Halo Wars (Xbox 360)

Halo Wars is a made by Ensemble Studios, and is the latest game in the award winning Halo series. It is a prequel and set before the events in the original Halo. The reason why this game stands out, other than the name, is the decision to swap genres. Halo wars is a Real Time Strategy game (RTS), and not a First Person Shooter (FPS) like the previous Halo games. For that reason alone it has received plenty of attention, both good and bad, from fans ...
...to the traditional style that Halo is famous for, and is therefore something of a risk.

Has the risk been worth it? Yes and no. Read on and I'll elaborate

GRAPHICS

Graphically Halo Wars cannot be faulted. PC gamers will be used to exceptional levels of detail in each soldier with nice touches and affects to make even the smallest battles aesthetically pleasing. In the past RTS games on consoles have ... more

Halo Wars is a made by Ensemble Studios, and is the latest game in the award winning Halo series. It is a prequel and set before the events in the original Halo. The reason why this game stands out, other than the name, is the decision to swap genres. Halo wars is a Real Time Strategy game (RTS), and not a First Person Shooter (FPS) like the previous Halo games. For that reason alone it has received plenty of attention, both good and bad, from fans and critics alike. For those not well versed in game genres, a real time strategy game is one where you effectively watch the battlefield from an isometric view, and control an entire army rather than a single soldier. It is an entirely different type of game to the traditional style that Halo is famous for, and is therefore something of a risk.

Has the risk been worth it? Yes and no. Read on and I'll elaborate

GRAPHICS

Graphically Halo Wars cannot be faulted. PC gamers will be used to exceptional levels of detail in each soldier with nice touches and affects to make even the smallest battles aesthetically pleasing. In the past RTS games on consoles have suffered in comparison to PC equivalents, but Halo Wars brings the genre right up to speed on consoles. The quality of the animation and detail in the units is superb, with the way that the units move being as authentic as it could be. Watching a Warthog fly over a ridge and ram an enemy manages to be just as much of a thrill as driving one in the previous Halo games, which all in all is quite an achievement. Other environmental effects, such as explosions are spectacular, and really make battles entertaining. Which is good, because you'll be seeing a lot of them.

In between each battle in the campaign the story develops through cutscenes, which graphically are just stunning. These cutscenes look every bit as good as any other example in any other game, and work brilliantly to advance the plot. Being able to watch a beautiful cutscene between missions really adds some weight and character to the game as a whole, and is a welcome addition.

UNIT SELECTION

Fans of the series will be happy to hear that all of your favourite units from the previous Halo games make an appearance, including Spartans, and all stay faithful to their roots. The character of each unit is enhanced by special abilities. For example, Warthogs can ram enemy troops, whilst Spartans can hijack enemy vehicles and use them for themselves. There are also new units to play with that make their series debut, such as the UNSC Cyclops (a two legged walker that's great for taking down buildings) and the Covenant Vampire (an aerial unit that takes down other flying units easily).

In addition to the standard units, there are also special leader abilities to help you turn the tide of battle. For example, UNSC leaders can call down devastating orbital strikes to wipe out an entire section of enemies in one go, whilst the Prophet of Regret on the Covenant side can call down a small yet powerful beam that can be moved around at will using the thumbstick, adding a nice interactive touch to all the destruction. These powerful leader abilities are nothing new to the RTS genre, but are implemented well here and add some spice to proceedings.

GAMEPLAY

Anyone who has ever played an RTS before will have a general idea what to expect of Halo Wars. Most missions follow the same general pattern of building a base, gathering resources, and then building up an army to hunt down the enemy. A lot of RTSs nowadays on the PC are fairly complicated, and require you to keep your eye on a lot of different areas to build up an effective force. The good news for newcomers to the genre is that Halo Wars is a lot simpler than most RTSs out there. In fact, if you're completely new to the genre then Halo Wars is an excellent place to start.

