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Act of War: Direct Action

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.5 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 43 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 14 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Atari

Developer: Eugen Systems

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: March 15, 2005

Summary

Act of War: Direct Action tells a highly realistic, near-future story of a US elite force fighting an international plot to overthrow the current world order. While offering a "First Look at Tomorrow's War", the game takes you through a frightening and believable reality filled with suspense, international intrigue and geopolitical military conflict, wrapped in a top-quality strategy gaming experience. Act of War: Direct Action offers players the opportunity to zoom in and engage in the battle from street level perspective on urban battlefields such as San Francisco, Washington DC, London and Moscow, with incredible detail and without slowing down any of the action. Act of War features a single-player story mode and various multiplayer modes including 8-player online skirmishes. [Atari]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Act of War: High Treason

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: EuroGamer Preview GamerFeed Preview Games Domain Preview GameSpot Preview GameSpy Preview IGN Preview Official Game Site

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Cheat Code Central

Act of War beautfiully bridges the gap between action and strategy and provides an all out assault of the senses thanks to the incredble level of visual detail, intuitive control and an aural symphony comprised of the sounds of destruction.

BonusStage

A stunning debut for what’s obviously going to be a hell of a franchise.

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Computer Games Magazine

Just deep enough to require tactical thought without bogging down in a ton of extraneous chores and options. [July 2005, p.60]

Worth Playing

Graphically, this game is state-of-the-art.

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AceGamez

Act Of War: Direct Action heralds a massive return to top drawer form in RTS gaming. Slick, intelligent, sexy, beautiful and so, so engaging, I don't know whether to play it or take it out for a movie and a slap-up meal.

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Warcry

I actually found myself going back and replaying some of the scenarios, I enjoyed them that much.

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Xequted

What sets this game apart from the rest is the life-like and believable urban zones in which you are forced to set up your defence or attack strategies.

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Pelit (Finland)

A stunningly beautiful real-time strategy with a powerful campaign and lots of fabulous action, although the AI is a bit on the silly side. Still, heartily recommended. [Apr. 05]

GamingTrend

A surprisingly engaging title. The story is full of twists and turns, and the way the story is threaded into the gameplay keeps you involved. The game isn’t frustratingly difficult.

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PC Gameworld

A good, fast-paced strategy game that should appeal to traditional RTS lovers and more impatient gamers alike.

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GameZone

While it doesn’t really innovate the genre any, the story for this game really pushes the players to continue playing so they can see what happens in the end.

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Next Level Gaming

Its quick learning curve, matched with not having to deal with a tedious training mission lends this game towards the vets.

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1UP

The campaign is terrific on any difficulty level, and there's always multiplayer if you need go get your base building freak on. Act of War is a heck of a package that will please any self-respecting RTS enthusiast.

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IGN

Units seem to be well balanced, combat is fun and made pretty interesting by dense city sections, and the visuals should keep anybody more than satisfied.

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GameSpot

Here's a real-time strategy game with the soul of a sleek techno-thriller, stitched together with live action footage that, despite the acting and budgetary limitations, will remind you of the riveting television drama 24 at times.

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GameBiz

How the story develops is fantastic and keeps you playing through the game due to the cut scenes between missions and the mission driven storyline.

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eToychest

Bottom line, if you can look past the technical gripes, Act of War: Direct Action is a very solid RTS game with a fantastic story.

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Gaming Nexus

Playing this game with the right people will keep it going for ages, just as it has Command and Conquers.

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Computer and Video Games

Takes the old-school RTS formula and enriches it in countless cool ways, using the lessons of the past decade to create a single-player campaign that's as valid and exciting as anything else in the genre. [PC Zone]

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Game Informer

A good, solid RTS that brings some new things to the table in terms of gameplay, but I never really shook the feeling that I was still playing "Command & Conquer: Generals." [Apr 2005, p.138]

Game Over Online

Eugen Systems took a lot of familiar concepts and gave them some new wrinkles. That’s good, and I’d even characterize Act of War as an entertaining game, but it’s just that those familiar concepts I mentioned are really familiar, and it just seemed like I had played Act of War before.

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Armchair Empire

The strategic elements are in place for the most part, it has an interesting take on resource collecting, and the 3D engine makes the explosions nice to watch.

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PC Gamer

Each of the game's three sides is incredibly well-balanced. [June 2005, p.60]

PC Format

Despite all the fireworks it's hard to suppress the feeling that Act of War is as shallow as a puddle. The objectives leave so little room for cunning that if you want to use your brain, you'll have to look elsewhere. [Apr 2005, p.100]

Jolt Online Gaming UK

It looks stunning, isn’t shy with its explosions and pyrotechnics, and keeps things moving at a cracking pace.

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Computer Gaming World

The A.I. is quite good, particularly at the tactical level, where you don't have to baby-sit an army.

