Rating
3.5

It’s a shame Ensemble Studio’s Halo Wars will be a game defined by how well it conforms to its expectations and not by the quality of the game itself. It is expected to be the game that proves, once and for all, Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games can work on consoles. It is expected to be the Halo game RTS fans can enjoy, and vice versa. Halo Wars is a game defined by expectations, and its failure to meet these elevated preconceptions will ultimately overshadow what is a very solid title.

Image courtesy of videogameplay2.com

Traditionally, RTS games are PC-exclusive, and for good reason. With all of the commands available to the player and the necessity of micromanaging every unit on the field, nothing can beat the precision of a mouse and the convenience of hot-keys (keys on the keyboard that are mapped with specific commands). To make up for the lack of buttons on a keyboard, Halo Wars instead opts to streamline the RTS experience. Unlike Tom Clancyís EndWar, which utilizes voice commands to carry out commands on the field, Halo Wars limits the functions required in the game and utilizes context-sensitive buttons for different commands. For instance, one click of the A button selects a unit, while clicking the left bumper will select all of the units on the field. 

However, with the simplicity of the mission layout comes limitations on the battlefield. More complex maneuvers, such as flanking the enemy or controlling different units simultaneously, become much more difficult to coordinate. This lack of finesse devolves most battles to a simple head-on conflict, which promotes good preparation rather than skillful field strategy. 

In fact, this preparation is the only real strategic element found in Halo Wars. Gamers will be in charge of a base and will use their supply points to manufacture different units for battle. While building reactors to upgrade the units is fun and addicting, the absence of more complex maneuvers is glaringly apparent. You get all these shiny toys, but you donít have much to do with them. 

The multiplayer experience will please fans, and the ability to play as the Covenant in these skirmishes adds another layer of depth to the game. It will be interesting to see whether the multiplayer matches will extend the replay value of the game, or if the community will grow tired of Ensemble Studio’s console RTS. 

I enjoyed Halo Wars quite a bit, but it’s difficult for me to recommend it to others based on a couple of different things. For people who are not fans of the Halo series (they exist), a significant amount of the experience is lost, as the story and cut scenes will mean very little to them. I am also hard-pressed to recommend it to veteran RTS players, because Halo Wars is a game tailor-made for newbie or casual RTS players who arenít concerned with micromanagement or hours of building resources before every battle. 

Still, if you are a Halo fan who doesnít mind the liberties the game takes with the RTS genre, then you will find Halo Wars to be a well-crafted title that captures the essence of its PC-dominant counterpart. Check your expectations at the door, and I think youíll be pleasantly surprised with Halo Wars.