This is yet another great addition to the Halo trilogy. Halo Wars takes the player 20 years before the original Halo: Combat Evolved, but in an entirely new game style. Halo Wars is not a first person shooter (FPS) like the previous installments. Instead, for the first time in this series, this title is a real-time strategy (RTS) game.
You play as Sergeant Forge of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC), on your way to retake a base that was previously captured by the alien opposition the Covenant. As you work your way to the base, you’ll pick up reinforcements to help take it back. Once you have done so, you are then transported to a planet called Arcadia which has a population under 3,000,000 and is a vacation site for humans that turns into a war zone. As you proceed further into the game, you receive more unlockable units, which help you fight against the Covenant forces.
Halo Wars also has a mode of play called Skirmishes, in which are you can fight as either the Covenant or UNSC. Both the Covenant and the UNSC have three leaders to choose from that will give you extra bonuses. If you choose the UNSC, the three leaders you get are Captain Cumer, Sergeant Forge, and Professor Anders. Unlike the Covenant, the UNSC leaders have an ability that automatically gives your buildings an upgrade. The Covenant does not have bonuses toward their buildings, but have a special power that can be used to obliterate enemy units.
The three Covenant leaders are Arbiter, Brute Chieftain, and The Prophet of Regret. The Arbiter’s special ability lets you control his movements without having to press X to tell him to go somewhere; you move your left analog and he goes there while your right analog swings at foes. Brute Chieftain’s special ability is a Vortex that explodes when you press A. The Prophet of Regret has my favorite by far, which is a little thing I like to call “The Jesus Beam”. A huge beam comes down from above and you control everywhere it goes, dealing unbelievable amounts of damage. To be able to control one of the leaders, you would have to do it in a Skirmish or multiplayer. You don't have a choice on who you get to play as in the campaign, unfortunately.
Article comments
1 - snakesurf
Halo Wars sucks ass. It will be selling for 20 bucks in 1 month. What idiot came up with the concept that changed the first person shooter aspect. Two words: DUMB ASS!!!!!!!
2 - Matt Paprocki
"What idiot came up with the concept that changed the first person shooter aspect"
Bungie when they were initially designing the Halo series.
3 - Wicked
As I stated above, Bungie did NOT create this. Ensemble Studios created it. They created most if not all the major RTS games out right now. I thought this was a rather nicely made game. I still enjoy playing it.
4 - Iijbbks
Alo wars should be called something else. That is not halo. Period.