R.U.S.E.

Story

R.U.S.E. takes place during the Second World War. The game contains a single story arc told from the perspective of Joseph Sheridan of the United States Army. Sheridan, a Harvard dropout, joins the United States Army and eventually takes command of the First Armored Division. The game begins in 1945, when General Sheridan liberates Colditz Castle to free an undercover agent code-named Nightingale, who knows the identity of an Axis informer code-named Prometheus. Sheridan then recalls 1943, when he was a major in the Allied North African campaign and leaked information led to devastating Allied losses at the Battle of Kasserine. Sheridan meets British intelligence officer Colonel Andrew Campbell, and together they manage to change the course of events, despite Sheridan's incompetent commander General Weatherby. Sheridan is promoted to lieutenant colonel for his efforts. In 1943, Sheridan participates in the Battle of Monte Cassino. Despite disobeying Weatherby's direct orders to confuse German intelligence, Sheridan succeeds in pushing the Germans back and opening the road to Rome. Sheridan is promoted to general and meets Kate Garner, an attachée to the U.S. War Department. At a victory celebration, Campbell remarks that the Germans are not yet completely defeated and that Sheridan is turning into Weatherby now that he has been promoted. In 1944, Sheridan is in command of U.S. troops landing on Utah Beach on D-Day, while Weatherby is in command of Omaha Beach. Sheridan succeeds in securing a beachhead and defending it against counterattacks, although Weatherby is unable to secure Sheridan's flank. The Normandy operation is hampered by inaccurate information Campbell receives from the French resistance; this and Kate's comments strain Sheridan and Campbell's friendship. Later that year, Sheridan is given command of troops in Operation Market Garden and Weatherby is discreetly assigned command of troops "in reserve." After a conversation between Campbell and Kate, Campbell realizes that he cannot offer the same "incentives" as Kate and states that he will request a transfer. Although Kate insists that Joe has "outgrown" Campbell, Joe is still very upset about the British officer's departure. Despite extremely inaccurate information about Axis forces in the area, Sheridan manages to keep the "highway to hell" open. However, the British troops at the last bridge to be secured are forced to surrender, ending Market Garden as a failure. Kate travels to Washington D.C. for a new "promotion," leaving Joe to wallow in self-pity. Three months later, Sheridan and Campbell meet on the Belgian front and the two reconcile. Sheridan apologizes and tells Campbell that "he was right and that they should have listened to Campbell." With Campbell's help, Sheridan manages to hold the important town of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. During the siege, General von Richtor, a German general who has caused Sheridan much trouble in the past, personally demands Sheridan surrender. He explains that the Germans have been ordered to stop taking prisoners of war, but still offers to guarantee the safety of Sheridan and his men if they surrender honorably. Sheridan declines, wanting only to know how an honorable man like von Richtor could serve the Axis forces. After pushing back the German offensive, Sheridan and Campbell interrogate General von Richter after capturing him. In the process, they learn that only the head of German intelligence, Admiral Canaris, knew the identity of the spy Prometheus, but the admiral had been arrested for plotting to assassinate Hitler. Back in the present, Sheridan, Campbell, and undercover agent Angie head to Torgau on the Elbe River, ostensibly to meet with the Soviets. However, the meeting turns into a race to reach the secret weapons research facility in Torgau before the Russians do. To avoid a "diplomatic incident," Sheridan receives help from an unlikely ally: General Von Richtor, who also does not want the weapons to fall into Soviet hands. Under the protection of Von Richtor's German troops, Sheridan and his men reach the weapons facility in the Soviet zone and destroy it. In the process, Sheridan learns that Prometheus is his former attaché Kate Garner. It turns out that Kate not only gave information to the Germans about American forces, but also passed information to the Soviets about German weapons research. The weapons in question are long-range V2 missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. Despite destroying the research facility, Sheridan learns that Kate has already moved several missiles to another location. Sheridan and Campbell prepare to attack Kate's base and destroy the weapons. However, they have to rethink their strategy when Joe receives a warning from Kate that she will use the V2 missiles if they continue to provoke her. Sheridan's assures Kate that he will not back down, and Kate replies only that Sheridan is