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.
Click on the screenshots for ridiculously hi-res versions.
Story
As a prequel to the Halo trilogy, Halo Wars tells just one of many tales in the expanded universe that Bungie has created. Having just finished writing a book on the history of Halo for a UK publisher, I can personally attest to the labyrynthine canon which has already reached Star Wars-esque proportions in just a few short years. Halo Wars begins about two decades before Halo: Combat Evolved and centers around the Spirit of Fire, a United Nations Space Command colonization vessel-turned-repair, supply, and forward deployment center. The events of the game will lead the Spirit of Fire’s CO, Captain Cutter, and the rest of the UNSC forces under his command across several planets and head-long into encounters with the Flood and the Covenant. All of the main humans are taken directly from Michael Bay’s Guide to Making Irrelevant Cookie Cutter Characters used in every subpar sci-fi movie, novel, and video game. It’s strange that not a single character has more personality than the franchise’s faceless, mostly silent, iconic protagonist, and even the snarky smart A.I. Serina pales in comparison to the Master Chief’s holographic better half. In the end, Halo Wars is ultimately a frivolous chapter in the Halo saga, but most players won’t care as long as they get to blow shit up.
Gameplay
Being designed from the ground up for the Xbox 360 unfortunately doesn’t mean they found a way to efficiently cram all the functionality of a keyboard into a controller, but rather stripped off entire chunks of standard RTS gameplay. It was the original Halo’s simplicity that made it so accessible to a broad audience and for better or worse Halo Wars continues that tradition. Especially in the wake of EA’s excellent Red Alert 3, Halo Wars is devoid of many of the genre’s modern mainstays: You cannot create individual quick select groups; active abilities cannot be set to passive; stances such as guard position, attack move and hold fire are non-existent. In fact, your units have to be constantly baby-sat as it is not uncommon for one to break off from the pack and chase a lone grunt back to the main enemy base, subsequently getting annihilated. Or perhaps you’re holding your position to build up a bigger army before triggering a scripted event, but even your highly trained Spartans and ODSTs will run off on their own like a blonde in a horror movie investigating a strange sound.
The AI in general is undeniably obtuse, which is confounding coming from a veteran studio that should definitely know better. Especially when ordering units to trek long distances, the end result is almost never the obvious route you intended them to take; instead they will split up to get picked off by the enemy or even come to a complete stop and refuse to move because another unit is or thought about standing in their way. If an area can only be reached by a teleporter and you order your troops to move there, they will run in a straight line as far as they possibly can rather than taking the teleporter, assuming they don’t see something shiny and go after that instead. Watching Warthog’s traverse the scenery is very reminiscent of their bouncy behavior in the FPS iterations, but otherwise the game’s physics engine will also be the cause of rare anomalies, like a Ghost driving up the face of a mountain or a large vehicle constantly jackknifing in the corner of your base (you’ll know exactly what I’m referring to when you get there).
The game banks almost entirely on fanservice; thankfully there is plenty to go around.
The one advantage to Halo Wars’ basic design is the base system; in place of requiring individual buildings to be erected wherever you can find room for them, both UNSC and Covenant command centers are a single structure with up to five building sites and four customizable turret docks for defense. These five sites can be upgraded to hold land and air vehicle depots, research facilities, a barracks, and most importantly, supply pads. This means you will never need to send a bunch of Spartans into the forest to cut down trees, instead gaining resources directly via your base and allowing you to focus on more important, entertaining matters.
Whereas most RTS games have multiple factions, each with their own lengthy campaigns, Halo Wars‘ story focuses on a rather limited stint as the UNSC. Two of the 15 missions even take place in the exact same, tiny map; once at night and then again directly after that…in the day! Luckily Spartans can jack any vehicle to mix things up, granting you control of non-UNSC rides like Wraiths and Banshees, and in one mission an abandoned Super Scarab can be commandeered. In skirmishes, the Covenant is a playable selection, complete with a few units which—like the advanced X-wings seen in the new Star Wars films—are inexplicably absent from the impending events of the Halo trilogy.
