Act of Aggression trailer spotlights the US Army

YouTube

The upcoming RTS Act of Aggression will feature three factions—the Chimera, the Cartel, and the US Army—each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The US faction, on display in the latest gameplay trailer, has been pushed to its limit by multiple deployments and budget cuts, but even though its equipment is aging, it remains a "veteran dreadnought" and a force to be reckoned with.

There's a lot to be said for taking the "cheap, simple, and tough" approach to solving problems. Complexity leads to complications; sometimes you just need to find the nail, and hit it with a hammer. But there are downsides, too. In the case of the US Army in Act of Aggression, that means it cannot process more advanced elements, and most of its units cannot be specialized beyond their initial design. US Army bases also require substantial amounts of power, and they're largely defenseless if it gets turned off.

Act of Aggression is being developed by Eugen Systems, whose previous releases include the Wargame RTS series—European Escalation, Air Land Battle, and Red Dragon—and, before that, the Act of War games Direct Action and High Treason. The trailer description on YouTube notes that an Act of Aggression "VIP multiplayer beta" is set to take place in "the coming months," while the game itself is expected to launch in the spring. We've asked for a more specific time frame.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.