I’ve been a fan of Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games ever since the Warcraft series on PC, so it’s a given that I would try out the original Halo Wars for the Xbox 360. While it was a decent game, it seemed a bit short and lacking depth. I’m hoping the Xbone One sequel, Halo Wars 2, will be an improvement.
The one major thing going against this game right from the start is that RTS games are usually limited on consoles. The console controller is a poor substitute for the keyboard and mouse on PCs. The original Halo Wars controls were slightly limited but quite functional, and I’m sure that developer Creative Assembly will try its best to improve them
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A major knock against the original was that the game felt hampered. There were two factions represented in the game: the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Covenant. However, only the UNSC had a campaign mode, lending to the games overall short length. In addition, players are limited in both in unit types and number of units.
Halo Wars 2 hopes to improve on its predecessor. Set 28 years after the original’s story, the game pits the UNSC against a new enemy faction, the Banished. They are themselves a faction of the Covenant led by Atriox, a member of the Brute race. Though their motivations are currently unknown, I’m pretty sure they’re not peace and love.
The Halo Wars 2 website seems to hint that both factions will have a campaign mode. That would be very welcome and will help the game’s longevity. There is no word on how many Leaders, the hero class in Halo Wars, will be available to select from, but I’m hoping for more than the three present in the original.
Multiplayer will definitely be an improvement with Halo Wars 2. As opposed to just having skirmishes in the original, there will be five modes in the sequel. Skirmishes will remain, accompanied by Strongholds, Domination, Deathmatch, and Blitz. Of the five, Blitz is the only unknown. Creative Assembly only promises that it is a “unique approach to RTS gameplay.”
The trailer for Halo Wars 2 shown at E3 doesn’t show gameplay of any type. The gameplay screenshots I have seen thus far look good, with detailed units and structures. The original was a good-looking game, and it looks like the sequel will not disappoint in that department.
The big change for Halo Wars 2 is its release on PC. Unfortunately, there will not be cross-play between Xbox One and PC. In addition, Microsoft is promising mouse and keyboard support for the Xbox One. It remains to be seen if Halo Wars 2 will benefit from this control scheme.
Halo Wars 2 is set to release on February 2017 for Xbox One and Windows 10.