Skulls make an appearance in Halo Wars, and have a considerable impact on the way you play the game. After completing an optional objective in each mission, a specific skull will pop up somewhere on the map. Once you’ve collected a skull, it is permanently added to your inventory and can be activated at any time during the campaign and singleplayer skirmishes. Some of the skulls strengthen enemy forces which increases your score multiplier at the end of the mission, while others actually make the game easier but have a penalty on your score. Activating the positive skulls makes Heroic and Legendary much more manageable, and hardcore gamers can use the negative skulls to help earn that top spot on the individual mission leaderboards. Finally, there are a few skulls which simply add visual effects, including the always popular Grunt confetti deaths and Scarabs that shoot rainbow-flavored love.
On paper, Halo Wars sounds like an incredible recipe for video game goodness, and at times it can be.
Visuals
Like the majority of recent console RTS offerings, Halo Wars looks good but never remarkable. Units are detailed enough but the bird’s eye view is fairly limited so you can never get close enough to notice the little touches like a Spartan throwing an Elite aside like a ragdoll or Professor Anders’ idle animations. Some environments are colorful and filled with imaginative set pieces, while the Flood maps in particular are lifeless and stale. Exactly how you would expect a Flood-infested area to be I suppose, but that doesn’t make the effect any more compelling. Explosions are mediocre and debris or fallen units disappear quickly, meaning even traces of a climactic battle are completely erased mere seconds after it’s over. A few extra special effects such as enhanced lighting and reflections or permanent terrain damage would have helped make the game more visually engaging.
In standard StarCraft fashion, there is an abundance of brief CG movies which provide eye candy thinly masquerading as exposition. These cutscenes are not especially well-written, using every action, horror, and sci-fi movie cliché (including the absurd Star Trek IV “slingshot around the sun” trick), but they look incredible and there is one in particular which is sure to make anyone who’s ever gotten goosebumps from Marty O’Donnell’s score want to dress up like a Spartan and beat up small children…or something. Maybe that’s just me.
Audio
O’Donnell’s absence is definitely felt here as the sound effects and orchestral score are surprisingly muted for a Halo game. When the music should be pulse-pounding and up-tempo, it is instead curiously ethereal and passive. Sometimes a more dynamic tune will kick in when assaulting an enemy base (or right after you’ve destroyed it), but all too often I was underwhelmed by the blundered auditory presentation. There was one small touch I noticed where massive explosions echoed across the map, but that’s the only way in which Halo Wars’ audio attempts to assert itself.
A handful of tanks with the canister upgrade is more than enough for most campaign missions.
Multiplayer
Unlike Red Alert 3’s expertly designed co-op campaigns, which gave each player a base and leader of their own to control, Halo Wars instead puts both players in control of all buildings and grants the ability to share units. This dual control system does allow for a variety of approaches, such as one player focusing on managing research and defense (on most maps there will eventually be multiple bases to take over) while the other focus on offense and objectives, but the shared population cap means that one greedy player can make a giant army and the other can be left running around with just a half-dead Warthog. Strangely, the requirements for getting a gold medal on each map are not increased in co-op, and since both players’ scores are tallied together at the end of the mission, this makes it ridiculously easy to rack up enough points without even trying.
Multiplayer skirmishes come in two flavors: Standard and Deathmatch. Standard is for slower players who prefer strategically building up their bases and expanding their operations across the map while building up their tech tree. Deathmatch starts all players off with max upgrades and a large supply bank, making it a race to build up the most devastating army rather than a drawn-out game of chess. While newbs may be drawn in by Halo Wars’ simplicity, online matches will almost certainly revolve around the Arbiter’s Suicide Grunts or the Elephant’s mobile deployment capabilities. Quickly building a few Elephants and parking them in front of the enemy’s base is a pretty obnoxious—but efficient—way to off opponents quickly.
