Halo Wars: Definitive Edition

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 17 June 2016