So HALO is back. Despite the fact that RTS is not HALO's norm, Microsoft and Ensemble (now defunct) set to prove that this genre can actually be successful on consoles. The 1.4GB demo hit Xbox LIVE Marketplace yesterday and offers 2 levels from the campaign, 2 levels of tutorial, and a skirmish map. The retail version will be out February 27, 2009.
I'm going to make it short with just spifft and iffy aspects of the demo.
THE GOOD
All in all, story looks interesting, battles feel cool, and this game is probably going to be a SUPERB last hurrah for Ensemble Studios.
I'm going to make it short with just spifft and iffy aspects of the demo.
THE GOOD
- The epic, grandiose and colossal HALO world feels successfully translates to RTS form
- For ACTION genre gamers like me (who tend to suck at RTS games), the gameplay is easy to get hang of, without overwhelming the first timer with complex/normal RTS standards like micromanagment, resource managing etc.
- The musical score blends well with the trilogy
- The controls are really REALLY easy and definitely tailor made for Xbox 360 Controller
- The story is conveyed through impressive CG cutscenes
- Halo Wars was clearly aimed for people who have never played RTS games before. Longtime RTS vets might be disappointed at the lack of RTS standards
- No controller in the world matches the precision and ease of a mouse. Moving around with Left Stick feels slower and needs a bit of practice to master
- Action/Adventure genre players can still suck at playing RTS
All in all, story looks interesting, battles feel cool, and this game is probably going to be a SUPERB last hurrah for Ensemble Studios.