As with the rest of the game, multiplayer options are incredibly limited. You choose a game type, map, and leader, then start matchmaking. There are none of the bells and whistles found in most every other RTS game, and Halo 3’s incredible replay theatre, Forge, and stat tracking are absent here as well.
Garrisoning a female Spartan behind an overturned Warthog to protect your base from Hunters while dropping ODST reinforcements in behind them is just one of the many possible situations in which you’ll constantly find yourself.
Lifespan
There is an Achievement for playing the game for 24 hours, but even at a relatively casual pace I was able to find all skulls and black boxes, complete a dozen skirmish matches, finish the campaign on Heroic, and play every mission several different times in just under 16 hours. Like most Halo games, multiplayer is where the replay value will be tested, but I have to wonder how much of the franchise’s twitch-shooter fanbase are really going to sit down for a much slower-paced experience that lacks all the instant gratification of hopping online and shotty-sniping your friends.
Recommendation
Not only does Halo Wars not bring anything new to the genre, it actually lacks a substantial amount of RTS paradigms. If you’re looking for a quick fix in-between Red Alert 3 and Dawn of War 2, Halo Wars is a reasonable way to pass the time, but ultimately is deficient of the integral layers that make its competitors and RTS games in general so enjoyable. Casual gamers will find Halo Wars to be a decent entry point, but seasoned real-time strategists expecting Ensemble’s swan song to be their magnum opus will be particularly disappointed.
Halo Wars
System: Xbox 360
Developer: Ensemble Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Find: Amazon - Gamefly - Goozex
All reviews are based on final retail code unless otherwise noted.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:28 am
WIN A COPY OF THE GAME:
Leave a comment below to be entered in a random drawing for a sealed copy of Halo Wars. A winner will be chosen on February 24th and contacted via the email address associated with their user account.
This means you’ll have the game a full week before it comes out! Plenty of time to permanently etch your gamertag at the top of the online leaderboards and practice your grunt rushing to crush unsuspecting newbs on day one.
International users are eligible, but you will have to have a US console to play the game. *No spam!*
February 17th, 2009 at 8:47 am
But you have Spartan Lasers!
February 17th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Sounds like a game destined to be loved for a short amount of time by all, both Halo and non-Halo players. Maybe Warhammer 40K Dawn of War II will be better spent playing (as it has Live achievements as well). Regardless, both games are a day one purchase for me. I am getting the LE Edition as well, if only to keep wrapped for years in hopes that it is worth something.
Good review though, I am usually pretty partial to your views, I think we have alot of the same likes and dislikes (for the most part). Albeit, I am a RTS whore on the PC, and you STILL need to play Company of Heroes. So disappointed in you William. How could you?
February 17th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I dont think that the fact this game is watered down makes it bad or reduces replay value. Multiplayer will be more fast paced than most other RTS games and will require less control which is a chore on consoles. I’m no halo fanboy or anything but I needed a good fix before SC2 and this just seems perfect for me
February 17th, 2009 at 10:01 am
RTS about Halo… I don’t think it would be physically possible for me to play this game even if I wanted to…
February 17th, 2009 at 10:03 am
I think it looks interesting despite being a pretty watered down version of Halo. It’s something new Halo-wise after all, and I think it will do a pretty decent job of tiding people over until the next best thing comes out. I’ll have to give it a try to see what I really think later on. Great review!
February 17th, 2009 at 10:15 am
I love how some of these people who posted don’t even know a thing or two about the game and didn’t even read the review. I believe your review is actually quite accurate. Yes some people don’t like RTS games and just want to buy it because its Halo. Its pretty much a copy of Starcraft but not as good and the races are from the Halo series. Even though its not as good as Starcraft it still is fun. Theres nothing like spamming Marines with New Blood and RPGs. Vultures are always fun too, but I prefer to rush.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I am looking forward to this game, since it will ease me into RTS on my 360. Hope I get it a week early too!
February 17th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Great review sounds like what i played in the demo. Its true the simplicity is to draw in gamers however hinders the game for hardcore RTS players
February 17th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Hopefully it will have a good competitive following and be played for a while by a lot of people. Most RTS’s die out so quick, itd be nice to see one stick around with a good following for a while.
