Halo Wars
From Microsoft
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Product Description
A strategy game based on the Halo universe, Halo Wars immerses you in an early period of the storied Halo universe, allowing you to experience events leading up to the first Halo title. With the guidance of Serina, a spirited artificial intelligence (A.I.) persona, 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. In campaign mode, command the armies of the UNSC warship Spirit of Fire, with familiar and new UNSC units in its initial encounters against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind.
Covenant forces are also waiting for you 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. Online Play - 6 Versus / 2 Co-Op
Product Details
* Amazon Sales Rank: #24 in Video Games
* Brand: Microsoft
* Model: C3V-00002
* Released on: 2009-03-03
* ESRB Rating: Teen
* Platform: Xbox 360
* Dimensions: .37 pounds
Features
* Control armies in a whole new way as strategy gaming meets the epic Halo universe
* Enter year 2531 with the crew of the Spirit of Fire and see the early stages of the war against Convent
* Fight as either UNSC or Covenant and employ everything from special Marine units and Warthogs to threatening Scarabs
* Experience smooth, intuitive controls and a friendly UI with a platform developed just for Xbox360
* Enter into skirmishes with up to six players via Xbox LIVE online support
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Product Description
Get your hands dirty in the early stages of the epic battle between UNSC and Covenant. Developed by Ensemble Studios, Halo Wars for Xbox 360 brings all the drama of a real-time strategy game to the popular Halo Universe. Set in the year 2531, before the initial Halo first-person shooter game, this game lets you control the human armies of UNSC in a whole new way.
Experience the Epic Battle from a New Perspective
Defense, offense, and the ability to hold down a command center in the face of hostile attacks: there's a lot to think about when laying out tactics for an all-out alien war. Featuring detailed environments and complicated new battle mechanisms, this game demands a different kind of perspective than the first-person shooters from the original Halo series. You'll need to uncover the hidden strengths and weaknesses of each unit and play them to your tactical advantage, and that's just the beginning.
UNSC: Be Part of a Legendary Conflict
The story opens with UNSC forces retaking the planet Harvest from the Covenant. At your disposal -- should you choose to take command of UNSC forces -- will be everything from a corps of highly-trained Marines to the Warthogs, Scorpions, and Hornets you'll need for air and land attacks.
You'll take stock of the map and decide between holding your ground or advancing on enemy strongholds, all while trying to navigate the local terrain and outsmart Covenant forces. And when you need something extra to tip the tide in your favor, UNSC leaders can provide you with the ability to mobilize highly specialized units or call the Spirit of Fire vessel for support from above.
Covenant: A Capable, Playable Enemy Faction
That's right, Covenant is playable in this corner of the Halo universe. This alliance of alien species has manipulated advanced technology, firepower, and tactical prowess into a powerful force that is engaged in a Genocidal war against human race, having branded humans as heretics.
With the ability to play as these tough, alien fighters, you'll have advanced shield technology, the modular Citadel at the heart of Covenant's colonizing power, and, of course, the iconic Scarab attack vehicle at your disposal, adding a whole new dimension to your strategic warfare.
The Scarab is a terrifying military vehicle crafted from heavy mining equipment. And with a mining laser that delivers massive damage across battlefields large and small, turrets for taking on air attacks, and the ability to clamber over any terrain, what's not to love about commanding Scarabs instead of fighting against them?
Developed Exclusively for Xbox 360
Most console RTS games are adapted from existing PC games, which can make their controls bulky or awkward, but Halo Wars has been developed for Xbox 360 from the ground up.
This means the controls are sensitive, intuitive, and easy-to-operate in the midst of battle. And the UI is just as intuitive, so whether you're managing a unit of marines or a deadly machine, you can focus on creating a battle strategy instead of worrying about how to overcome a clumsy controller.
No matter which faction you choose to play as, you can test your skills against those of other players in online skirmishes that allow up to six players with the New Xbox Experience through Xbox LIVE.
From the Manufacturer
Take Control of the Halo Universe. The Year is 2531, twenty years prior to the events in Halo®: Combat Evolved and the Covenant have found something on the planet Harvest. The UNSC ship “Spirit of Fire” is sent to investigate and stop whatever the enemy is up to. What the crew finds could be the only thing that stands between humanity and certain annihilation by the Covenant.
Command large armies, lead them into battle, control their every move and use their abilities to gain the upper hand in combat. Your strategy is infinite.
Overview:
Halo Wars is an exciting strategy game based on the legendary Halo® universe. In campaign mode, command the armies of the UNSC warship Spirit of Fire, with familiar and new UNSC units in its initial encounters against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. Halo Wars will immerse you in an early period of the storied Halo universe, allowing you to experience events leading up to the first Halo title for Xbox®.
With the guidance of Serina, a spirited artificial intelligence (A.I.) persona, 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 you 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. 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.
