Act of War: Direct Action
Categories: 2005 computer and video games | Real-time strategy computer games | Windows games
| Act of War: Direct Action | |
| Developer: | Eugen Systems |
| Publisher: | Atari |
| Designer: | Alexis Le Dressay |
| Engine: | Unknown |
| Release date: | March 15, 2005 |
| Genre: | RTS |
| Game modes: | Single player & Multiplayer |
| ESRB rating: | Teen (T) |
| ELSPA rating: | +16 |
| Platform: | Windows |
| Media: | 1 DVD |
| System requirements: | Intel Pentium 4 1.5 GHz or equivalent CPU, 256 MB RAM, 6 GB hard disk, 2x DVD-ROM, 64 MB Hardware T&L compatible video card, DirectX 9 compatible sound card |
| Input: | Keyboard |
Act of War: Direct Action is a real-time strategy game developed by Eugen Systems and published by Atari. The game is based on the Command & Conquer concept of modern warfare RTS. The game was released in March of 2005, and features a detailed story written by Dale Brown, a retired captain of the US Air Force and a bestselling author. Previews of the game have so far garnered mostly positive reviews.
The game includes a combination of pre-rendered cut-scenes and over an hour of live action film. Live action was shot in Montreal, Canada during the summer of 2004. Pre-rendered cut-scenes were done using machinima technique, wherein one person plays while being recorded from different angles (with all interface elements hidden). The recorded video is then postprocessed and provided with sound effects and dialog.
Act of War features many new gameplay elements, including heavily wounded soldiers being immobilised and unable to engage in combat until they can be reached by medical help, the ability to take prisoner of war, buildings that are realistically destructible, and the ability to create barricades.
Despite the fact that Act of War didn't add many innovative concepts to the RTS genre, its most prominent gameplay feature was balance. Unlike most RTS games in which some units are massed and are used almost exclusively over other units for an easy victory, Act of War required you to use practically every unit available, which allowed for great gameplay diversity. The only problem was that Task Force Talon's SHIELD units, which are the prototype for mechanized exoskeletons, are horrendously overpowered and aren't that hard to produce en masse. Despite being relatively easy to destroy with a well organized group of anti-armor infantry, they can take on almost anything. They can use small and fast missiles to take out garrisoned troops, buildings, and armor, and can easily switch to chain guns to take out helicopters and infantry. The only things they are truly vulnerable to are planes and super weapons.
The cheats for Act of War: Direct Action are:
- yeepeekaye - throw bombs at the screen you are on
- greenjelly - spawn British policeman
- ymca - spawn U.S. policeman
- swatatyourorders - spawn S.W.A.T.
- motherrussia - spawn a powerful tank
- coolihaveanewcar - spawn a car
- coolimthepresident - spawn the President