IGN: Halo Wars Review

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IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by Backslash »

Halo Wars Review
Ensemble takes Halo, and real-time strategy, to a whole new planet.
by Ryan Geddes

Link to Video is here, at RHPG


February 20, 2009 - Bungie Studios has spent the last decade refining its winning formula for first-person shooter success with the Halo series. The epic sci-fi saga about humanity's battle for survival against the alien Covenant collective has now spanned three games on Microsoft's Xbox consoles, and that number will only grow in the years to come.

For the first time, a non-Bungie development studio has tried its hand at expanding the series in the form of Halo Wars, a real-time strategy game set in the universe popularized by the enigmatic Master Chief. And although Spartan warrior John-117 doesn't appear in the game, developer Ensemble Studios has otherwise closely followed Bungie's formula for success.

Halo has always been about intense bursts of run-and-gun gameplay with pretty graphics and a robust and addictive multiplayer component, all wrapped up in a compelling story. Rather than strike out on its own with an approach more akin to its wide-open Age of Empires series of real-time strategy games, Ensemble has stuck to the Bungie formula in Halo Wars. Missions are tightly designed, the action moves constantly forward, and momentum isn't bogged down with complex technology trees, multiple buildings and resource gathering operations. Because of this, Halo Wars serves almost as a "my-first-RTS" rather than as a Halo-ization of more traditional strategy offerings like AoE, Starcraft and Command & Conquer.

Click the image to watch our Halo Wars video review (HD available).


Compared to those games, Halo Wars offers you less control over where you set up your base of operations, how you build your armies and the manner in which you achieve your objectives. In stripping the RTS experience down to its core function of creating an army to defeating an enemy, Halo Wars brings something fresh and lively to the console RTS landscape.

Many console strategy games are ports of their PC counterparts, which causes design problems from the outset. Actions that were designed to be managed with the precision controls of a keyboard and mouse are shoehorned onto a controller with a limited number of buttons and a slower system of on-screen navigation. As a result, many of these ports simply don't work as advertised, and gamers end up shaking their fists at an angry and vindictive God. The Ensemble developers seem to have had just that experience, because they took a totally different approach with Halo Wars. This game was built from the ground-up for the Xbox 360, and the control system shows it.

Almost every action in Halo Wars can be accomplished with two button presses, and production choices are made from a Mass Effect-like radial menu that never has more than eight options. On the battlefield, just tap the A button on a unit to select, say, a Spartan super-soldier; move your cursor to a location via the left analog stick; and tap the X button to send him there. If the location is empty, your unit will move there, and if it's occupied by an enemy, he'll attack like the well-trained Marine he is. Most units also have a special attack, which you can execute at the touch of the Y button. Warthogs, for example, can plow over enemy ground forces, which comes in handy as a last resort. Once you use a special attack, it will need to recharge, so use them wisely.

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Yes, it really looks like that.


Marines and their vehicles don't train and build themselves, so you'll need to handle that on your own. All of Halo Wars' campaign missions are played from the United Nations Space Command perspective (sorry, no Covenant campaign), and most start you out with a single base of operations, or at least a spot to build one. These Firebases come with three building sites and can be upgraded to support up to four additional sites. In some campaign levels, and in most multiplayer maps, you'll have the opportunity to operate additional bases, but you can only build in designated areas. While some may find this restrictive, I found it to be refreshing approach that significantly streamlined the base-building process, which can be cumbersome to manage in other console RTSs.

Although your base site is fixed, that doesn't take the strategy out of the process. Halo Wars is as much about managing limited resources as it is about blowing stuff up. Each Supply Pad you build as the UNSC, and each warehouse you construct as the Covenant in multiplayer matches, will provide you with a steady stream of resources that you can use to build your army, beef up your base and deploy super weapons. One of the most satisfying things to do in Halo Wars is to fully upgrade the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon on the Spirit of Fire, build up a healthy stash of resources and then spend those resources to unload a group of three pinpoint 600-ton rounds on a Covenant base. Nighty-night, bugs.

Dropping mad loads of Tungsten on the Covvies wouldn't be nearly as much fun without the awesome explosions said rounds impart upon detonation. Ensemble did some great graphical work on Halo Wars, and it paid off. The particle effects and damage modeling are incredibly satisfying to watch, and every Covenant and UNSC unit is lovingly recreated to look just like its counterpart in the previous Halo games. And the graphical eye candy doesn't stop at the battlefield.

The CGI cutscenes in Halo Wars are beautiful, and they add a tremendous amount of character and weight to the game. Die-hard fans of the Halo storyline won't be disappointed with the way Ensemble and Microsoft brought the world to life, from the intricately detailed Spirit of Fire to the FMV sequences that show Spartans engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat. There's a cutscene for each of Halo Wars' 15 missions, and they're a nice reward for completing each level. Unfortunately, the tale they tell isn't quite up to the standards Bungie has set in previous games.

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Warthogs are back, as are most of your favorite vehicles from Halo.


It's not the plot that's the problem; it's just your standard the-galaxy's-in-danger story. Rather, it's the characters involved that left me somewhat wanting. All are fairly stereotypical, and the two main characters, Sgt. John Forge and Prof. Ellen Anders just weren't very likable to me. The former is a chauvinist tough-guy who's none too pleased about having to babysit a lady doctor on a man's mission. And Anders is what IGN Xbox 360 editor Erik Brudvig describes as your typical "Dr. Science" archetype -- a cheeky, headstrong egghead in a white lab coat who won't take no for an answer. The best character in Halo Wars is probably Serina, an A.I. with attitude and more than a little contempt for the humans she's charged with assisting.

