Game Info

[L3giOn]

"Halo Wars" is a strategy game based on the legendary "Halo" universe. Players will command armies of familiar and new UNSC units in its initial encounters against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. "Halo Wars" will immerse gamers in an early period of the storied "Halo" universe, allowing them to experience events leading up to the first "Halo" title for Xbox.
With the guidance of Serina, a spirited artificial intelligence (AI) persona, gamers will direct legions of UNSC soldiers, Warthogs and Scorpions against Covenant Grunts, Elites, Ghosts and Scarabs, each group having its own strengths and uses in battle. Strategic-minded players who react well under pressure will emerge victorious.
Created from the ground up for the Xbox 360 console and Controller, "Halo Wars" is being developed by the veteran real-time strategy developer Ensemble Studios, the team responsible for the best-selling and critically acclaimed "Age of Empires" franchise on the PC. "Halo Wars" can be played online via Xbox LIVE and through the single-player campaign. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, "Halo Wars" is an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 video game system.
Features:

• New take on a legendary world. Set in the iconic "Halo" universe, "Halo Wars" predates the original first-person shooter "Halo." Fans of the "Halo" franchise will have the opportunity to experience the early battles between the UNSC and Covenant, the far-reaching conflict that has been diligently followed by the masses in the blockbuster "Halo" series.
• Players join the crew onboard the Spirit of Fire, a Phoenix-class colony ship converted for UNSC military use and guided by the AI persona Serina. The "Halo Wars" story line follows the Spirit of Fire's discovery of an ancient artifact during a journey to the planet Harvest, the first planet to be attacked by the Covenant.
• Strategic command of armies in large-scale combat. "Halo Wars" put gamers in command of the battlefield, playing as either of two unique civilizations: UNSC and Covenant. They can counter and crush their opponent by tactically fielding the superior army. Players can also choose among Leaders that possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle. Using various combinations of Leaders and units, players can create countless strategies tailored to their preferred playing styles and personalized strategies.
• Groundbreaking strategy game for the Xbox 360. Since inception, "Halo Wars" was explicitly designed to cater to console gamers and bring to the Xbox 360 a genre that has typically been played on the PC. Gamers can easily command and manage powerful armies, effortlessly control troops and incredible machines, engage in epic battles and expand their empire using an intuitive user interface for the Xbox 360. "Halo Wars" represents the true next-generation experience, combining a masterful control scheme using the Xbox 360 Controller with the award-winning strategic gameplay only Ensemble Studios can provide.

[SATAN]

Ensemble Studios better not screw this game up, they have got a lot to live up to, trying to fill Bungie's shoes.

[halo3freak]

i going to be surprised with what it is going to be...i will be buying it but with bungee gone i am not certain you will get the feel of the proper halo series

[alexsimms]

Agreed. Fans of the Halo series will be disappointed if this game falls short of the feel, and story, of the Halo franchise.

[TooMuchCowbell]

Well, Halo was meant to be an RTS in the first place, then they changed it to an FPS.

[aussiegamer]

All im worried about is

- Lack of different characters/units. Theres only two races and as far as i know theres about 4 types of covenant and only 1 type of human. Hopefully they expand.

- How do you get money?!?!?!

- Can you choose the guns you want to use?

- Is it going to be extremely short (halo 3) or long?

- Will it be full price?

So yea... A little worried if im gonna buy it.

[Eternal]

Because its based off the story of another frigate (Spirit of Fire), there will be an entirely different storyline to that of Halo 1-3...

[Malikkr]

Hey, does anyone know when Halo Wars is coming out for 360?

[SPNKr M19]

Originally Posted by Malikkr

Hey, does anyone know when Halo Wars is coming out for 360?

Aparently Ensemble Studios is closing, and the project is being handed over to a different Microsoft company.

No release date has yet been posted.

Visit here for more.

[matthewaburns]

Hot off the press

Genre Defining Xbox 360 Exclusive "Halo Wars" Goes Gold
New video documentary series and Xbox LIVE demo details revealed

LONDON – 23 January 2009 - Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios announced today that “Halo Wars,” the highly anticipated action strategy game based on the legendary “Halo” universe, is finished and sent to manufacturing! Created from the ground up for the Xbox 360 console and controller, “Halo Wars” combines a peerless control scheme and gameplay with an incredibly rich, epic story set 20 years prior to the story told in “Halo: Combat Evolved.” The result is a commanding experience that is a must-have for “Halo” fans and a title that is sure to become a classic amongst fans of strategy games.

As fans eagerly await launch day, a video documentary series announced today will explore defining themes of “Halo Wars” and give viewers a behind the scenes look at the game’s development and some of the people involved in its creation. The premier episode captures key elements that frame “Halo Wars” gameplay: the controls, perspective and strategy. The “Halo Wars” video documentary is available for download on Xbox LIVE and can be viewed at Xbox.com/Halo.

In addition, the recently announced Xbox LIVE public demo for “Halo Wars” will be available beginning on 5th February at 9:00 am GMT on Xbox LIVE in the UK. In the demo, players will be able master Ensemble’s groundbreaking control scheme in optional beginner and advanced tutorials or jump right into the action to experience the beginning of the “Halo Wars” story with the first two campaign missions. The demo will also include “Chasms,” one of “Halo Wars’” 14 multiplayer maps, wherein players can battle it out in Skirmish mode vs. A.I., playing either as the UNSC with Captain Cutter’s leader powers, or as the Covenant with the Prophet of Regret’s own unique abilities. Don’t forget to set your Xbox to download this demo!

“Halo Wars” is rated 16+ PEGI and on 27th February will be available exclusively on Xbox 360 with an ERP of £44.99 for the Standard Edition and £49.99 for the Limited Collector’s Edition, which includes early access to the “Halo 3’’ new, downloadable content called ‘’Mythic Map Pack’’.

For more information, visit www.xbox.com/halo or www.halowars.com .

[x0Shinydemon0x]

Legion i love ur avatar!!!!

[niko da bos]

my first question is about the difficulty setting in 'skirmish,' the default is always set to "automatic (40)" or something. what does this mean? generally everytime i do a game i will just set it to normal or heroic, but im curious as to what that difficulty exactly means?

also, how do i check my XP for multiplayer? i can see the 'service record' screen while scrolling thru the menues, but it seems very confusing and there is no absolute number or score for my XP. maybe im looking in the wrong place?