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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Brett Molina

Long known as a first-person shooter, the Halo franchise shifts gears in HALO WARS, a simple real-time strategy (RTS) game that should entice diehard fans. Set about 20 years before the original Halo  game, the game follows the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) as they battle the alien race called the Covenant. Instead of commanding one character, players take charge of multiple UNSC squads. Units range from Infantry and flamethrowers to big vehicles such as the Scorpion Tank.

Players will build up a base, gather supplies, create units, and bolster military technology. They can navigate the map and select single units, or hit the shoulder button to select all units. To attack, players point their cursor to an enemy and hit an attack button. Most units have a standard strike and a stronger secondary attack. For example, Infantry units can lob grenades. Each level is broken down into specific objectives, such as destroy an enemy base or defend a particular area. Players can also engage in online skirmishes against human players, assuming either the UNSC or Covenant armies.

Is It Any Good?

4

Halo Wars is a fun RTS that is pretty easy to control. Between excellent tutorials and four levels of difficulty (which can be changed mid-campaign), this is a game that newbies can play. And you don't need to be familiar with the previous Halo games to enjoy it. The game streamlines military commands, making it simple to switch between units in different areas of the map as well as give orders. The one problem is the inability to create custom groups of units. Breaking up units into special groups requires a few too many steps. The action is quite intense, particularly as you progress to the later stages of the single-player campaign. At times, combat is frenetic as you're hopping between units dispersed throughout the environment. One moment, you may fight enemies on one portion of the map while your base is enduring an assault from a surprise attack.

Halo Wars look sharp, an impressive feat when you consider how small each unit looks. When big vehicles or weapons are destroyed, debris flies across the landscape. Battles also look very smooth, even when dozens of units litter the screen. While the real time strategy approach is different from previous Halo titles, Halo Wars is a worthwhile strategy adventure. Plus the cooperative and competitive online modes make it something you can explore with friends.

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