Plot
Act of War is set in what is only referred to as "a near future" (presumably 2017 or 2023, since the game starts on Wednesday, 10 May) where gasoline prices in the United States have reached over $7 a gallon due to a global economic crisis. One week before the "World Energy Forum" meeting in London, a terrorist bombing destroys an oil facility in Houston. As such, an elite top-secret military unit known as Task Force Talon is assigned to guard the World Energy Forum, which is attacked by terrorists hiding amongst the anti-WEF protestors. Two VIPs are kidnapped in the attack: Arthur Kingman, CEO of TransGlobal Energy corporation (TGE), and Yegor Zakharov, the CEO of a rival oil company. Task Force Talon manages to recover these VIP before they are apparently murdered. Later, an unknown terrorist faction launches a massive military assault in San Francisco. With the aid of Task Force Talon, the attackers are eventually neutralized.
To protect against further attacks on American soil, the U.S. government orders a recall of all military forces deployed overseas. However, the commander of Task Force Talon, Major Jason Richter, suspects the terrorist attack was designed to force the recall order, noticing the primary target of the latest terrorist attacks had been TGE, the oil company on the verge of resolving the oil crisis. Therefore, Major Richter goes against executive orders from the U.S. president and deploys Task Force Talon forces to Egypt, where they gather enough intelligence to convince the President to support their pre-emptive action and also defend the TGE oil refinery complex in Egypt, deploying cutting-edge military technology against an enemy that now possesses self-propelled artillery and stealth tanks.
During the battle in Egypt, Task Force Talon discovers the identity of their enemy: the Consortium - a shadow organization of joint oil companies banking terrorist forces as a third party - which is led by Zakharov, who owns two of the labs that produced stealth tanks. The United States government, Task Force Talon and the Russian government launch a joint assault against Zakharov, whom started an uprising in Russia and is now in possession of a full army, a small air force and even 9K720 Iskander ballistic missiles. Through the joint effort, Zakharov is eventually captured.
Major Richter personally takes Zakharov to the United States. Upon arrival, however, he finds Washington, D.C. under the military occupation of the Consortium. Even as the U.S. forces struggle to liberate the United States Capitol, the 81st U.S. Armored Division, taken over by the Consortium, rescues Zakharov and occupies the White House area. The President attempts to escape but the Marine One helicopter is shot down, forcing Task Force Talon to rush to his rescue. Eventually, the U.S. Army and Task Force Talon mount a counter-attack on the Consortium-occupied White House, facing cutting-edge enemy technology that is supposed to be top-secret U.S. and Russian prototypes. Even as they reclaim the White House, Zakharov unleashes the Falling Star, a space-based superweapon. Having deployed Patriot batteries to counter the Falling Star, Task Force Talon and the United States Army deploy cruise missiles to destroy Zakharov's base. Zakharov is discovered dead after Major Richter, standing atop of a massive smoldering crater, orders a DNA analysis of the remains.
