Manufacturer's Description
The next journey into the Halo universe won't be to play as regular hero the Master Chief, but as his boss! This real-time strategy game puts you in control of a whole army of soldiers, vehicles and spacecraft as you take on the alien Covenant.
With a story set twenty years before the events of the original Halo game, this features all the familiar elements of the blockbusting originals but from an all-new perspective. Similar in style to games such as Command & Conquer, this has its own unique control system specifically built for the Xbox 360 controller.
What results is an experience that's just as action-packed as any shoot 'em-up, with the resource management elements of the genre made to take a back seat. There's still plenty of tactical depth though, in a game that's good enough to make Halo fans love strategy and strategy fans love Halo.
Key Features
* Before Master Chief: The first Halo game to embrace a new style of gameplay, with a brand new prequel storyline and a whole new cast of characters.
* Be the bad guy: Play as the alien Covenant for the first time, as you take control of all of their signature equipment and units in intense multiplayer battles.
* Console control : Simplified control system has been two years in the making, allowing you to select and direct your units as quickly and easily as any action game.
* This is Spartan: Direct and control all the familiar troops and vehicles from the original games, including human Warthogs, Covenant Banshees and Spartan Special Forces.
* Team tactics: Rope in three friends for the online co-operative mode and battle each other in specially designed maps on Xbox Live.
About the Developer: Ensemble Studios
Based in Dallas, Texas, this developer made its name with the Age of Empires series of real-time strategy games. In 2001 it was bought by Microsoft, but in a surprise move was closed down once Halo Wars was complete - but before a planned Halo massively multiplayer game could be made.
Overview:
“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.
Created from the ground up for the Xbox 360 console and controller, “Halo Wars” is being developed by the veteran real-time strategy developer Ensemble Studios, the team responsible for the best-selling and critically acclaimed “Age of Empires” franchise on the PC. “Halo Wars” can be played online through the New Xbox Experience and the single-player campaign. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, “Halo Wars” is an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 video game system. "
Amazon.co.uk Review
Developer Bungie long ago promised that Halo 3 would be the last part in the story, but it’s always been pretty obvious that they were only referring to Master Chief’s initial confrontation with the Flood and Covenant. For now though the only indication of how the Halo universe will continue to evolve is this game: a console only real-time strategy game from Ensemble Studios, makers of Age of Empires. It’s a little known fact that the original Halo, when it was still only a PC game, was actually envisioned and initially designed as a real-time strategy, so Halo Wars really isn’t as much as a stretch as it may seem.
The game’s story takes place before that of the original Halo: Combat Evolved but involves versions of the familiar Halo vehicles from the dropships and Warthogs to the Covenant Banshees and Spectres. There are also many new vehicles as well though, such as the Hawk helicopter and Wolverine rocket tank. As with most real-time strategies you’re also able to build your own buildings and support structures with which to recruit new soldiers and build new vehicles.
A properly accurate and intuitive control system is always a problem for this sort of game on a console, but apparently that’s one of the things Ensemble has spent the most amount of time on, with only the one analogue stick and four face buttons needed to control the whole game. One thing’s for sure the Halo saga and universe has only just begun.
Product 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.
Platform...: XBOX360 / RF / PAL
