Gamespot has a preview of the real-time strategy game Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War. Blending traditional real-time strategy with action (when you take control of a hero unit), it promises to break the stale bought-that-played-that feeling most RTS these days have.

Each hero is basically a superunit, blessed with huge amounts of hit points and able to slice through enemy ranks like a hot knife through butter. That’s not to say that you’re invulnerable, though; if you go charging solo into a horde of enemy troops, you’ll quickly find yourself in trouble. However, if you use it at the right time, you can turn the tide of a close battle by taking command of your hero and taking out swaths of the enemy. Heroes generally have a melee attack, as well as the ability to take out a bow and snipe enemy archers and other distant units. Heroes also gain experience the more they’re used, and when they accumulate enough experience you can raise their level by spending glory points. A higher-level hero is not only more powerful, but it also lets you unlock new upgrades for your other units.