Halo Wars Review

Game Spot: 6.5 OVERALL

Halo Wars is a fun strategy outing for fans of the universe, but it feels simplistic and short alongside other games in the genre.

The Good

* Superb selection of UNSC and Covenant forces
* Easy to play once you grasp the controls
* Engaging storyline and cutscenes
* Good mission variety through campaign mode.

The Bad

* Covenant not playable in campaign mode, Flood not playable at all
* Small unit counts and map limit the scale of battles
* Very few multiplayer options.

Although Halo Wars can be rewarding and fun to play for a time, the short length of the single-player campaign and the lack of variety in the multiplayer ultimately leaves the game feeling unfinished and threadbare. It looks and sounds great, and it captures the essence of the series well, but there's not much else to keep you coming back once you've finished the short campaign and grown tired of playing multiplayer skirmishes between the two sides. It's good while it lasts, but it will appeal more to fans of Halo and casual RTS players than anyone looking for a deeply engrossing strategy game.

IGN: 8.4 Impressive OVERALL(out of 10 / not an average)

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.

9.0 Presentation
Ensemble nailed the Halo vibe. Everything is slick and smooth, despite some pathfinding issues with larger vehicles.

8.5 Graphics
There’s some slowdown at times, especially when a lot of units are present, but the cutscenes are amazing and the environments shine.

9.0 Sound
The sound effects add serious weight to the experience, and Stephen Rippy’s soundtrack hits just the right note.

8.0 Gameplay
This isn’t your typical RTS, which may or may not be music to your ears. The missions are very straightforward, which subtracts depth. But there’s a nice tradeoff: The controls are great.

8.5 Lasting Appeal
The multiple difficulties, hidden skulls and secrets encourage multiple playthroughs. And the solid multiplayer, both online and off, is a ton of fun. Try Legendary if you fancy a challenge.


My Impression

Seems like mixed reviews for this game. Is this a case of you like it or hate it? I personally think that it is a casual RTS game, but has the best controls for an RTS game and is a lot of fun especially for Halo fans. I did feel a little shorted by the number of troops you can control in a match. I would have like to see more. Other than that I think this is an awesome RTS game.

I have played RTS games like the 3 Command and Conquer games for 360 and they were ok. They didn't have that fun factor to me. The controls took a lot of the fun out. The last two C&C games had nice graphics and some cool troops to control, but I could not get into them.

I guess if Halo Wars was not based from one of the best selling console games it would not be as good. I'm trying to picture Halo Wars with out the Halo factor. If Halo Wars came out before Halo would I still like it? I think I would, but it would have been a stroke of luck trying to get me to play it without having played the Halo series. RTS games don't have good raps on consoles. I think having Halo out before Halo Wars worked best for me.

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think. Is IGN pumping up hype, is Game Spot being to cruel, or is this game what they say it is?