Mike Bantick
Monday, 02 March 2009 15:01
Entertainment
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Real Time Strategy as a console exclusive? Was it such a good idea to take the Halo brand, make it a game of controlling little Master Chiefs and then put it on a console? Can the swan-song from the creators of Age of Empires live up to the studios legacy? Halo Wars steps out from the first person shooter shadows.
Having played through three episodes as the Master chief and with another chapter as an OSDT soldier looming on the horizon, will the Halo faithful be drawn out of the first person perspective to a more god like look at their beloved franchise?
Halo Wars
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Developer
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Ensemble Studios
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Publisher
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Microsoft |
Rating
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PG
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Xbox 360
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I hope so, because with only low expectations going in – to be expected when confronting a RTS on the console format – I was pleasantly rewarded with my time at Halo Wars.
The Xbox 360 cash cow Halo has been shrunk, synthesised and generally given the Ensemble Studios – now defunct – treatment. The result is a neat package that captures the essence of Halo with exquisite cut-scenes, thoughtful single player campaign and console orientated controls.
Yep! Console orientated controls: There are some areas that don’t quite work, but given the tools the player is working with, that is, the game-pad they are not too bad.
But let us back up a little – Let’s talk about presentation. Ensemble has given us a crisp, bright clear god-view of the Halo battlefields. Zoom levels are very restrictive, but camera control is intuitive and at all times the action is accessible to the viewer.
The screen is surprisingly easy on eye with no over the top effects cluttering your master plans for Halo domination. The mini-map – which is less useful in a console based RTS than its PC brothers – is a little small however, but some experience will have you navigating the main screen in response to threats.
The purple and blue hues of the covenant, the movement of the vehicles, the sounds of Spartan shields recharging and other pure Halo conventions are faithfully recreated in miniature.
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