| Author | Review |
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Panda360x
217,328
TA Score for this game: 2,039
Posted on 15 April 09 at 01:36, Edited on 15 April 09 at 01:45 |
This review has 88 positive votes and 5 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
As a huge fan of Halo and the Real-Time Strategy genre I was thrilled to hear about Halo Wars, so after playing and beating the game I decided to give my lowdown of it.
Story - 4/5
Unless you're a huge fan of Halo and are fully aware of the backstory and pay alot of attention to the other games - the Story in Halo Wars I personally find - isn't exactly engrossing as I was itching to get into the fight and skipped some of the story leaving me somewhat bewildered towards the end.
Visuals - 4/5
The cinematics in the game are fantastic. Probably the best I've ever seen in a video game. Period. (That's a big statement for someone who plays ALOT of RPG games.)
*Spoiler* Watch the beginning cutscene to Mission 15 and tell me it's not badass.*/Spoiler*
The (very colourful :)) ingame graphics are as good as they need to be really. The animation is really well done; for example zooming in close and watching armies fighting made me think of how it well would work in Halo 3 aswell.
Audio - 5/5
From the frivilous sounds of Grunts to the mighty beam of the Scarab, any Halo fan will feel welcomed into this game perhaps from the sounds alone. They are very well done and the soundtrack accompanying the missions work just as well.
Playability 5/5
This IS the "Love it or Hate it" side to the game - the controls. For any gamer playing this - whether beginner or adept the controls are perfect. Beginners will find it easy to control armies and build bases. Adepts will find it easy to micro manage and the like.
Especially for a console RTS, the controls are so well done that anybody can pick up and play.
Longevity - 4/5
There is so much variation in the game for example - the vast amount of units and ways to play (6 leaders each with their own unique units and abilities) that you will always find new strats and different ways to play. The campaign IS pretty short but with alot of collectables. (Skulls, Black boxes, Par times, Medals, Secondary Objectives etc.)
The Online Multiplayer is perhaps, another "Love it or Hate it" side to the game as many people tend to rush (as with most RTS games) so most of the time you'll have to play in a certain way to counter-rush but other than that, it does bring variation to the game as a whole.
This game is SO MUCH FUN IN CO-OP!
Achievements - 4/5 - Won't affect the final score.
There are alot of fun achievements in this. For each mission in the campaign there are mini objectives for achievements such as Ram 50 Grunts. There are collectable skulls and black boxes - these are for fulfilling the optionary timeline (additional story which can be read.)
A pretty easy 800 maybe 900G with guides. Every collectable, Gold Medals, Par Times, the side achievements for every level (5G achievements) and beating on at least Heroic in Co-Op should net you about 700G. Then doing every skirmish mission with every leader picking the odd achievements such as Titan and Empire builder should eventually get you "Ready for the Sequel" which is 100% completion. Without playing online - 800G is easily achievable before 24 hours.
The only achievement which prevents this from being an easy 1k is getting the General Rank. This would take months of solid play and currently, the online isn't solid enough for it at least until the next promised Title Update..
Summary 4.5/5
Overall, Halo Wars is an excellent addition to the Halo franchise. The Campaign is short but great fun (especially with a friend!) and another Halo Wars does look promising! Definately a Buy for any kind of gamer.
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SpazCool
63,468
TA Score for this game: 1,576
Posted on 23 July 11 at 14:51 |
This review has 17 positive votes and 3 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Yeah, it’s not a shooter and many don’t even consider this part of the “Halo” franchise but, I gave it a go and it’s not bad. Be warned, however, if you’re a hardcore FPS gamer that happens to like “Halo” this isn’t for you; on the other hand, if you’re a hardcore “Halo” gamer you might just enjoy “Wars.”
Is it Halo-y enough?
Short answer- Yes.
