Spring Break
'Halo Wars' a game for real time strategy lovers to enjoy
Paresh Jha
Issue date: 3/23/09 Section: Focus
Long ago, it was thought that first person shooters just could not be made for consoles. The PC method of the mouse and keyboard just seemed too precise and perfect to break free from.
Many shooters like "Goldeneye" were considered great games for consoles but something was clearly missing.
When Bungie Software debuted "Halo" in 2001, everything changed. They had successfully made a first person shooter that was perfectly suited for console gaming using the dual analog sticks on the Xbox controller. Now, another genre is yearning for a coming out party on consoles, real time strategy (RTS) games.
"Halo Wars" is Ensemble Studios (The creators of Age of Empires II) swan song and it is comforting to know that their final game is a great one. Many people believed that RTS games for consoles could never really be as great as their PC counterparts simply because of the limited amount of buttons on a console controller. However, just because it may not be as complex as a PC RTS does not mean it is an inferior game.
While "Halo Wars" is very simple compared to any PC RTS, it still has plenty of depth for even the most hardcore strategy lover. They will simply have to get past the fact that there are no PC hotkeys for them to assign.
Ensemble has done a truly admirable job mapping each typical RTS action to a single button on the Xbox controller. Bottom line, this is a Halo game that RTS lovers can enjoy. Additionally, this is an RTS game that Halo-lovers can enjoy.
The game is set about twenty years before the events of "Halo," when there were more Spartans than simply Master Chief. The story is well done and really adds to the already rich Halo mythology. There are definitely some plot points that will have fanboys squeaking with excitement.
The pre-rendered cinematic sequences were particularly well done and gorgeous looking. The attention to detail is pretty striking as well. Ensemble could have simply ignored some things since the game uses a drop down view, but they did not. Everything from the rounds in the guns to the energy meters in plasma weapons can be seen after close inspection.
Some downfalls of the game involve the interface. This is where the PC RTS lover would notice differences on this console iteration.
Going back and forth to the base simply to change production is frustrating when they could have allowed the player to pull up a menu wherever we are.
More often than not, many of missions to feel similar and one cannot help but get aggravated when you have to do the same thing repeatedly.
Besides a few pitfalls, "Halo Wars" is an excellent game and especially great for those who want to get into RTS games. It is not as revolutionary for the genre as "Halo" was for first person shooters but it is a great start for consoles and a fitting finale for a beloved gaming studio.
Many shooters like "Goldeneye" were considered great games for consoles but something was clearly missing.
When Bungie Software debuted "Halo" in 2001, everything changed. They had successfully made a first person shooter that was perfectly suited for console gaming using the dual analog sticks on the Xbox controller. Now, another genre is yearning for a coming out party on consoles, real time strategy (RTS) games.
"Halo Wars" is Ensemble Studios (The creators of Age of Empires II) swan song and it is comforting to know that their final game is a great one. Many people believed that RTS games for consoles could never really be as great as their PC counterparts simply because of the limited amount of buttons on a console controller. However, just because it may not be as complex as a PC RTS does not mean it is an inferior game.
While "Halo Wars" is very simple compared to any PC RTS, it still has plenty of depth for even the most hardcore strategy lover. They will simply have to get past the fact that there are no PC hotkeys for them to assign.
Ensemble has done a truly admirable job mapping each typical RTS action to a single button on the Xbox controller. Bottom line, this is a Halo game that RTS lovers can enjoy. Additionally, this is an RTS game that Halo-lovers can enjoy.
The game is set about twenty years before the events of "Halo," when there were more Spartans than simply Master Chief. The story is well done and really adds to the already rich Halo mythology. There are definitely some plot points that will have fanboys squeaking with excitement.
The pre-rendered cinematic sequences were particularly well done and gorgeous looking. The attention to detail is pretty striking as well. Ensemble could have simply ignored some things since the game uses a drop down view, but they did not. Everything from the rounds in the guns to the energy meters in plasma weapons can be seen after close inspection.
Some downfalls of the game involve the interface. This is where the PC RTS lover would notice differences on this console iteration.
Going back and forth to the base simply to change production is frustrating when they could have allowed the player to pull up a menu wherever we are.
More often than not, many of missions to feel similar and one cannot help but get aggravated when you have to do the same thing repeatedly.
Besides a few pitfalls, "Halo Wars" is an excellent game and especially great for those who want to get into RTS games. It is not as revolutionary for the genre as "Halo" was for first person shooters but it is a great start for consoles and a fitting finale for a beloved gaming studio.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
cheesenugget
posted 3/23/09 @ 5:33 PM EST
Halo wars is just a lame rts for noobs who can't f-ing give simple orders to units on the screen. the only reason why this crap sold a lot is because its every x bot boys dream fantasy: a minnie me master chief in an rts. (Continued…)
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