SEGA launches Universe at War: Earth Assault for Xbox 360 in North America

SEGA has started shipping its combat-intensive real-time strategy (RTS) game called Universe at War: Earth Assault in North America. The company mentioned that the game will be available for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game console.

Developed by Petroglyph, the game takes players into an epic struggle and expects them to avoid total destruction of life on Earth. Supporting Microsoft’s Games for Windows Live, it allows cross-platform play between Windows-based PC and Xbox 360.

The gameplay revolves around the future where planet Earth would become a battleground. It features three different alien factions, including the famished Hierarchy and their massive war machines called “Walkers”, the futuristic Novus with their swarms of robots and nanotechnology and the mysterious Masari, ancient astronauts who awaken from centuries of slumber below the world’s oceans to turn the conflict into a three-way war.

Additionally, players will also find a quick “snap-to” function, which would help them to access adjacent units and points of conflict very quickly with the D-pad. With the help of the “paint brush” function, they can easily select multiple different units and quickly and easily assign control groups.

By using a “Tactical Dynamics” balance system, gamers will be able to retrain and customize units in the midst of battle, which enables them to cope with enemy forces and challenge tactical situations. They have the ability to modify weaponry and defenses and constantly keep shifting battlefield conditions.

In the Universe at War: Earth Assault, there are fully customizable tech trees to control the development of technologies that they deem key to victory, deadly super-weapons and alien powers to destroy large-scale cities and whole territories in one devastating move.

Lastly, the control scheme has been designed to streamline every possible function in an RTS for use with a console controller. To even the playing field, the company plans to release cross-platform play via free download in early April 2008.

Gamers can grab the Universe at War: Earth Assault for Xbox 360 for $59.95.