Halo Wars: Definitive Edition

Release Date: December 20, 2016

Strategy, science fiction, RTS, tactics, Game Pass, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet

92%

Steam

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An remastered edition of the realm-time strategy game by 343 Industries, originally released in 2009 for Xbox 360 only. Halo Wars: The Definitive Edition is a spin-off of the popular shooter game series Halo, and it's set 20 years before the events of the first installment, when humanity fights against the Covenant Empire, which considers our kind to be an insult to their gods and species.

Plot
Mechanics
Game mode
Technical aspects

Halo Wars for PC and XONE is a remastered edition of the 2009 real-time strategy game Halo Wars released for Xbox 360. The original game was created by Ensemble Studios, while the remastered version was developed by 343 Industries.

Plot

The game is set in 2531, twenty years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. It's been six years since the beginning of the war with the Covenant Empire, who deems humanity as an insult to their gods and species, the Forerunner race.

You lead the crew of the space cruiser Spirit of Fire, the members of which include e.g. Captain John Cutter, Sergeant John Forge, xenobiologist Ellen Anders, and a snarky AI Serina. They're sent to the planet Harvest to investigate the Covenant forces' activity. There it quickly turns out that the enemy has discovered a powerful artifacts, which can turn the tide of the war.

Mechanics

Halo Wars: The Definitive Edition for PC and XONE is a real-time strategy game focusing on the tactical aspect. You see everything from the bird's eye view and the gameplay consists mostly of leading various units to battle. There are two factions in the game — Humanity and the Covenant — and each of them features different units, characteristics, and special abilities. They also have three leaders each, who provide for various technologies. The Covenant leaders appear on the battlefield, while the humanity leaders only give you the bonuses.

Topography and the units' special abilities are the key factors in combat. The strategy system his heavily simplified. You can gather only one resource type, and there aren't many buildings available to construct. However, bases are still important, as this is where you train your troops and research new technologies.

Game mode

Halo Wars: The Definitive Edition for features a story campaign with many cutscenes. You can visit many alien planets and learn the answers to many questions that Halo fans have been asking since the release of Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001. This mode allows you to play on humanity's side only.

There is also a skirmish mode, where you can play against another player or the AI. This mode allows you to choose from both factions.

Technical aspects

The first edition of Halo Wars was released in 2009; compared to it, the remastered edition features heavily enhanced visuals, utilizing the capabilities of PC and XONE. The game runs in higher resolution and features new visual effects, while the textures are now of higher quality. The online options have also been expanded.

Last updated on November 21, 2016

Videos and Screens

[1:06] Halo Wars: Definitive Edition trailer #1

92%

STEAM Score

All Reviews: Very Positive (7,586)

STEAM

7.8

GAMERS Score

Average score from 93 votes. 4 players anticipated the game.

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GAMES

in Halo Game Series

Game Series

Halo Series

The best-selling series of first-person shooters (FPS) in the atmosphere of space opera. The brand is in the hands of Microsoft, for which games in the series Halo are among the most important items for Xbox family consoles.

17 video games

Halo Game Series