Review
Played on: Xbox OneReleased: 2017
I enjoyed the first Halo Wars, a real-time strategy game built for the Halo franchise. While it's not a genre I usually fare much into, I quite enjoy to play them casually now and then. I appreciated how they closely incorporated Halo Wars into the main Halo lore and put you in the role of commanding the massive firefights the main titles are so famous for.
So, here's the sequel, back on far more powerful hardware. With a wealth of new options, more advanced unit controls and brand new game types catering for everyone. This time around, the game is released simultaneously on PC, taking on an entirely different platform when it comes to this genre, proving that the developers are committed to making it a proper in-depth RTS.
There's a healthy amount of modes on offer, catering for both online multiplayer and campaign play. From classic RTS matches, to more fast paced ones like the new Blitz mode. The latter, hands you cards with units, removing the often difficult task for beginners of building units and finding resources. It's a quick way of getting into battles instantly and makes way for shorter online battles compared to more traditional RTS matches.
The campaign is greeted by an excellent tutorial, which is prompted as a recommendation for beginning a new game. Separated into a basic and advanced segments, it's an excellent way to get familiar with the game rules and it's controls. While the button layout and commanding of units is generally some of the best you'll find in a RTS on console, the amount of shortcuts is quite daunting for beginners.
Paying close attention to the tutorial and learning how to quickly move across the battlefield, selecting only the units you need, is key to multitasking multiple battles on the battlefield. Without multitasking, you'll never become competitive for online play. For RTS casuals, like me, it's hard but you can compensate some of this by playing coop in the campaign. Helping each other out by dividing the task of managing buildings and production, as well as holding multiple battles going simultaneously.
The visuals have received a really nice upgrade from the first game. They're less sparse this time around, with a lot of small details and a much higher unit count on-screen. The resolution bump to 1080p, especially, helps keep the picture sharp, great for all the small models of vehicles, characters and buildings cluttering the view. This is, after all, a genre that benefits from high resolutions and better hardware to deal with the vast amount of elements moving and the extra CPU power it requires for AI.
The small units and characters are nicely detailed and represent the ones from the main Halo games perfectly. There's a nice amount of variation in the terrain you navigate too and a focus on elevation, higher ground gives you a strong advantage and needs to be used strategically. Fortifying ground troops into cover is a great way to keep your units alive.
Update: This game has been updated twice since release. On Xbox One X it received a 4K update, resulting in 4K@30fps. On the Xbox Series X/S it received a fps boost in addition. So, as off 2021, it now runs 4K@60fps on XSX and 1080p@60fps on XSS.
The main campaign, which was mainly why I purchased this, is an incredibly well presented affair. The CGI cinematics are stunning and the dialogue is top notch, laying foundation for what I only can presume will be the backbone of the Halo 6 story. Each mission is explained in detail and mission objectives are clearly outlined for the player.
Although I enjoyed the diversity in the missions, I felt I was guided into very specific tasks, like many campaigns in RTS games suffer from. Each mission has a very specific solution, feeling restricted as such when compared to the open ended nature of an online battle. Only the later missions opened up a little, allowing me to play it like a typical online battle. They could easily have padded out the campaign with straight up, non specific mission task, battles against the AI.
Overall, I enjoyed the playthrough and the various missions, which all had their unique main goals and settings. Some of them have a fast and pressing pace, while others had a wait of tension for backup units as you're being overrun by waves of enemies. Great variation overall, although not a lengthy campaign by any means.
Halo Wars 2 is an excellent console RTS, while the dabbling into the PC market could prove difficult, it's nice to see the developers have this dedication. While the initial control scheme and difficulty can be overwhelming for casuals, it's an enjoyable playthrough, recommended for those looking for a more diverse and different experience on console.
If you're really into the Halo universe, it's a unique way to get a sense of the scale of the battles fought in the shooters, in a completely different genre. The familiar units, the AI conversations and the mighty Spartans will bring a smile to most Halo fans faces. Not forgetting the sheer fun of controlling lots of classic Halo units across a huge battlefield!
Rare as they come, with a ton of controller shortcuts to learn, Halo Wars 2 is probably the best RTS made for console and probably will remain so for a long time. Recommended for those that want something else than their worn out copies of Command & Conquer or the first Halo Wars on their Xbox 360's.
Halo Wars 2 offers excellent development quality, fantastic presentation and exciting gameplay. Sure, it may not reach the depths needed for hardcore RTS players from the PC platform, but it will keep console players happy.
Bonus game: Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
Alongside the purchase of Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition, you receive a season pass for future DLCs and, more interestingly so, you also get the "Definitive Edition" of the first Halo Wars! Remastered to 1080p@60fps.
It's a nice way for people who haven't played the original or those just wishing to replay it on better hardware. With this re-release, every Halo title from the original Xbox to 360 is now available on the Xbox One, with better graphics and performance all round!
For a review of the first Halo Wars check out my review of the original 360 release here.
It's an enjoyable title that fans of the series should check out! If your starting ground is Halo Wars 2, consider buying the ultimate version to get your hands on the first game and start there. It's still a solid title, though it doesn't have the depth and scale of the sequel.
Halo Wars 2 is an excellent console RTS, while the dabbling into the PC market could prove difficult, it's nice to see the developers have this dedication. While the initial control scheme and difficulty can be overwhelming for casuals, it's an enjoyable playthrough, recommended for those looking for a more diverse and different experience on console.
If you're really into the Halo universe, it's a unique way to get a sense of the scale of the battles fought in the shooters, in a completely different genre. The familiar units, the AI conversations and the mighty Spartans will bring a smile to most Halo fans faces. Not forgetting the sheer fun of controlling lots of classic Halo units across a huge battlefield!
Rare as they come, with a ton of controller shortcuts to learn, Halo Wars 2 is probably the best RTS made for console and probably will remain so for a long time. Recommended for those that want something else than their worn out copies of Command & Conquer or the first Halo Wars on their Xbox 360's.
Halo Wars 2 offers excellent development quality, fantastic presentation and exciting gameplay. Sure, it may not reach the depths needed for hardcore RTS players from the PC platform, but it will keep console players happy.
Alongside the purchase of Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition, you receive a season pass for future DLCs and, more interestingly so, you also get the "Definitive Edition" of the first Halo Wars! Remastered to 1080p@60fps.
It's a nice way for people who haven't played the original or those just wishing to replay it on better hardware. With this re-release, every Halo title from the original Xbox to 360 is now available on the Xbox One, with better graphics and performance all round!
For a review of the first Halo Wars check out my review of the original 360 release here.
It's an enjoyable title that fans of the series should check out! If your starting ground is Halo Wars 2, consider buying the ultimate version to get your hands on the first game and start there. It's still a solid title, though it doesn't have the depth and scale of the sequel.