Halo Wars Uncovered - The Prequel Reigns

By John W. Hall

Halo Wars differs in quite a few significant ways from its predecessors. Rather than being a first person shooter, the game is a real-time strategy game. That means that players have to harvest resources, build units and fortify locations, rather than venturing out on their own. However, developers promise that the game will remain true to its action-packed past. While there will definitely be resources that must be harvested, the true focus of the game will be on battle management. That means that you can concentrate on what the Spartans do best; taking out Covenant and Flood units!

The game focuses on the crew of the Spirit of Fire and their AI, Serina. The Covenant is still the "bad guys," though they are not yet in a civil war. The Flood also play a role, which may seem counter to the story's original telling, where the Flood first appeared on the ring of the Halo installation. However, the addition of the Flood will bring additional diversification to an already diverse game.

The storyline of Halo Wars had to be significantly expanded. Because players control entire armies, rather than single characters, the storyline had to undergo major changes and enhancements. Hardcore gamers may actually appreciate the greater depth and breadth of the new story, as it brings together new elements in the Halo universe.

Players anxious to try out the weapons of the enemy will find that the Covenant is a player-controlled faction, at least during some parts of the game. Complete details have not been released by Ensemble yet, but it has been confirmed that players will be able to control Covenant forces during skirmishes and possibly during longer periods.

The game also sees the introduction of an entirely new planet, Arcade, which was created specifically for Halo Wars. The planet will be an invasion point for players. There have been many other additions, both in terms of available units and weaponry, which will keep the game play relevant to Halo history.

John Hall - A hardcore gamer since 1982. Atari 2600 was that first gaming console I owned. Want to receive a Free copy of Halo Wars (not yet released) and a Free XBox360 gaming console, visit http://www.halowars2009.com