Star Wars: Empire at War dev's new RTS revealed

Initial details have emerged on Universe at War: Earth Assault, the new real-time strategy game from Star Wars: Empire at War developer Petroglyph.

According to PC Zone magazine, which has the scoop on the game in its forthcoming issue - #178 - the developer is not only aiming to create an incredibly deep RTS experience with Universe at War but also a real-time strategy game that will be the most customisable we've ever seen in the genre. Crikey.

As for the game's storyline, Petroglyph 'design visionary' Adam Isgreen explains that it's 2012 and mankind has encountered an aggressive alien species bent on invasion of Earth. "The invaders are not here to conquer - they're here to harvest. Massive walking machines consume plant, animal and mineral without distinction. Press gang-like hordes of invading ground troops herd humans into enormous mass drivers, launching them up to the invader's ships that orbit the planet, never to be seen again. Our game begins on the eve of the last day of human resistance... Or is it?"

Revealing further details on the customisation aspect of UaW, PC Zone says that "each unit will have several different uses on the battlefield. In addition, your walkers and vehicles will have numerous 'hard points' to slot enhancements into, while your production facilities will be upgradeable in many different directions during battle. You'll also be able to steer your research tree between offensive, defensive and experimental technologies."

Events in Universe at War kick off in Washington DC, which Adam Isgreen says gets "hit HARD" by the aliens. "Almost every continent is going to get devastated", he adds smiling.

via cvg