World in Conflict

There are plenty of games set to arrive over the next few months, but one title that has flown under the radar - no pun intended - is Massive Entertainment's real-time strategy title World in Conflict, which is scheduled for release on Sept. 18. The game takes place during 1989 during the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union; but instead the Berlin Wall coming down and the Soviet Union collapsing, World War III erupts between the two superpowers.

View the World in Conflict slide show (18 images)

The game's story was created by best-selling author Larry Bond, who co-wrote Red Storm Rising with Tom Clancy as well as other military and war novels. Like Red Storm Rising, World in Conflict involves the Soviet Union making a desperate attack on NATO in Western Europe. When NATO responds, the Soviet Army invades the United States. World in Conflict also takes some inspiration from the cult film "Red Dawn," where Soviet and Cuban soldiers launch a sneak attack on the U.S. by parachuting into the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states in military planes disguised as commercial air freighters.

In World in Conflict, players will assume the role of U.S. military field commanders who must retake control of American cities and states while also staving off the Soviet invasion of Europe. Massive said the game will combine RTS gameplay with FPS-like action that features tanks, plans, helicopters and, of course, nuclear weapons. World in Conflict, however, will not have base-building or resource gathering and instead will be focused entirely on tactical combat for an "action-strategy" game. The game's graphics are powered by Massive's proprietary Masstech engine that uses DX10 technology and features advanced lighting, physics effects, and full 360 degree camera control.

Some of the features in World in Conflict include a multiplayer mode that supports up to 16 players in head-to-head duels or team-based battles for Domination, Tug-of-War, and Assault modes; various player roles from infantry, armor, air or support specialists; complete destructible environments, from buildings, houses, trees and other objects; and scalability for the PC version, which Massive says will allow PC gamers with older machines and lower specifications to run World in Conflict.

World in Conflict earned several accolades at the E3 Media & Business Summit earlier this summer. The game arrives on Sept. 18 for both the PC and the Xbox 360. A World in Conflict Collector's Edition will also be available and will include an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall, a behind-the-scenes DVD, and a History Channel documentary on the Berlin Wall. For more on World in Conflict, check out some trailer footage.

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