Halo Wars returns Bungie’s juggernaut franchise to its roots as a real-time strategy, albeit sans the Master Chief and Bungie itself, replaced by an entirely new cast and the now-defunct Ensemble Studios. Microsoft has stated repeatedly that it expects the Wii to turn millions of non-gamers into card-carrying wagglers, but eventually the lack of substance will make them hungry for more advanced experiences (like, say, those on the Xbox 360). So it’s ironic that Halo Wars is, like most Wii titles, a watered down offering which thanks to its ultra hot license will entice gamers normally intimidated by the genre’s inherent complexity.
