Urban Assault is a 3D real-time strategy game that strongly encourages direct control of the units in a first-person shooter fashion. The strategy part is almost entirely focused on the creation and management of units, with the construction element being limited to power stations and a few other buildings like radars and turrets. The output of a power station, which is used for creating units as well as for protecting and moving the command station, is proportional to the number of territories controlled by the faction.

In a future Earth that has fallen victim to a chain of ecological disasters, humanity has plunged into a new world war for resource control. A human faction called the Resistance is at war against the totalitarian Ghorkovs, the fanatic Taerkastens and the insidious Black Sect splinter faction. The conflict is joined by the Mykonian and Sulgogar alien races, who also crave for the Earth's resources. The game focuses on the Resistance campaign for control over the European and North African territories.