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Home > Categories > Games & Puzzles > Xbox 360 > Halo Wars review
'Halo Wars' is a strategy game based on the legendary 'Halo' universe. In campaign mode, players will command the armies of the UNSC warship 'Spirit of Fire', consisting of familiar and new UNSC units in its initial encounters against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. 'Halo Wars' will immerse gamers in an early period of the storied 'Halo' universe, allowing them to experience events leading up to the first 'Halo' title for Xbox.
With the guidance of Serina, a spirited artificial intelligence (AI) persona, gamers will direct legions of UNSC soldiers, Warthogs, Scorpions and more, each group having its own strengths and uses in battle. Adventurous commanders can also call upon ancient Forerunner technology, if they are fortunate enough to find it hidden throughout the battlefield.
Covenant forces are also waiting for players to lead them into battle in multiplayer skirmishes via the New Xbox Experience. Call upon an arsenal of new and familiar Covenant units such as Grunts, Elites, Ghosts and even Scarabs to defeat foes on the battlefield. Strategic-minded players who react well under pressure will emerge victorious.
Features:
• New take on a legendary world. Set in the iconic 'Halo' universe, 'Halo Wars' predates the original first-person shooter 'Halo.' Fans of the franchise will have the opportunity to experience the early battles between the UNSC and Covenant, the far-reaching conflict that has been diligently followed by the masses in the blockbuster 'Halo' series. Players join the crew onboard the 'Spirit of Fire', a Phoenix-class colony ship converted for UNSC military use and guided by the AI persona Serina. The 'Halo Wars' story line follows the Spirit of Fire's discovery of an ancient artifact during a journey to the planet Harvest, the first planet to be attacked by the Covenant.
• Strategic command of armies in large-scale combat. 'Halo Wars' puts gamers in command of the battlefield over an arsenal of UNSC units and vehicles as they engage Covenant forces. They can counter and crush their opponent by tactically fielding the superior army. Players can also choose among Leaders that possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle. Using various combinations of Leaders and units, players can create countless strategies tailored to their preferred playing styles and personalized strategies.
• Challenge friends to skirmishes using the New Xbox Experience. See who the superior commander is through multiplayer online skirmishes supporting up to 6 players with the New Xbox Experience. Players can choose to command either unique civilization, UNSC or Covenant, each with unique attributes and strategic characteristics. Ancient Forerunner technology can also be found to create unique units to gain an upper hand in battle.
• Groundbreaking strategy game for the Xbox 360. Since inception, 'Halo Wars' was explicitly designed to cater to console gamers and bring to the Xbox 360 a genre that has typically been played on the PC. Gamers can easily command and manage powerful armies, effortlessly control troops and incredible machines, engage in epic battles and expand their empire using an intuitive user interface for the Xbox 360. 'Halo Wars' represents the true next-generation experience, combining a masterful control scheme using the Xbox 360 controller with the award-winning strategic gameplay only Ensemble Studios can provide.
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Review by: mizim (Miriam)
Dated: 16th of May, 2012
Halo Wars isn't as deep as other games within the same genre. But, for what it is, Halo Wars is a fun game with a solid campaign and features. It also utilizes Halo's fictitious world really well and helps to fill in some gaps in the Halo universe.
I did find it to be a bit limiting in how much you could build. Yes, you could upgrade, but even then it was limited, and to open up more you first have to go and take over more bases, so can be a bit time consuming, but still worthwhile.
The game is a bit simplistic when compared to others of its kind, but still a good addition to the collection if this is the kind of style that you like.
Review by: rincewind (Jack)
Dated: 10th of September, 2010
When I first heard that the Halo franchise was going to be branching out into the RTS genre I was a little worried, this was a franchise that works perfectly as a FPS but how could it work as a Real-Time Strategy game? Then I found out that the studio that was going to be responsible for bringing the Halo Universe into the RTS sphere was no other than Ensemble Studios who have been the genius behind such other great RTS games such as the Age of Empire series and Age of Mythology.
The only other worry I had was that this was to be an Xbox 360 exclusive which I have felt was never really designed for the playing of RTS games, well I needn't have worried about that one as Ensemble have created a truly innovative game engine that makes using a controller to play a RTS game a real breeze.
This game takes place well before the events of Halo and so you have a USMC at it's peak in terms of equipment and manpower, and of course large amounts of Spartans 
The levels start off nice and simply but you can soon find yourself fully immersed in the game. It uses a standard RTS formula of giving you only basic units and structures to begin with, and as you progress your units and structures get more powerful, this is mainly done with upgrades.
One unique thing about this game is that the building of your bases requires a little more strategy than most other RTS games, as in Halo Wars you only have a limited number of available building slots on your base, and if you want more buildings then you've got to explore to find more sites that you can build your bases on. This means you have to find the right balance between generating credits and buildings that can either produce units or buildings that can upgrade them.
So basically if you like Halo and you want to try a unique new RTS experience then go out and buy Halo Wars now.
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