PS, PICK ME!
February 17th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Extremely in depth review… The Demo took me from uninterested to excited… This review kind of put me back on the fence… Thanx for all the great info… especially the details on MP/Co-op.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:39 am
I saw DHC Basilisk shamelessly posting about the fact that ya’all are giving away a copy of the game, so thought I’d come by and post and hopefully win some Halo Warage.
I think it’s odd you want to increase traffic to your site by giving away a copy of the game you actually say isn’t that great, but whatever.
I’m looking forward to this game and think it’ll be fun and want to win some free stuff! Hooray!
February 17th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Thanks for the thorough look at Halo Wars: The Letdown. I won’t buy it, but if I WIN it, well, I guess I’ll give it some play time.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Free game? Man, I’d definitely wish I had a 360, except the game doesn’t sound too thrilling. But still … free stuff! Free stuff always rocks.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:04 am
a Possible free game with probably one of the most honest reviews yet.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I have to say I believe that this was one of the more truthful reviews of the game. You did not give it a better review than it deserved just because the game has the word Halo in the title. I am still looking forward to the game but I think they could have made it a little bit more complicated and the game would still be fun for first time RTS players.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:16 am
IIDraGunZx,
I really hope you weren’t referring to me. I actually do know quite a bit about the game, and I did read the entire review. I believe William 100% on his take on the game, but it doesn’t change or waiver my right to get it my own go. I never let a review determine a purchase decision on anything, it’s just one persons opinion over another’s, and quite frankly, being a follower just isn’t my thing.
That said though, I wouldn’t even put Starcraft and Halo Wars in the same sentence. They are definitely not “pretty much alike”. That’s like comparing Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance to Diablo II. Not happening.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:50 am
I had fun playing with the demo. Felt like a kid playing with GI Joe figures and having myself a battle.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Mind-Killer, as my review stated this game is not for everyone, but there are also plenty of people who will enjoy it. I’m sure one of them would like the game for free.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Thorough review. You are right, it is sad that these game companies can just trade on their names for a long time before players finally catch on that they are being offered nothing new. I hope the people at Microsoft (and a few other companies I could mention) read this.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I’m not completely crazy about console RTS games (Starcraft 64 ring a bell?), but I’m eager to check this out.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I never expected much from an RTS targeted toward fans of the Halo franchise. For one, gamers who would have even been remotely interested in making a purchase wouldn’t be the hardcore RTS fans you would assume. With that said, of course this is a watered-down example of the genre. All the StarCraft fans or even the original WarCraft fans would likely snub their noses at this because it’s obvious who the game caters to - those who enjoy Halo and who may give the genre a chance seeing as it’s taking a stab at telling another story in the Halo universe. Some fans will play anything (or watch, or read, or listen) if it means they will be allotted any more time in the universe of their favorite franchises. With that said, I still would like to pick up the game as I have been a Marathon/Halo fan for ages now. I enjoyed the demo, and especially for free this would be an entertaining addition to my collection. Great review.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Sounds like the pretty much expected franchise milking for Halo
Console RTS has had a hard time of it, and unfortunately from the sounds of this review it may not see much improvement for the time being. Although sales may be strong I think a number of Halo fans will wind up trading this one in.
The skull implementation sounds like a nifty bonus and are new to RTS which is definetely a nice touch and is something I’ll be looking forward to seeing adopted by other RTS
February 17th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
sounds about right for a console RTS… still may grab it just for the fun of it.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Looks interesting, but I won’t be buying it. Sounds too stripped down for my tastes.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Nice review, the only thing that gets me to buy a game is this: how much fun is it? This question has been answered by the demo. I had to stop myself from playing it so it would be a little new when I finally get it.(Maybe a week early, hint) I have already put about 10 hours into it, and plan to get the 24 hour achievement pretty quick.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Uh oh, someone actually wrote an honest review about a Halo game? Cue all the angry fanboys and GameFAQ Special Olympians!
