Real-time strategy game releases have been few and far between in recent years. The dearth - death? - of the genre can be attributed to many factors, such as the rise of the MOBA or multiplayer online battle arena), which interestingly is an offshoot of the RTS genre.
Then Xbox One-exclusive Halo Wars 2 was released on Feb. 21 for Xbox One and PC. It is a real-time strategy game based on the universe of Halo, an award-winning franchise from Microsoft. It is also a sequel to 2009's Halo Wars.
But is Halo Wars 2 enough to buoy the struggling genre? Read what game critics have to say.
Gamespot - 6/10
Kallie Plagge of Gamespot described Halo Wars 2 as an in-betweener; an "RTS game for Halo fans and a Halo game for RTS fans." She praised the game's story premise for being "interesting," however she felt it did not offer "necessary information for the main Halo story line."
As for the gameplay, she felt it hit a high note when it borrowed the FPS material from Halo. The game played like "a typical Halo campaign" albeit from a different POV "rather than an RTS in its own right."
"Halo Wars 2 carries forth enough of the series' beloved elements to make any fan of Halo feel right at home at first, but not in the long run," she wrote. The game was "palatable" for FPS players, as it put a "strategic spin" on it. But the game eventually "runs out of steam" when things become more challenging and interesting.
IGN - 7/10
Dan Stapleton of IGN calls Halo Wars 2 the "de facto king of real-time strategy games on consoles." However, compared to RTS games on PC, Halo Wars 2's campaigns felt "flat and unambitious."
Gameplay-wise, he wrote that the single player campaign mission designs were "nothing special," although it avoided being repetitive. He also noted on the limitations of playing an RTS on a console's gamepad, citing issues like having to learn twice as many controls and "clicking the minimap frequently messes up."
However, he praised the multiplayer aspect of the game, especially the Blitz mode, where instead of usual base-building, the player can summon units via a deck of cards. He described the Blitz mode as "fun," but the reliance on randomization and luck can "shorten its long-term appeal."
"A run-of-the-mill campaign, controls that hamper micromanagement, conspicuous bugs, and multiplayer that relies on luck limit its long-term appeal, but its fast and flashy action makes it fun for a while," he wrote.
Polygon - 9/10
Arthur Gies of Polygon wrote that Halo Wars 2 felt like a "relic of two different histories," referring to the RTS side and the original Halo's FPS side. Story-wise, he liked the game for being "more coherent than many mainline Halo entries." However, it suffered from having any "meaningful sort of resolution."
Gameplay-wise, he found issues with the use of the gamepad. He cited how hard it is to be "precise with selections" using an analog stick (instead of a mouse). But overall, he felt that Halo Wars 2 played like a "traditional and streamlined RTS" with an emphasis on action.
In the end, he wrote that Halo Wars 2 doesn't "move the RTS genre forward" although it is good enough for an "accessible RTS." Gies also noted how it presents the Halo series "outside of the first person shooter" mold.
Games Radar+ - 3/5
Robert Zak of Games Radar+ did not mince any words, calling Halo Wars 2 as a "tried, tested, and slightly tired RTS formula that's competent but lacking in depth and originality."
He was impressed by the game's story, calling the protagonists' struggle as a "classic underdog story" that is made more interesting by cutscenes. Gameplay-wise, he particularly praised the Blitz mode, calling it "the real standout."
"Finding a compromise between designing an RTS for consoles and PC isn't easy," he wrote. Halo Wars 2 isn't a compromise but a "console RTS ported to PC" with simple mechanics and a good story that will cater to "fans of the Halo universe."
"I just wish that some of the creativity that went into making this genuinely fresh mode somehow permeated through the rest of the game," he concluded.
Check out the official Halo Wars 2 website for more details.