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Boomtown

The game is beatifully made even if we miss the possibility of smashing through a house with a tank, as one could in "Heroes: Soldiers of WWII."

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Eurogamer

While Act of War doesn't transcend its genre, in terms of doing the pure "Red Alert" thing, there hasn't been anything as competent and thrilling in ages.

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Yahoo! Games

Act of War strikes an ideal balance between demanding and engaging. It's returned our faith to the modern real-time strategy game, and promises an impressive new franchise from Atari.

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My Gamer

If you’re an RTS vet who’s played everything out there, you’ll enjoy what Act of War: Direct Action has to offer. It introduces the small changes it needs to make it seem fresh, and Dale Brown’s tech thriller story line keeps you entertained throughout.

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GamerFeed

A quality RTS because it combines modern-day combat with a cool story and top notch graphics. It provides a pretty decent challenge for veterans, but since it's very easy to play even novices will be able to hop in and achieve instant success.

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Pelaaja (Finland)

As a whole, Act of War doesn’t deviate from the tried and true gameplay mechanics of it’s genre, but it manages to deliver a solid, modern day warfare RTS-experience with nice visuals. [May 2005, p.86]

AltGaming

You’ll be impressed by the Act of War’s destructible landscape, you’ll laugh at the ridiculous acting and you’ll yelp with a sick joy as your snipers pick off enemy commandos hidden in the undergrowth.

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G4 TV

Its story is well told, its action is well presented, and though it is a very traditional real-time strategy title, it’s a very good one.

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Loaded Inc

The combat is generally tight, while the visuals and overall sound should keep the non-hardcore gamers glued to their monitors.

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Gamer's Hell

Act of War is polished, but it's not polished enough to hide the bad acting, disjointed and unrealistic storytelling, and most of all, the complete lack of inspiration or innovation.

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ActionTrip

While the entire game may be likened to a trip to Chili's rather than Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, you should come away from the table satisfyingly full nonetheless. Just make sure to bring a breath mint to get rid of the lingering effects of the cut scenes.

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Game Chronicles

The only problem is Act of War follows too closely in the footsteps of prior best-selling titles.

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Thunderbolt

However, it’s most definitely a great step for the genre in terms of storytelling that will hopefully be properly mimicked and expanded by another developer or in a sequel.

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games(TM)

Will it make you rethink how you see strategy games? Don’t be daft. Will you enjoy playing it? Almost certainly. [May 2005, p.88]

GamePro

The single player campaign does a good job of gradually introducing new gameplay concepts and putting them to use. Unfortunately, the great gameplay is saddled with a ludicrous story (complete with overacted FMV cut scenes and techno-fascist iconography).

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GameSpy

In many ways, it's a by-the-numbers RTS, but a solid one, with a few imaginative mechanics built into it.

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RealGamer

Quite brutally it’s old school that just doesn’t meet the modern grade.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Matthew K. gave it a10:
I love it. I love this game so much, haha I bought this game after I could not buy an other one and it was worth ever penny. The animation is so so great its amazing. I have not had this much fun in a stargagie game for a long time not since command and counquer, haha but they have gone down the grain since the new ones cane out. Well bottom line if you like war games and stargagie wise get this game as soon as possible you wont be disapointed. At first I had to get us to the controls but then I cought on. I think the only thing I dont like about this game is that the units cant fire anywhere they want like, for ex: in command and counquer you could hold shift and fire anywhere with any units, now in this game you can only do that with altirary vechilcs and no other, so that was a down fall in a way. Other then that Best game did find one glich playing haha in skirmish I saw a tanker and I wanted to blow it up well I nuked it and bomed it and a altirary it too nothing work ahha so that was a other funny thing. Other then that the live film they use is great and everone should see this game atair did a good job.

Rich gave it a7:
Well produced, entertaining game that build on the RTS genre well. But it if you are searching for a game that involves any tactical skill or some difficult AI to come up against then try Rome: Total war because this one is lacking on both counts.

Reza D. gave it a10:
I want to give this game a 9.5 but I can select 9 or 10 only so I choose 10 because it is definately not lower than a 9.5. This is a fantastic Strategy game that for the first time it takes my focus off of C&C series of games.

Mike S. gave it a10:
I had a hard time, getting used to all the different units and structures. But once you figure it out. This game is great! True the movies are kind of lame, low budget productions. and the story isnt the greatest either. But the gameplay shines! I didnt expect it to be better then C&C Generals in terms of game play. But it is!! Great game Atari!

Yuri gave it a10:
If you thought c&c:generals was good, think again.

Deviant gave it a10:
The best RTS out there, sharper graphics and crisper sounds makes this game amazing and much better then the competition, although it does have some minor, MINOR flaws, and by minor i mean the Optic Soldiers head gear is croked, this game is absolutely amazing.

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Act of War: Direct Action

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Summary

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What The Critics Said

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