Act of War: Direct Action

 PC
Act of War: Direct Action Image
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 54 Ratings

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  • 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 withAct 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]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 43
  3. Negative: 0 out of 43
  1. Cheat Code Central
    95
    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.
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Xequted
    90
    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.
  3. PC Gameworld
    86
    A good, fast-paced strategy game that should appeal to traditional RTS lovers and more impatient gamers alike.
  4. PC Format
    82
    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]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. Yahoo!
    80
    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.
  6. G4 TV
    80
    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.
  7. RealGamer
    68
    Quite brutally it’s old school that just doesn’t meet the modern grade.

See all 43 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. MikeS.
    Mar 27, 2005
    10
    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 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!… Expand
  2. Deviant
    Mar 20, 2005
    10
    The best RTS out there, sharper graphics and crisper sounds makes this game amazing and much better then the competition, although it does 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.… Expand
  4. Yuri
    Mar 26, 2005
    10
    If you thought c&c:generals was good, think again.
  5. RezaD.
    May 1, 2005
    10
    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 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.… Expand
  6. Delta_Assault
    Sep 22, 2011
    10
    I played this RTS religiously for about a year before I moved on and found out about Dawn of War. Anybody who likes RTSs at all should tryI played this RTS religiously for about a year before I moved on and found out about Dawn of War. Anybody who likes RTSs at all should try this little-known gem from Atari. To put it simply, Act of War is in my opinion the perfect Command and Conquer game. It takes everything that made Command and Conquer great and dials it up to 11. This is strange because Act of War isn't actually an official Command and Conquer game. IMO, Act of War got exactly the right scale of combat. With DoW 2, you have small intimate squad battles. With Supreme Commander, you've got a ginormous scale with epic battles across entire peninsulas. Act of War had the perfect average of scale with good infantry action (even inside buildings!), while also allowing for devastating nuclear strikes and massed tank rushes. They even managed to pull off air combat in an innovative realistic fashion, which Relic later mimicked in CoH. Even Command and Conquer 3 came out later and tried to follow the magic and execution of Act of War, but I think they fell short. About the *only* complaint I can ever make about Act of War is that the infantry are individual units rather then squads, but I played it before DoW so that didn't bother me at the time.… Expand
  7. UltraGamer
    Mar 31, 2012
    10
    This game is awesome. It is one of my favourite games of all time up there with homeworld 2. Both of these games are so great i find it hardThis game is awesome. It is one of my favourite games of all time up there with homeworld 2. Both of these games are so great i find it hard to decide which is the ultimate. These guys really stepped in and picked up where westwood dropped the ball, dropped the live action cutscenes and went "in game 3d"… Expand
  8. Rich
    May 8, 2005
    7
    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 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.… Expand

See all 10 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best PC Game of 2005
89
#89 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005

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