February 17th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Great Review!! I normally am not into these kinda games…the same could be said for 1st person shooters but for some reason halo brings me into it..not sure why.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Awesome review! I loved the demo because the controls were so simple to use. I thought that nothing could be the keyboard + mouse combo but I was wrong. Anyone can play this game. I would love to have this game in my collection! Thanks for a great contest!
February 17th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Wow, really detailed review, i can’t wait to get my hands on the full version.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
looks great! i like the review, it looks pretty fun
February 17th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I’m excited and worried for this game. I like the idea that it’s going to be simple enough to play on the 360 (I prefer RTSs on PCs), but hope it’s not so dumbed down as to be unsatisfying. At least it looks pretty.
I like that the tank drivers have figured out it’s smart not to have their heads sticking out…
February 17th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
hum, seems a little odd to me that they would chose to make a watered down RTS out of the Halo franchise. Halo fans have always struck me as the types obsessed with skill, dominating at everything. if Halo Wars is too easy i’d think it’d feel like a slap in the face to such gamers.
February 17th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Saying it’s simplistic brings back memories of LOTR Battle for Middle Earth 2, does anybody else get that?
February 17th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Fun game, very simple.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I love my RTS’s but the 360 doesn’t compare to the pc for them, currently addicted to Endwar though and i thought battle for middle earth was good. Can’t see me getting this as
Not only does Halo Wars not bring anything new to the genre, it actually lacks a substantial amount of RTS paradigms
pretty much kills it for me
February 17th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I loved playing the Halo Wars demo and can’t wait to play the full version of the game. The graphics are amazing in my mind. Also, the cutscenes are beautifully done.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I bet us GEN girls will be out of this contest
hehe Good Luck everyone 
and HALO BABY!
February 17th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Halo Wars was amazing! If you are a big fan of Halo, and of Age of Empires, them this is the perfect game for you!
February 17th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
This will be a great game for those just trying the RTS genre and the cutscenes have to be some of the best ive seen in a game almost looks real.
February 17th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Awww, it sounds a little shittier than I had expected from the demo’s limitations. Still, at least it doesn’t do the whole over-inflated control scheme from the EA RTS’s and it should be a fun game for hardcore PC RTS players to destroy some 12 year old XBL kids.
I’ll definitely try out the lame early Elephant tactic first, thanks
February 17th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
RTS + Halo = I have less than no interest in his game.
February 17th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I am going to try it for sure. It seems interesting and I did enjoy Starcraft, so i will probably give it a try.
February 17th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
it looks like it’ll be pretty fun, mostly interested in co-op. the only thing i didn’t like about the demo was honestly the cursor movement, but that only just takes some getting used to.
February 17th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Every one that says it’s easy are wrong… The game is simple, that’s for sure (from the demo and comparing to various other RTS games)but in no way can you say it’s easy. The difficulty will come from your opponents which will have the same simple watered down RTS to play. The one with the better grasp of what to do and when, the one with the best micro/macromanagement will win. Nothing differs from other RTSs in that department. Although I believe most of what the review says, it’s not a big deal for me as I really liked playing the demo and will most likely love playing the real game online. That is all that matters to me in the end, the fun factor
February 17th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
What is next? A first person star craft?!?! This is crazy, they should stick to what they are good at.
February 17th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Great review! I hope you pick me for that free early copy!
February 17th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Great review! I actually want the game because it is simplified. I have tried previous rts games and the tutorials help, but once the action gets hot and heavy there are just too many things to remember. This should be a great starting point!
February 17th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
This is good a good review, actually got me interested in the game… so now I am going to check it out.
February 17th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I loved the review. I love the Hi-Res screenshots and one of em is even my walpaper :D. I completely agree with you guys too on the whole review on how good the game is :D.
Anyways, i would also love to win the free copy of the game you are giving out. It would be much appreciated!
