World in Conflict (also known as WiC or WIC) is a real-time tactical video game developed by the Swedish video game company Massive Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment for Windows PC. The game was released in North America on September 18, 2007, September 20, 2007 in Australia and New Zealand and, in Europe on the September 21, 2007. Swordfish Studios (a division of Sierra Entertainment) will be porting the game to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. These versions will be released by fall 2008, and will contain extra single player and multiplayer game content that will be released for PC versions as an add-on.
The game is set in 1989 during the social, political, and economic collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the title postulates an alternate history scenario where the Soviet Union pursued a course of war to remain in power.
The game was played in the 2007 Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) World Tour.
Generally considered a real-time strategy (RTS) game, World in Conflict includes gameplay typical of real-time tactical (RTT) games. Nicklas Cederström, one of the designers of the game, stated that internally, World in Conflict is considered an RTT.
At the end of the 1980s, the Soviet Union found itself unable to compete with the United States because of its bankrupt and disorganized economy. Funds for the Soviet nuclear and conventional arsenal were becoming scarce. This led to increasing cuts in the civilian sector, which created widespread famines and supply shortages.
The game takes place in an alternate history scenario, where, at this point, the Soviet Politburo decided to blackmail Western Europe to get the aid they needed or invade Western Europe and take it themselves.
The player experiences the war through Lieutenant Parker of the United States Army. At the beginning of the game, he is on leave in Seattle at the onset of a Soviet surprise invasion of the city. What sparse military forces are in the city help to evacuate civilians and then retreat into the Cascade Mountains towards Fort Teller, the headquarters of the United States' Strategic Defense Initiative. While the project was a bluff, the threat of its existence had kept the Soviet Union from launching a nuclear strike. Therefore, the defense of the facility had to be staged as if it were true. The initial attacks are fought off, but when overwhelming Soviet forces enter the area, the Americans are forced to sacrifice the town of Cascade Falls, leaving a group of volunteers behind to pin down the Soviets as a tactical nuke is detonated over the area.
The game then flashes back to several months earlier, showing Parker's service in France, in the Soviet Union, and fighting off a limited invasion of New York City by Soviet Spetsnaz, centered around Liberty Island, Ellis Island and Governors Island. In the latter scenario, the Soviets intend to store chemical weapons inside the Statue of Liberty and release them over Manhattan. Foreshadowing the game's final missions, Parker must defeat the Soviet forces before the Army is forced to destroy the Statue and everything else on Liberty Island with a massive airstrike.
After the flashback, the game returns to the sequence of events after the destruction of Cascade Falls. China officially enters the war on the Soviet side by sending an invasion fleet to reinforce the Soviet beachhead in Seattle. The President orders the nuclear destruction of Seattle as this fleet arrives - unless the city can be retaken and the Chinese prevented from landing. In the final series of missions Parker's commander, desperate to avoid "another Cascade Falls" on a much bigger scale, orders his forces into a desperate attack. Parker must break through the Soviet lines to reach the city, destroy the heavily fortified Soviet headquarters before the Chinese land and the nuke is dropped, and survive a massive counterattack.
The game concludes with a statement that Parker may be called upon to fight later on, hinting of an expansion or a sequel, as fighting continues in Europe and elsewhere.
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Collector's edition
The collector's edition of World in Conflict comes in a limited edition collector's box art cloth packaging (with a Soviet flag on one side and Russian wording of "World in Conflict", and the USA Flag on the other with English "World in Conflict") and includes an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall, Modern Marvels: The Berlin Wall DVD by The History Channel, Behind the Scenes DVD and World in Conflict exclusive Creative HS-390 headset (Europe Only).
The collector's edition in Poland is different compared to collector's editions in other countries. It includes an exclusive World in Conflict wooden container, limited edition collector's box art packaging (Soviet or USA Flag), a full-sized flag of the USA or Soviet Union, an exclusive World in Conflict poster, a t-shirt and cap with the World in Conflict logo and decorations and a World in Conflict exclusive Trust Hs-2200 headset.
The collector's edition available in Taiwan, is also different. As there was no preorder scheme put into place. It includes an exclusive flag of the Soviet Union, a Modern Marvels: Strategic Air Command DVD by the History Channel, Special translated behind the scenes DVD, Metallic packaging featuring the Soviet Flag on the front, and the USA flag on the back.