been”. Details and a screenshot of the two blindest tanks in existence await you in the grim concrete bunker below.
Wargame: European Escalation features intense real-time battles, stunning graphics, and the amazing IRISZOOM™ system, which allows a continuous zoom from a global view of the map to the heart of the action. With real strategic gameplay, rich content, integration of EugenNet© and its numerous online services, Wargame: European Escalation will unite all the world’s biggest strategy fans.
Set in the rarely explored period of 1975-1985, Wargame: European Escalation pits NATO (USA and Western Europe) against the Warsaw Pact (Soviet and Eastern European countries) in battles that explore “what could have been.” The specter of nuclear warfare loomed large over the real Cold War, but this catastrophic outcome was the ultimate last resort as everyone knew that the first one to start nuclear hostilities would end up wiped out just the same. Large, armored offensives through Europe would certainly have been the core of this hypothetical war; and this is what the game’s explosive campaign takes you through!
13/05/2011 at 17:01 Dominic White says:
Ruse was lovely… yet almost everywhere I’ve tried to even mention the game, the ‘IT’S SLOW SO IT’S NOT STRATEGY’ trolls come out of the woodwork. Apparently Starcraft is the only RTS.
13/05/2011 at 17:15 Duckee says:
Men of War (Assault Squad) is the only WW2 themed RTS out there.
World in Conflict was another interesting game, which dealt with the 70-80s era though (Cold War). But I believe that has died?
13/05/2011 at 19:13 Xercies says:
Thats funny I thought RUSE was way to fast for me.
13/05/2011 at 19:31 Colthor says:
Mmm, add me to the “Ruse was a bit nippy” crowd.
14/05/2011 at 03:16 Corrupt_Tiki says:
What was singleplayer like? I find mulitplayer to be too much for me in RTS games.
14/05/2011 at 14:45 rivalin says:
“‘IT’S SLOW SO IT’S NOT STRATEGY” HA HA HA, RTS games involve almost no strategy (or tactics) at all, I’d love to see the world cyber games starcraft champion out “strategise” a 19th century general with his ADD clicking.
Real strategy tends to rely on considering the situation, picking an approach, and gambling on it paying off at some point way down the line, which, I believe is essentially much the way in which Ruse works.
14/05/2011 at 14:56 Malawi Frontier Guard says:
@rivalin
I’m looking forward to you becoming our new strategy game grognard. Please post a little rant about real strategy under every post about computer strategy games.
15/05/2011 at 20:47 Pinky G says:
Rivalin, I am compelled to tell you that your comment is partially wrong. Unfortunately, the language you have used makes me think that I am unable to argue with you. Having a comment such as yours on the website is embarassing for me, and that is why I am making it clear that not everyone agrees with you so that others can see RPS has a varied readerbase representing different groups of gamers. You are inexperienced with Broodwar. Have the courtesy to act accordingly, because you are needlessly offensive.
13/05/2011 at 17:02 Outsider says:
Ooooh, this looks great!
13/05/2011 at 22:42 Peggle20 says:
Indeedy. Gonna be keeping an eye skinned for this one.
13/05/2011 at 17:17 Giaddon says:
I will also praise Ruse. Really awesome balance between the unit types/terrain. Great sense of scale.
13/05/2011 at 17:21 DK says:
RUSE was brilliant and I can’t wait for this. Hopefully it’s World of Conflict with some actual depth instead of merely spectacle. (as spectacluar as WiC was)
13/05/2011 at 17:40 -Spooky- says:
+1
13/05/2011 at 17:26 westyfield says:
Do want. The WW2 theme of RUSE put me off a bit, so this looks just the ticket.
13/05/2011 at 17:49 pepper says:
<3 the blindest tanks in history bit, thank you RPS for my almost coffee spil on my desktop!
13/05/2011 at 20:19 BathroomCitizen says:
Oh dang it!
I cannot understand the joke! I tried to look at the pictures and see two tanks… why are they the blindest?? Also, there are some puffs of smoke… are they blind because they’ve got smoke in front of them??
Thanks.
13/05/2011 at 21:22 Felixader says:
Hrmpf coff, clears voice… as an ex german Soldier and having been part of an Tank Crew on a Leopard 2 let me tell you that Tanks try to shoot each other when they are still little dots in an zoomed in objective.
That doesn’t say that some couldn’t slip trough or flank in to close quarters, but still, modern tanks figth over distances in Kilometers.