February 17th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Really Nice Review Guys…
Im new to the whole RTS games and this one seems to be a good start to get into them. i was weary on getting this game until i read this review…thnx
February 17th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
This game looks good and from the demo i hope i enjoy it!
February 17th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
It’s so awesome that GEN got the first review up! It’s a shame to hear about the audio and use of music. I am not playing the demo because I want my experience to be completely fresh. It will be my first console RTS game!
February 17th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
The graphics look flippin’ sweet.
February 18th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Great review Haley. However, a fist shaped enima seems more pleaseant than a Halo anything.
February 18th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I played the demo (not something I normally do, I don’t like limited sampling of a product) because I already pre-ordered this, and it’s what I expected: A typical RTS game on a console. I mean, the console just can’t handle working an RTS the same way a computer can- there’s not enough button combinations on a controller or the precision of the mouse to be had.
That said, the demo proved that there are ways to get around it- you don’t need to create individual selection groups, because you can easily hit the d-pad to pick all of your soldiers or all of a certain type quite quickly. And let’s be honest- RTSs always boil down to building a ton of units, selecting them ALL, and charging forward- he with the most units wins.
I love the Halo games, though I’ve not yet played them online (still avoiding having to put up with someone half my age whining or insulting me over the headset- I really don’t need to add “dressing down a young idiot” to my list of chores when I’m trying to have fun gaming… so I have a feeling that this won’t last me too long without going online with it, which is highly doubtful… I don’t have the “killer”/mathematical queue mentality competitive RTS gamers develop where they know exactly which buildings to build first and which units to build next, etc.
I just go free form at my gaming and hope to have fun.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:38 am
“And let’s be honest- RTSs always boil down to building a ton of units, selecting them ALL, and charging forward”
Actually they’re about strategy, and not everyone has the same one. Especially in many of the campaign missions or larger 3v3 maps, attacking multiple bases at once is a must for victory, yet all too often will you accidentally order your entire army to go somewhere or do something that you only meant for a specific group.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Aside of all the possible micro manage controls they left out, the play can be taken to a competitive level. The biggest problem that it faces is the balance of the game. It has been mentioned that the cov have overpowering rushes that then UNSC have an almost impossible time holding off. Expect some quick balance patches if this game is to have a long life span.
YAY for an early copy if I win!
February 19th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Hey druidblue online is pretty much what the halo games is about, if you dont want to put up with the poeple that trash talk just mute them dont let them ruin your gaming fun. And for those of you that think they messed up the controls please try to remember that they made this to be as SIMPLE as possible for the 360 controller.
February 19th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Congrats on you hitting it on the head. A lot of things could have been done to improve this game and its refreshing to see a honest review.
February 19th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I love this game!! the demo is great and i cant wait for the real game….i hope i get the game early!
February 20th, 2009 at 2:25 am
Me and some other girls I know are pretty excited about halo wars. I really like the halo story and the shooters. I hope this one is as good as them.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:01 am
good review, its sad to see ensemble go. makes you think that if they had more time they would of put in some things that this article talks about. always remember that when things are down are you cant see so strait, pick up an offglass and let him regulate!!=)
February 20th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Great review Will! I would definatley buy it if it was released over here! I thought at first that changing the Halo franchise from a first-person shooter to a Real time strategy would be hard to pull off, and I thought it would kill the franchise but after reading you’re review it seems as if I was wrong!
February 20th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
great review. this review is the only one that sounds good and you know what the game is about. this game is going to set the standards for all rts titles on the xbox from now on. the controls seem user friendly and easy to use. the overall gameplay looks smooth and lack glitches which is a great thing. i cant wait to play the game on xbox live.
February 20th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
halo wars looks so amazing. im a huge rts player and a huge fan of ensemble studios. this game is going to be the next big thing on the xbox 360. console rts games have not been that good and halo wars is the game to set the record for best rts on a console. the review gave me alot of information on halo wars thanks alot
February 21st, 2009 at 1:42 am
This game looks hawt. I dont usually play game like this but im willing to expand my horizons. The review doesnt seem to like it but to each their own. Looking for it to be a smash.
