R.U.S.E.

Did You Know?

• The Xbox 360 version was released on Xbox One via backwards compatibility in 2018.
• In Japan, Famitsu gave the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions each a score of 29 out of 40, while Famitsu Xbox 360 gave the latter a total of 30 out of 40.
• R.U.S.E. received 'generally favorable reviews' on all platforms according to Metacritic.

Gameplay

Units in R.U.S.E. are commanded using the mouse and can defend themselves if they have the appropriate weapon and are within range. When ordered to attack, a crosshair indicates the likelihood of success, rated as very easy, easy, balanced, danger, or high danger; the last means the target is highly dangerous and units may refuse to engage. Critically injured units retreat with a (!) icon, and units unable to engage automatically pull back unless experiencing shock or stress. Damaged units recover when not in combat. Some units can be upgraded to improve defense and weaponry, with some requiring an upgrade cost before production. Aircraft are fast, unaffected by terrain, and produced at airfields; they carry limited ammo and must land to reload. Types include reconnaissance, fighters, fighter-bombers, and bombers. Paratroopers are infantry deployed by air with no defense during flight; some air-reconnaissance can defend with a light machine gun but cannot fight off most attacking aircraft. Buildings fall into defense structures, which cannot be captured, and production buildings such as Headquarters, Barracks, Armor Base, and Airfield. Each faction has unique defense structures and production buildings that produce units and upgrades varying in cost, armor, and firepower.

Plot

R.U.S.E. takes place during World War II and follows Joseph Sheridan of the United States Army, a Harvard dropout who joins the Army and eventually commands the First Armored Division. The game opens in 1945 as General Sheridan liberates Colditz Castle to free an undercover operative, Nightingale, who knows the identity of an Axis informer, Prometheus. Sheridan then recalls 1943, when he was a major during the Allied North African campaign and leaked information caused devastating losses at the Battle of Kasserine. He meets British intelligence officer Colonel Andrew Campbell, and together they turn the tide despite Sheridan's inept commanding officer General Weatherby. Sheridan is promoted to lieutenant colonel. In 1943, at the Battle of Monte Cassino, Sheridan disobeys Weatherby's orders to confuse German intelligence, pushes the Germans back, and opens the road to Rome, earning a promotion to general. He meets Kate Garner, an attaché from the American War Office. At a victory party, Campbell warns that Sheridan is becoming like Weatherby. In 1944, Sheridan commands troops landing at Utah Beach on D-Day while Weatherby commands Omaha Beach; Sheridan secures a beachhead despite Weatherby's failure to secure his flank. Inaccurate information from the French resistance strains Sheridan and Campbell's friendship. Later, Sheridan commands forces in Operation Market Garden, and Weatherby is placed in reserve. After a tense exchange, Campbell requests a transfer, and Sheridan is bothered by his departure.

Development

R.U.S.E. was built on Eugen Systems' IRISZOOM engine, allowing smooth transitions from a high-altitude view down to a detailed battlefield. The game worked with multitouch screens and the PlayStation Move controller, and was validated for AMD Eyefinity setups. Initially, Ubisoft planned to use an always-online DRM, but that was swapped for Steamworks. A free DLC called the Manhattan Project Pack arrived in December 2010, adding two new modes. The Chimera Pack followed in January 2011 with extra maps and operations, and a February 2011 DLC introduced Japan as a playable faction along with three operations. The game was removed from Steam in December 2015 because licensing rights for certain military items had expired, a reason Ubisoft confirmed the following March. Online features were shut down in January 2024. In May 2026, Eugen Systems announced it had reacquired the rights and put the game back on Steam, including technical updates, full Steam Deck support, and all previously released DLC.