Join the crew onboard the Spirit of Fire, a Phoenix-class colony ship converted for UNSC military use and guided by the A.I. persona Serina. The storyline 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: Halo Wars puts you in command of the battlefield over an arsenal of UNSC units and vehicles as you engage Covenant forces. Counter and crush your opponent by tactically fielding the superior army. Choose among Leaders that possess elite skills, which turn the tides of battle. Using various combinations of Leaders and units, create countless strategies tailored to your preferred playing styles and personalized strategies.
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. 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: Since inception, Halo Wars was explicitly designed to cater to console gamers and bring to Xbox 360® a genre that has typically been played on the PC. Easily command and manage powerful armies, effortlessly control troops and incredible machines, engage in epic battles and expand your empire using an intuitive user interface.
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.
Customer Reviews
if you're a halo fan... this is a must.
before i get started, i am obviously a big halo and bungie fan. i have played all of the halo series, read the halo books, and the marathon series (during my Performa days), myth series and Oni.
i don't play that much rts games such as starcraft, but i picked this up because i love the halo series. all in all, halo wars is a very well executed game... it's such a new and invigorating experience because for halo fans we are so used to regular first person shooting, but in halo wars we in command of every unit.
it's such a new experience and very fun experience. i would say i beat the entire campaign in normal level in about 48 hours. that's my main disappointment with the game. the controls, graphics, sounds were all very very good and top notch, i believe this game is 1080p and looked really fantastic with 5.1 digital audio.
the cinematic cut scene is extremely detailed and can pass for a big budget CG movie. great dialog and great voice acting.
however, i feel as if the game was too short due to so much cut scenes. i wish they had cut down the cut scenes and instead put more campaign levels. it only had 15 and most missions take you 30 mins to beat. the AI isn't amazing either... just build up a lot of units and move in, you'll win.
i haven't tried the online game play, but i guess this is where the lack of AI will compensate when you play with real players.
in the end, it's a great game for any halo fan. i would definitely buy the sequel, but a note to Ensemble studios: longer game play please... i would easily trade in the beautiful cut scenes for more missions.
don't change any of the controls, it's a great set up and i think it's fine, but i would suggest minor tweaks here and there.
great game Ensemble!!!
For a console RTS, HALO WARS is great!
Best console combat RTS I've played on an Xbox system to date! Very satisfied with the look and feel of the missions & cut-scenes. A very reasonable prequel to the original "HALO: CE".
Beats C&C Red Alert console titles hands-down on controls, almost has that fluid PC feel to it. Definately worth buying or renting at least once. I tried the Xbox LIVE Demo,loved it and had to buy my copy the next day. It's a small to medium battle scale RTS, but completely channels the soul of the HALO FPS series.
Well done RTS for the console
Halo Wars is a truly fantastic RTS game for the console. I've been wanting to play an RTS game for a while since StarCraft and Warcraft3. While I haven't been a big fan of Age of Empires, I did enjoy Age of Mythology on the PC. I was happy to hear that Ensemble Studios was going to be doing Halo Wars and they would make sure everything worked as it should on a console.
The game is fast paced and there are enough units to keep things entertaining. Each unit has a purpose and has advantages over other types of units. The population limit is pretty low (50, i think) but it doesn't detract from the action within the game. In fact, you'll need to scout regularly to gather intel on what the enemy has so that you can make sure that your units can properly defend (or attack).
There is no resource gathering like in other RTS games, in the traditional sense at least. By that, I mean there is no dedicated unit to gather materials such as vespene gas or gold. However, there are two types of resources: Reactors and Supply Depots.
The supply depos generates the resource for building units, while the number of reactors enables strong units and more advanced buildings to be created. Because each base has a limited amount of 'slots' for each building, you'll find yourself trying to figure out which building is the most important to build next.
Do you build additional supply depots to increase your marine production? Or do you build another reactor so that you can build the vehicle producing buildings and begin pumping out vehicles? Or is the academy needed, instead?
There are a couple of shortcomings of the game. The pathfinding of the units can be frustrating at times. However, I was used to playing StarCraft and micromanaging units is a necessity at times, but it wasn't necessary most of the time in HW and it took some getting used to.
The campaign is pretty short (finished it in 3 days of casually playing) since you only get to play the UNSC and not the convenet. However, you are able to play the covenant in skirmish. Nevertheless, there's enough in the campaign to give it replay value to get the achievements, increase your medal earned, and to hunt for black boxes/skulls.
The cut scenes are beautifully done and it really adds a great deal of immersion to the game. I would have liked to seen more, but that may take away from the action.
In the end, I'm happy with Bungie has done with HW and I am looking forward to a sequel. In the meantime, this game has enough replay value until that game does arrive.
Halo Wars is a fun, action-oriented, and challenging. Anyone who isn't expecting a FPS game or a close-minded PC RTS fanatic will thoroughly enjoy this game.
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