February 21st, 2009 at 7:10 am
The demo is fun and I can see why they made the game more “simple” than the average RTS…to appeal to a wider audience.
Wider audience=more possible sales…..HOWEVER.
Will this simplistic approach warrant spending$60.00???
Thats my main concern, will I beat it in a day and watch it collect dust? If its like other “Halo” titles very likely, I hate playing online unless its friends because I cant dedicate as much time as a 16 year old and it gets old quickly.
February 21st, 2009 at 11:41 am
I wish i could shake the writer of this articles hand. Ive read the other reviews and their more like ‘game feature listings’ then real actual honest opinions. Sure it tells you whats in the game but i can just go download the manual from the halo wars website if i wanted to see that. This article is the best!!!!! *extends hand to writer*
February 21st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Thanks Spinsee, your check is in the mail!
February 21st, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I just got a 360. My parents never gave me anything to I just saved up all my money to get one. I played halo at my friends house and love it and they told me about a new halo game called halo wars. I spent all my saved money and got my 360! I will probably have to wait to play this game because i dont have that enough now but i still am excited for it! I love halo and xbox!
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 am
Its a shame ensemble broke up. I wonder if this game would of been a little different if they had some more time and werent worried about their jobs. I know they finished the DLC already but it woulda been cool to see what really coulda happnd if they had a couple more months. I love the game though and i cant wait to play it. I dream about it at night=)
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Im a big rts fan and halo too. The combo of the both is going to be great. Halo was supposed to be an rts before it got created as a shooter. The vid is still floating around, go check it out on youtube. It would make my year if i got this a week early!!!
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
halo rocks!!!
im the biggest halo fan in the world and i am the best rts player in the world on both pc and consoles. halo wars is blowing up my mind and i can not wait till the game comes out so i can be the best in it also.
p.s. the review rocks also!!!!!!!
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
halo + rts = OMG
i can’t wait to play the campaign and on xbox live.
HALO WARS = funtastic
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Ive played all the games since the outfit (yeah, remember that one?). Halo Wars is the first console rts game to have all the hype and i hope it delivers and I am pumped to play it. I have been counting down the minutes. I would do anything to get it early, i might even talk in an australian accent, chase dingos, and eat kangaroos for a couple days!
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:20 am
I am really excited about this game. We wont see another halo game for a little while and i have faith that this one will bring alot of people into the rts genre. It seems like ensemble could have nailed a lot of things like the controls and balance if they just added a few minor things. But I would love to play this and I hope the gamestop by my house still has some pre orders left because I dont know what i would do if i didnt get this game!!
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:52 pm
halo wars is going to put rts games on the map for consoles. the graphics look great, the controls are awesome and simple. after playing the demo on xbox live i have fallen more and more in love with the game. i can’t wait to play this on xbox live and go to tournaments. plus it’s a halo game!!!
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
wow this review is by far the best i have read. it is the only one to make any sense and it sounds like they know what they are talkin about. this game is taking rts and halo to a whole other level. i wish today was march 3rd.
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
halowars halowars halowars halowars halowars halowars halowars halowars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it is my life. i love this game.
February 24th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
odio el poste este
todos son mariconsones
el que hico este revisio es un comemierda y pajaro
halo wars me encanta
halo wars is awesome!!!
February 24th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
el poste de ganar el juego es todo de mentira!!!
February 25th, 2009 at 1:26 am
CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT:
The randomly selected winner has been notified via the email connected to their user profile.
Please feel free to post your thoughts on the game when you (and everyone else) receive your copy.
Don’t forget to check back for our regular reviews and the next giveaway (Resident Evil 5). Thanks!
February 25th, 2009 at 9:42 am
For those that didnt win you could always try out the tournament at gamestop this saturday feb. 28 2pm http://www.gamestop.com/gs/tournaments/halowar/
good luck
February 25th, 2009 at 10:38 am
So who won……?