Long answer- Ensemble Studios really did a good job in the design of the levels, sound effects of the vehicles, weapons, characters, and the color scheme. If you love “Halo” the campaign in “Wars” should feel right at home. There are some noticeable differences in the Spartans but, I’ll forgive Ensemble their trespasses in the name of character exploration.
Story:
The plot felt like home; the Covenant attempting to access Forerunner tech that holds the potential to destroy the human race that is only to be found on a physically impossible planet that both species stumble upon at the same time. Not original but, it makes for some cool cutscenes and its easy enough to follow plus it is exactly the same plot as the original “Halo: CE” so, it shouldn’t alienate too many of the fanboys.
Characters:
If you’re looking for character development and the ability to identify with some of the key players in the game I would suggest you look elsewhere. The characters in “Wars” can be classified into two distinct categories; semi-interesting and cannon fodder. The semi-interesting category includes four stereotypical characters that, while more interesting than the other category aren’t particularly lovable. The warmonger, the nerd, the pretentious bitch, and the knowing grandfather; they all make their appearance and they’re all so tiring to listen to.
On a related note, during the cutscenes I couldn’t help but, stare at the female characters’ breasts. I’m a guy, my brain is wired that way but, the developers had a choice to either create characters with personalities that gamers can care about or create objects that gamers can ogle at; Ensemble went with the second option, too bad.
The other category, cannon fodder, is those little men and critters that one finds under one’s control. While I have to give Ensemble Studios props for the little details they gave the Grunts and the Marines, staying true to the “Halo” banter we’ve become so accustomed to. Ultimately, though, I just don’t find myself caring what happens to those little fellas on the ground. Sending 50 Marines to their slaughter only prompts me to send 60 Marines the next time, so much for the band of brothers.
Graphics:
The graphics were alright but, honestly I think that the original “StarCraft” has comparable in-game graphics. Where the pixels may betray the game the animation of the characters helps out. Not being familiar with contemporary RTS games (i.e. I can only compare “Wars” with the original “StarCraft”), it was refreshing to see the little characters move about. Watching Spartans punch pilots out of their Banshees or the Marines throw their grenades all added to that “Halo” atmosphere.
The cut-scenes, however, showed what Ensemble is capable of. The graphics and the action scenes are superb—though, like the breasts, I found myself staring at the curiously absent gluteus muscles of the Marines—just watch the second to last video with the three Spartans kicking ass to understand what I’m raving about. There are some beautifully rendered scenes that are comparable to Hollywood production CGI.
Campaign:
The campaign does suffer from some repetition and can quickly become boring, especially if you try to complete the story in one sitting. The co-op feature for the game is a nice touch but, like many other online games with a small fan-base one should be prepared to wait for quite a while for other like-minded players to show.
The simplified controls that one uses also are in need of praise. The RTS genre has never really been easy to adapt to a console due to the amount of commands one needs to issue to one’s minions to successfully control an attack or defense. The radial dial command of “Wars” is both innovative and simple to use which makes this game very playable, even for those unfamiliar with RTS games.
Multiplayer:
This is where, I found, “Halo Wars” to fail. Perhaps, it is because I didn’t pick up the game back when it was popular but, there’s no one on here except for boosters—nothing wrong with that—and, for all intents and purposes, professionals. I fall into the camp of RTS players that love to build up my little fortress, watching my men go about their routines and, when I’m good and ready, I’ll stage an attack. Unfortunately, that type of gamer is easy pickings for the vast majority of “Wars” gamers that hunt the multiplayer waters. I cannot find the words to describe how annoying it is to be beaten by my enemy’s single Warthog that comes strolling in behind my defenses…every time; a feat that I can’t seem to mimic with a modicum of success. As a result of my inabilities in the multiplayer I quickly lost interest, maybe playing a total of 5 matches.