Training is to shoot one as soon as dust is seen in the distance. ^.^
13/05/2011 at 17:51 BooleanBob says:
Second pic seems to suggest this is clearly Romeo and Juliet but with tanks.
13/05/2011 at 19:31 Torgen says:
I think it’s more “Have you found a place to hide from those goddamned attack choppers?” “Nope, have you?”
13/05/2011 at 18:04 icupnimpn2 says:
The name is a bit brand x. I’ll just go back to playing JRPG: Japanese Drivel.
13/05/2011 at 18:36 FalseMyrmidon says:
What!? It’s a original setting? Hooray!
13/05/2011 at 18:42 Hensler says:
This looks fun, but I want Act of War 2 from Eugen.
13/05/2011 at 18:50 Vexing Vision says:
Let me join in on the praise of RUSE, which I loved ESPECIALLY because of it’s slowness.
It’s the closest thing RTS ever got to actual Strategy. (*them’s fighting words*)
13/05/2011 at 19:32 Torgen says:
Loved Ruse, but can’t get any of my friends interested in it :(
I’m not much for being humiliated by strangers when playing these type of games.
13/05/2011 at 19:53 PatrickSwayze says:
What are Massive doing anyway since they got gobbled up by Ubisoft along with the World In Conflict license?
This just seems pointless when they have the rights to that game under their belts.
WIC is probably one of the best RTS games of all time along with one of the best stories told in gaming.
Could always go for some more Ground Control too…
13/05/2011 at 22:48 SirKicksalot says:
They’re working on Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. Before that, they did this: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ubisoft-massive/massive-goes-to-war/453076489642
And before that, it was rumoured they helped with Uplay and that shit always online DRM.
13/05/2011 at 20:15 Jambo says:
I always felt RUSE was a let down, so much potential but lacked armor penetration and realistic weapon ranges.
13/05/2011 at 21:33 Dominic White says:
The entire point of Ruse was that you’re a general a hundred miles away from the battle, sitting in a tent, moving around miniatures on a war map. Why would you even care about armor penetration and precise weapon ranges? That’s what the guys driving the tanks worry about. You tell them who to shoot and where.
14/05/2011 at 04:52 BoboDaHobo says:
Agreed with Dominic, but now that you mention it…
…a realistic wargame with the RUSE engine with realistic weapon penetration, ranges, infantry formations… Why did you have to mention this? Now I’ll never be happy playing any wargame again!!
13/05/2011 at 22:25 Hensler says:
Speaking of RUSE – did anybody here get around to buying the DLC for it? I meant to do so, but completely forgot about it until this post. I was especially interested to see that they were actually releasing single-player content with the DLC, and that it was bringing nukes to the game. It might be time to reinstall RUSE…
13/05/2011 at 22:41 Wilson says:
@Hensler – The nuclear DLC was free, actually (the nukes were a little underwhelming in my opinion, but not bad!). As for pay for DLC, I think they released a map pack with some MP maps and some skirmish maps, and then they also did that Japanese DLC which added Japan as a side and more skirmish maps. I was kind of tempted by the Japan DLC, but didn’t get it in the end.
13/05/2011 at 23:15 bartleby says:
Played and enjoyed the RUSE demo, but never bought it…perhaps I should remedy that? Always enjoyed board wargames, so that had some appeal. Certainly looking forward to this…I have a pathetic weakness for cold war scenarios.
13/05/2011 at 23:37 Adriaan says:
Yes, a thousand times yes! Hopefully it’ll be like World in Conflict on a grand scale. I don’t care so much for the ruse stuff though. As long as theres tanks, armoured vehicles, infantry, helicopters and jets to pitch against each other in an RTS cold war gone hot scenario game I’m in!
14/05/2011 at 00:03 P3RF3CT D3ATH says:
After R.U.S.E., I don’t think they’ll be able to top World in Conflict when it comes to a Cold War era based RTS game.
14/05/2011 at 08:46 lurkalisk says:
Yeah, I would have to agree. As Ruse was superior to WiC, it is unlikely they’ll be able to make another superior game. Because that’s how things work.
15/05/2011 at 15:20 Hazzard65 says:
RUSE never captured my imagination and although the short demo I did play was impressive I think the card element of the game just gave me the feeling that I was somehow being opportunistic or fortunate in my victories rather than intelligent. It was a brief impression and probably completely incorrect but I don’t have the money to take chances and was turned off.
However, to play a game with this fantastic engine in a more conventional RTS style game would be awesome and I can see myself being very interested.