GDC: Ubisoft unveils Eugen's RTS R.U.S.E.

Ubisoft has unveiled R.U.S.E., a World War II real-time strategy game in which players can zoom in and out of the battlefield on an unprecedented scale and use deception to outwit their opponents.

Developed by Eugen Systems (Act of War: Direct Action) and due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 within Ubisoft's next financial year (starting on 1st April), R.U.S.E. is based on the IRISZOOM Engine, which promises smooth transitions from overarching views of the entire war right down to individual units fighting it out across fields and through towns.

Players will be able to pick from pre-selected tricks (like radio silence) before going into battle, and use them to gain a tactical advantage, according to Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Ubisoft describes fighting as a "war of perception, where the ability to deceive and mislead the enemy determines success". There are signs of this all over - for example, you can always locate enemies, but unless you can see them you can't tell what they are.

Naturally then there's multiplayer in addition to a single-player campaign, and PC fans will be pleased to hear that the game's leading on their platform, and optimised for Intel's latest processors, including the Intel Core i7. There's no word yet on console controls. The game should be shown off in more detail at GDC later today though, so we'll have a poke around.

"With R.U.S.E., Ubisoft is once again shaking up a genre, offering an RTS with a twist that will thrill gamers," Ubi's EMEA marketing director John Parkes said. "Ubisoft is known for innovation and R.U.S.E. continues that tradition, offering the most immense and detailed maps ever seen in an RTS. Players can explore the maps using IRISZOOM Engine, which provides an aerial, smooth interaction unlike anything ever seen before."

You can try and get your head around it all with a little help from the first screenshot and the launch trailer.