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Audio:		9.0
Visual:		9.0
Gameplay:		9.0
Story:		7.0
Replay:		8.0
Score:		8.0

Platform:	X360
Developer(s):	Ensemble Studios
Publisher(s):	Microsoft Game Studios
Genre:	Action • Strategy
Players:	6
Website:	http://www.halowars.com/
Release Date:	March 03, 2009
Rating:

Want to know what happens when Bungie isn’t involved in a Halo game? Well thankfully for us, the end result, Halo Wars turned out remarkably well. The studio behind the project, Ensemble Studios, is no more, but having done a stellar job with their real time strategy (RTS) franchise, Age of Empires, this expansion of the Halo franchise is a fitting swan song for the developer. Built from the ground up specifically for the Xbox 360 console, you could call Halo Wars a simplified RTS that focuses more on the action and less on the management. Call it your RTS "made easy" game.

PC Gamers Just Deal With It

Look, anybody who’s played a videogame on the computer of a friend whose primarily a PC gamer, knows that there is a nuance and skill relegated to PC gaming, especially with an RTS like Warcraft, or Command and Conquer. We all know this and so far there has yet to be a game developed for PC that was ported to the console that has captured the precision you get with a mouse and a keyboard. This is an irrefutable fact. So all those PC fanboys out there who are going to start saying that "Halo Wars doesn’t play like it does on PC, blah, blah, blah,” well just shut it. This was never intended to be one of those games at all and it was not designed to be a PC game. So if you come into this thinking that it “could be better on PC” well too bad. Just deal with it. And therein lies the beauty of what makes Halo Wars a truly entertaining RTS. The downside to this simplified game build is that you don’t have as much freedom and management that you do in a traditional RTS. Here’s the thing though, this is a Halo game. What’s the basic build of a Halo game? For 3 games and counting it has all been about the run and gun intensity, solid story and outstanding multiplayer. What Ensemble Studios was able to do successfully was to follow the Bungie playbook, throw in a little of bit of their own style and produce what you would expect for a Halo RTS -- lots of stuff blowing up and good fun.

Master Chief Who?

Just because he’s not in the game doesn’t mean there aren’t any Spartans. Heck there are even ODSTs (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers). The story is basically one that has our brave USNC soldiers fighting the good fight against this menacing force called the Covenant many years before the first Halo game takes place. Your two main characters are the gruff and ready Sergeant Forge (a bowl and a half of macho) and Professor Ellen Anders (your basic movie/videogame hot chick with smarts). In addition you have the cut scene crew featuring Captain Cutter who helms the “Spirit of Fire” and an AI character named Serina who makes her future counterpart Cortana look like a dull day at the library. The campaigns unfold in a very linear path with a story that’s not set to win any awards for depth but it’s serviceable.

You do have a basic and advanced tutorial at your disposal but once you get the basic functions down, controlling and managing your troops will not be a challenge. When you dispense with the free-roaming RTS style of Warcraft for instance (chopping down trees, building huts) what you’re left with is building a base, amassing troops and then have hella-battles. Since the base locations are selected for you, the biggest concern is building troops and training them so you can take advantage of some more advanced weaponry and protection. The loot for all this comes in the forms of supplies which mined for you after you build your supply bases. Make more then you get more supplies which means you can build more stuff. It’s intuitive and doesn’t require a lot of brainpower. Where the strategy does come in is figuring how to best your enemy whether it be with armored vehicles, aircrafts or infantry. Most times it will take a combination of troops to succeed.

But Does It Play Like Halo?

Ensemble did a fantastic job of using the iconic Halo staples to highlight in gorgeous detail both in the cut scenes and during actual gameplay. Just imagine looking down on a skirmish in Halo from above and it would look something like this. In the graphics department you have a stellar presentation that pays close attention to detail and design so for the Halo fans it lives up to what you would expect to say and for newcomers to the franchise this is a great way to jump in to this universe. Nice touches like Warthogs plowing down enemies or Spartans jacking Ghosts give it that Halo stamp that makes this franchise so great. You might even find yourself wanting to actually play the original game after a few campaigns of Halo Wars. It’s simply impressive to send off a massive squadron of tanks and troops to take out the enemy base and watch the battle unfold. Characters are programmed as such that they’ll fight when they encounter an enemy regardless of your direction and that’s a good thing. And with a good mix of strategy and action this game hits the mark on many levels of enjoyment (unless you’re one of those aforementioned PC freaks).

Hopping on to the multiplayer modes you can take on the role as the covenant or USNC (also in the skirmishes but not in the campaign mode) and basically do your best to blow the bejeezus our of your enemy. And yes, the Covenant does play differently right down to they way they upgrade. Suffice it to say you will have a great a time battling your online foes. With seamless play and no lag in voice chat, you’ll have a great time waging war. One might complain that there’s a lack of enough “factions” to mess with but technically there shouldn’t be the flood according to this timeline, and what else would you have? Granted you are limited to two teams in a six player game but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

A Good First Venture for A Last Effort

For us gamers, we were lucky enough to reap the benefits of this game before Ensemble Studios ceased to be. Hitting the mark on graphics, soundtrack, visuals and gameplay you have an RTS that looks and feels like a Halo game. Certainly there are some flaws that can be pointed out in terms of troop management and the true flexibility of an RTS but there are few first time efforts that come out perfect. Halo fan or not you’ll enjoy playing Halo Wars and you can surely get a sufficient enough of play out of it