The controls are implemented well, and you can do most things that you need to with two button presses of the control pad. There are some good shortcuts, such as quickly selecting your entire force or all of one unit, and the limitations of the control pad are catered for. Moving units is quick and easy. You just hover over the unit you want to select, press A to select them, then move the cursor to where you want them to go and press X. If it's empty space, the unit will move there. If an enemy is there, they will hunt the enemy down. Alternatively you can press Y, and the unit will attack with their special ability. Menus to build units and structures are simple ring menus where you select what you want depending on which way your thumbstick is pointing. Everything is generally simple and accessible, which is both a strength and weakness of Halo Wars. It doesn't provide the same accuracy and detail that a keyboard and mouse can provide, but then again it was never going to.

In terms of gameplay balance, Halo Wars works on the classic 'paper rock scissors' gameplay that RTSs are well known for. In other words, each unit is particularly effective against one or two types of units, and will be particularly vulnerable to another type. This means that battles always have an element of strategy to them, as you have to pick the right units to attack the enemy depending on what the enemy has. It all keeps you thinking, which any decent RTS should do.

CAMPAIGN

In all honesty I found the single player offering of Halo Wars to be disappointing. There is only one campaign, something that is almost unheard of with RTSs nowadays, and that campaign is centred around the UNSC. In terms of the substance of the campaign itself, it offers a decent number of missions in varied locations, and some of the set pieces, as with other Halo games, are a joy to behold. However, the missions themselves are very linear, and the game really does hold you by the hand for the vast majority of the time. Again, if you're new to the genre then this may be welcome, but if you're an RTS veteran this will be nothing other than frustrating.

The campaign does offer the classic Halo difficulty levels, and even skulls to discover, but even though this adds replayability, I am really very surprised that there wasn't a single player campaign for the Covenant as well. This just seems to be lazy on behalf of the developers, and really cuts down the time that you'll spend with this game. It should also be noted at this point that, even though you do encounter them in the single player campaign, there is no campaign for the Flood and you actually can't play as them in multiplayer either. It really seems like a missed opportunity to only have two of the main three factions playable, and even then to only have one campaign.

MULTIPLAYER

Multiplayer is a key part of any RTS, and indeed any Halo game, so Halo wars comes packed with a competent multiplayer mode. The multiplayer is much more flexible than the linear and restrictive campaign, and you can start local skirmishes against the AI, or jump alone against other people. The matchmaking system will be familiar to Halo fans, as you are matched against people with a similar trueskill rank (basically a number representing your ability). There are 14 maps in all, and you can play 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3. Multiplayer is lots of fun in Halo Wars, and the performance in games is generally good with little lag, but the lack of depth within the game will limit how long you spend with it. All too soon I found myself yearning for more sides to play as, and some more depth to keep the experience fresh. Multiplayer is quick and accessible, but ultimately the game just cannot compete in terms of depth with PC RTSs, which will limit its lifespan.

CONCLUSION

I really have mixed feelings about Halo Wars. On the one hand it is the best RTS on a console that I have ever played. It retains the Halo feel very well, and would be an ideal title for those that are newcomers to the genre. Unfortunately when put up against RTSs on the PC, it falls well short. Some of the game's shortcomings are understandable and limited by the fact that it's on a console, but others, such as not having the Flood playable and only having one campaign, are less forgivable.

If you are a Halo fan and either enjoy the odd RTS or the idea of controlling an entire army of UNSC or Covenant appeals to you, then it is difficult not to recommend this game and you should add one star to the score. For Halo fans new to the genre, this game will offer good value for money and a decent action packed experience.

If, on the other hand, you are a fan of the RTS genre and enjoy playing these games on the PC, I would advise you to take one star off the score and only purchase this if you are either a devote Halo fan, or want something really lightweight. Taken as what it is Halo Wars is a good title, and what it does it does well enough. It's just a stripped down version of what a heavyweight RTS should be, and it is littered with missed opportunities that will irritate those fans of games like Command and Conquer and Age of Empires.

All in all, it is the best RTS on a console and a good Halo experience. But it is by no means the best RTS ever made, and will disappoint RTS enthusiasts.  

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