HALO WARS! The much anticipated follow up to Halo 3 was finally released early this year. Halo Wars, brought to us by Ensemble Studios, is a strategic RTS pitting the humans against the Covenant and the Flood, alike. Now, before the gamer elitists begin to hate on this game because it’s on a console platform, let me say that this game is simply beautiful. The graphics are very well d0ne, the CGI cut scenes are top notch and the environments are just stunning. Ranging from cities, to frozen wastelands, to alien planets halfway across the universe, to even the hull of the Pillar of Autumn, Halo Wars throws you in all out war as the humans try to prevent the Covenant from activating their ultimate weapon, one that has been said to end the human race.

Game play on Halo Wars fits the XBOX 360 beautifully. The controls are not as intense as they would be if the game was on the PC. They have been dumbed down, if you will, to fit the controller and be more user friendly. However, some things tend to be a little frustrating. Going back to the level where you are needed to clean the Flood infestation from the Pillar of Autumn’s hull, you are needed to build a special unit called the Cyclops to repair the ship’s main engine/reactor of damages caused after a collision from a Covenant flagship. When you are being attacked by Sentinels and Flood units alike, the logical thing would be to select all your units to stop the coming forces. However, this will also stop your Cyclops’ from working on the ship and make them attack the selected unit(s) as well.

Despite some minor flaws in the way of completing objectives and unit control, Halo Wars is an impressive offering from Ensemble and highly recommended. If you are a fan of the Halo story line, this will surely please fans from Combat Evolved to Halo 3.

My Rating: 9.5 out of 10

VengefulToast