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[lo escondido]

8.5
great

It's hard to believe that in 2005, someone somewhere had the audacity to make a real-time strategy game stuffed with live action cutscenes. It's even harder to believe that it works. Yet with Act of War: Direct Action, Atari and developer Eugen Systems have managed to turn convention on its head. 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. And if that weren't enough, it's also a visually splendid, exciting, and well-paced game, to boot.

Put it all together and Act of War is an excellent real-time strategy game, packed with great gameplay and beautiful visuals. This is one that's good enough to unseat Command & Conquer's grip on the military-themed real-time strategy genre. Add the game's impressive production values and techno-thriller plot, and you have nothing less than an early candidate for strategy game of the year.