But Halo Wars makes up for its character shortcomings with its unflagging devotion to retaining the Halo feel. The story still feels epic in scope, and there are some powerful on-screen moments. Even the interface and extras are unmistakably Halo. The Easy, Normal, Heroic and Legendary difficulties are here, as are the crossed-sword icons to represent them. There are even skulls scattered throughout the game that you can collect by meeting special objectives in the campaign. Flip them on just like you would in Halo 3 to turn on effects like Grunt Birthday Party, which adds a shower of confetti to every Covenant Grunt you kill, or choose More Cowbell to crank all explosions in the game up to 11.

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Pro tip: SPARTANs are strong.


Halo Wars is full of nice touches that show the development team's personality and dedication to the Halo universe. Hardcore fans will find plenty series lore to pore over in the cutscenes, and there's even an unlockable Halo timeline that lays out the history of humanity's struggle for survival. Ensemble also injected its own irreverent sense of humor throughout, including the game tips that scroll along the bottom of the screen in the menus. This is where I learned that "The Brute Chieftain likes Thornbeast for dinner, but it better be rare."

It wouldn't be a Halo game without multiplayer, and Ensemble didn't skip this area either. Halo Wars features an online multiplayer matchmaking system similar to the one Bungie built for Halo 3, albeit with far fewer bells and whistles. Just pop into the multiplayer menu, and the game will find you a party and match you up with competitors via TrueSkill. There's nice attention to detail here, from the Halo 3-like ranking system to the transparent system of party matchups (Halo Wars lists your party's TrueSkill rank). Since the game's not out in the wild yet, it was impossible for me to test how Halo Wars' matchmaking system holds up under the strain of Xbox Live with tens of thousands playing. But from my limited tests taking the game online, things worked smoothly. Voice chat worked well, there was no lag, and matchmaking was quick and painless. Again, all that could change when the game is released.

There are only two playable factions in Halo Wars multiplayer: UNSC and Covenant, which I didn't find to be a detriment to the experience. That's partly because both sides have three different leaders to choose from, each of which has access to different perks, units and bonuses. Your leader choice can make a big difference in your strategy on the battlefield, which is a nice touch. Some may complain that the Flood isn't a playable faction (although they are in the campaign). Personally, I hate the Flood, and I was happy they were excluded.

In addition to matchmaking, you can also create custom online matches, engage in skirmishes locally against AI players or even play through the campaign cooperatively with a friend. But competitive multiplayer is really where Halo Wars opens up and allows you to stretch your strategic muscles.

You can play one-on-one, two-on-two or three-on-three matches, and there are 14 maps that are scaled to those game types. Unlike the strict campaign, the multiplayer modes of Halo Wars feel most like what RTS fans are used to from the genre.

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There's no shame in an orderly retreat.


Like the Halo FPS games, the Halo Wars campaign is all about quick bursts of fun strung together, and that means missions with carefully defined objectives. For many PC RTS players, the draw to the genre is the ability to step into the shoes of a powerful general with every little bit of the situation at his or her command.

But there aren't that many ways to complete the missions in Halo Wars. There wasn't a point where the game really took off the training wheels and said, "There's the enemy – go get him however you see fit."

As a fan of both the RTS genre and the Halo universe, I liked Ensemble's approach to blending the two ideas, but I found myself wishing the reins were a bit looser. However, I still had a ton of fun with Halo Wars, and I highly recommend it to any Halo fan who's never really cared much about real-time strategy. But if you're a hardcore RTS nut who's a bit of a control freak, you might be disappointed with the options here.

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All your base are belong to the ODSTs.

Closing Comments
Halo Wars deftly dodges between the hardcore micromanagement of real-time strategy and the instant gratification expected by Halo fans. Ensemble has nailed console RTS controls, but at the expense of some depth. The campaign missions often seem overly scripted and the experience doesn’t have the wide-open feel of some other RTSs. But the Halo feel is most definitely present, and serves as one of the game’s biggest strengths. The cinematic cutscenes are gorgeous, if the narrative is somewhat thin in places. Overall, Halo Wars is a fresh and expertly polished approach to the console strategy genre, and it’s a fitting goodbye from a beloved studio.

Taken from IGN.com

Thanks for putting it in Game Reviews :)
Last edited by Backslash on Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by CoFree »

we have the video review here.
viewtopic.php?f=154&t=3959" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by Backslash »

oh nice didnt see that, thanks :)
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Re: IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by nxdragon »

This game is a great game if you like strategy. Check it outit wont let you down.
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Re: IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by stephenhope »

Who's gonna be the first to say 'As good as Halo then?'

Oh it was me!
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Re: IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by cavinsmither »

There are many games available but This game is really different then other game because it have very nice graphics and good game strategy.It have interesting stages and different machineries are also appear.
its my favorite game.
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Re: IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by VicDelmonte »

I recently got this game in a bunch I got a deal on on craigslist. Have to say I wasn't incredibly impressed. The RTS vibe just didn't really work for me, I guess. Maybe because it was on console?
Last edited by VicDelmonte on Wed Jun 03, 2015 3:43 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: IGN: Halo Wars Review

Post by HaGGardSmurf »

VicDelmonte wrote:I recently got this game in a bunch I got a deal on on craigslist. Have to say I wasn't incredibly impressed. The RTS vibe just didn't really work for me, I guess. Maybe because it was on console?
Console RTS' are about 1:100 scale of what is on PC.

I got the RTS vibe but not to the scale of 'true' rts'. Personally I dont play many rts' on pc because most of them are so complex it takes alot of thinking. I enjoyed this game, it was fun while still giving that rts vibe.
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