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Halo Wars

Release Date: March 3rd, 2009
Developers: Ensemble Studios
Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360
Genre: RTS
Players: Single, CO-OP, Multiplayer
Rating (ESRB): T (TEEN)

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Synopsis

Halo Wars is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3. The game is set in the science fiction universe of the Halo series in the year 2531, 20 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. The player leads human soldiers aboard the warship Spirit of Fire in an effort to stop an ancient fleet of ships from falling into the hands of the genocidal alien Covenant.

Halo Wars was officially unveiled at the X06 Xbox show in 2006. Ensemble designed the game specifically for the Xbox 360 controller, in an attempt to circumvent issues present in previous console RTS. Ensemble was closed by Microsoft before the game's release, but Robot Entertainment was quickly founded by many of Ensemble's former employees; this new company continued to support Halo Wars with updates and downloadable content.

Halo Wars received generally positive reviews. Reviewers lauded the game's pre-rendered cinematics, attention to detail in replicating the Halo universe, and intuitive control scheme. Complaints against the game included the lack of an option to play as the Covenant faction in campaign mode, or to play as the Flood in any mode, as well as the lack of strategic options during play. Critics from GameSpot and USA Today wrote that experienced RTS players would find the strategic elements of the title shallow. The game sold one million units worldwide through March 2009, making it the best-selling console real-time strategy game to date.

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Gameplay

I really liked this game, and this is coming from a person who hates strategy games, for example I could not stand command and conquer. One of the reasons I like this strategy game is im familiar with the halo series so I pretty much just picked up and played. But this game I highly advise new users to using the tutorial game before actually playing, because if your not a person who can adapt to a new style of game this can be really hard to understand at first. Another thing that should be brought up the games take foreverrrr to finish it takes usually 45-60 mins just to finish a single player mission on easy (it can range longer in multiplayer but ill go into that later). If your a hardcore strategy gamer I would still pick up a copy of this game.

Gameplay Rating: 9

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Multiplayer

The multiplayer of this game is basically the same as the single player, but like I said earlier it is one of the "Longest running multiplayer" games out. Multiplayer games can run for hours at a time sometimes, unless your really bad at these types of games and get blown out quickly like myself. But all in all its a great multiplayer game if you like building armys with friends and many people still play the game online

Multiplayer Rating: 9

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Reception

All in all this game had pretty fair reception, this was unexpected as this game was the first in the Halo Series to not have been made by bungie

Computer and Video Games

7.9/10

Eurogamer

8.0/10

Game Informer

9.0/10

GameSpot

6.5/10

IGN

8.4/10 (US)
9.0/10 (AU)
8.2/10 (UK)

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Overall Rating for Halo Wars: 9