All in All:
In short, the plot is welcoming to the “Halo” fan base but, the gameplay isn’t anything that would attract either FPS fans or hardcore RTS fans, for that matter. Tough spot to be in but, the game does have its moments. The campaign is where the meat is at and if the multiplayer had a decent (read: varied) player base it might have had a chance at being fun but, alas, the MP battleground is littered with mostly Generals that take no pity on lowly recruits. I wouldn’t tell everyone to go rent this game because it isn’t for everyone. But, if you like the “Halo” universe and you happen to have played and enjoyed some RTS games in your past I would suggest at least a rental. I would, however, caution that if you’re looking to 100% the achievements you should be prepared to boost because there’s no way you’re getting them on your own unless you’re really into RTSs.
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Skaffa NL
32,195
TA Score for this game: 758
Posted on 28 April 09 at 10:11, Edited on 28 April 09 at 10:11 |
This review has 20 positive votes and 20 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
When I heard about Halo Wars I wasn't really thrilled because never were the controls in a console RTS game good or playable. But, after I played the demo of Halo Wars I decided to buy it right away.
I first started in campaign, and though I haven't finished it yet (second-last mission), I can say the campaign offers alot of diversity. It's not just building your base and destroy the enemy's one, it's different every mission. It diverses from saving Marines to surviving an amount of time to destroying your enemy. I just think sometimes the missions take a little too long and starts to bore me. But the cutscenes made my day. It's like a reward. Awesome cutscenes..
The maps you play on are also stunning, what I really thought was awesome was playing on the Spirit of Fire's hull. That was just amazing, the sides of the map moving to show the ship was floating forwards. Totally amazing.
Getting back to the controls, I thought they worked out pretty well. Selecting local units, all units and units of the same kind is very useful and it works quite well. Using special abillities doesn't seem a problem and moving around the map (which is most important) goes smoothly.
The online PvP also worked out just fine. You select your hero, start the matchmaking and you just play a game. Too bad hardly anyone ever wears a headset. But that's okay because you have special 2v2 and 3v3 party matchmaking so that you're sure of playing with your friends. What I didn't like is that I sometimes get partied up with a recruit just like me and I have to fight against Generals, who totally own my ass.
Overall, a nice game which is a must buy for fans of the RTS genre or fans of the Halo series. It follows the storyline fine and you'll feel bad-ass with all the Spartans hijacking vehicles.
4/5
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HitMwitDaRythm
105,736
TA Score for this game: 2,262
Posted on 04 July 10 at 02:19, Edited on 04 July 10 at 11:21 |
This review has 5 positive votes and 11 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Excellent game. Halo Wars was my first exposure to RTS games and my love of the Halo Series allowed a smooth transition! Campaign is very fun but only showcases part of the wide spectrum of gameplay options so i would recommend playing thru the campaign to familiarize yourself with the button layout and counter units. Multiplayer is where the real fun begins it is nonstop chaos and carnage. The online experience allows for rank and points tracking as well as a service record to follow your progress as you advance into your Halo Wars career. Gameplay graphics could be better but the cut scenes are amazing in HD. Cheah!!!
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ultimag17
58,546
TA Score for this game: 554
Posted on 04 April 09 at 19:30 |
This review has 6 positive votes and 14 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
I thought this game was very plesant to play through. I'll start with the positives. First, the cutscenes are beautiful. They are very well done and are the best cutscenes I have seen on a system. Second, the controls play very nicley for an rts on a console, which I know is a problem for most people. Third, the story is very compelling. I have beaten it for a friend so don't complain that I didn't finish it myself yet. Fourth, the ending was very entertaining. *SPOILER* the way the ending makes you think that sargent forge may be Spartan-117 makes you think a lot *END SPOILER*. Now, on to the cons. I felt the UNSC to be a bit overpowered to the Covenant in skirmish. The Cov. take to long to become powerful and the warthog rush seems to be an unfair advantage. Other than that, their arn't any more cons. to talk about. So, if you like Halo I would suggest giving this game a shot. PC rts players may also want to try it if they have a 360.
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