If you’re a gamer, you’d have to have been living under a rock to have never heard of the Halo franchise. The flagship series behind Microsoft’s console efforts, Bungie’s Halo series has been among the most successful across two different console generations, first appearing on the original Xbox before finishing the fight on the Xbox 360 2007’s Halo 3 marked the end of the initial Halo trilogy of games, as well as provided a bookend to the adventures of the Master Chief, leaving many gamers to wonder what the future had in store for the hallowed franchise.

Fortunately for Halo fans, Microsoft is not one to rest on their laurels, as 2009 is set to bear not one but two titles from the Halo universe, including a standalone expansion titled Halo 3: ODST launching this fall and a new prequel set before the events of the first Halo title, Halo Wars. However, in a departure from the previous titles in the Halo series, Halo Wars is a real-time strategy game instead of an action title, giving players the opportunity to command several units across the game map from a top-down perspective instead of a first-person one. While consoles and strategy games have seldom mixed in the past, developer Ensemble Studios (the highly-capable team behind the great Age of Empires games on the PC) has taken great strides to make sure that Halo Wars lives up to the Halo name, providing tons of action while staying pretty accessible for gamers of all skill levels.

Halo Wars takes place roughly twenty years before the events of the very first game in the series. Without giving anything away, the storyline and characters in Halo Wars are as deep as anything a fan of the series would hope for, revealing plenty of plot twists and elements from the series, as well as some pretty big revelations here and there.

As far as the actual mechanics of the gameplay, Halo Wars is a lot more action-oriented than most PC RTS titles. You won’t spend a lot of time building up your structures and units, as you’ll instead focus more on exploring the sections of the map and eliminating the threat of your enemies.

While Halo Wars does seem to focus more on the action element of things, there are still some pretty substantial unit creation functions. You’re able to create new structures and buildings capable of improving your current technology as well as build units as you play. The game also employs the use of Hero units that have special abilities and functions, setting them apart from other units on the map.

One of the elements that seem to be a hotbed for frustration when it comes to console RTS games are the controls. While several games in the genre have taken great strides to make the experience comfortable and accessible, none have come close to matching the mouse/keyboard configuration on the PC. Halo Wars also puts its own unique spin on controls, and while it still doesn’t quite hit the mark to matching the overall comfort of PC strategy games, it comes pretty darn close.

The controls in Halo Wars are quite solid and benefit from being built from the ground up for console gaming. The thumbsticks allow you to look around the map and zoom in on your units, while the A button is used to select units that are highlighted by your cursor. The X button is your main interaction button, allowing you to move units around the map and interact with other units or attack enemies with your primary attack function. Pressing Y when targeting an enemy unit allows you to perform a secondary attack function, like throw grenades or run enemies over if you’re in a Warthog. The secondary attack function is a nice addition that helps keep the game in its action roots while still making it deep and compelling for hardcore strategy fans.

Additionally, aside from the basic functions of the face buttons, the game also streamlines the controls to allow you to select the units you want a lot more easily. Using the bumper buttons, you can select all of your units or all of the units currently on-screen with a simple button push, or you can use the right trigger to switch between different unit types. Additionally, the D-Pad is used to utilize any Heroes that you may have, using their special abilities, as well as cycling through your Bases, Armies and any Alerts that may come up. Halo Wars uses every button on the controller, but fortunately never feels overwhelming or cluttered.

The game also features some cool online abilities, allowing players to participate in six-player skirmishes over Xbox LIVE. Online, you can play as either UNSC or Covenant forces, utilizing each of their respective technological advances and specialized units.

Graphically, Halo Wars is a pretty solid looking game. The unit models are nicely rendered and take on realistic damage as they see combat, and the environments are colorful and feature some great details that fans of Halo games will get a kick out of. The one main issue with the game’s aesthetic are the framerates, which can be very choppy when the action is in high gear.

The game’s soundtrack is very well done, with a great score that punctuates the on-screen action very well. The sound effects are crisp and the voice work is also spot on.

While PC gamers and hardcore RTS enthusiasts probably won’t be able to see what all of the fuss around Halo Wars is about since their platform has put out much more groundbreaking RTS titles in the past few years, console gamers and Halo fans who have yet to experience a truly great RTS game on a console will now have their chance.

Review Scoring Details for Halo Wars

Gameplay: 9.0
A highly action-oriented RTS game, Halo Wars gets huge props for creating a control scheme that proves that RTS games can be done comfortably and intuitively on a console.

Graphics: 8.0
The game features some pretty cool effects and brightly colorful environments, and the unit models take on some impressive amounts of damage. Unfortunately, the choppy framerates are a problem when the action gets hairy.

Sound: 9.5
The soundtrack is on par with the rest of the Halo games, which is a big compliment. The voice work is also great and the sound effects are appropriately huge.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
Halo Wars is a great entry to the series, and also introduces a lot of story elements that provide some great insight to the Halo universe.

Multiplayer: 9.0
The 6-player skirmishes that allow you to choose between Covenant and UNSC are a great touch and a lot of fun online.

Overall: 9.0
A solid RTS on the Xbox 360 Halo Wars may not break the mold, but it does provide an impressive entry to the series and one that finally makes the genre feel at home on a console.

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