World in Conflict casts you as Parker, a lieutenant in the US Army who has the dumb luck to be back from a tour in Europe when the Soviets attack Seattle, the very place he's gone to on leave. Now, like most RTS games, you've got a roving camera view of the battlefield which is very likely the most detailed and complex playing area yet seen in an RTS.
Yes, the first thing you'll notice are the graphics which, to put it bluntly, are bloody incredible.