If you liked Dune on the Genesis, you'll love Halo Wars!

[Goodwill Hunter]

Just downloaded the Halo Wars Demo on the 360, and haven't had this much fun with a console RTS game since Dune: Battle for Arrakis on the Genesis. I think the reason for this is that aside from the story and the graphics, gameplay for the two is almost identical.

I haven't gotten into the flying vehicles yet, so that might mix things up a bit, but switch the Supplies with Spice and Spartans with Fremen, and you've basically got a next gen sequel to one of the first RTS games. They both have the same simple build and deploy mechanics that work so well on a console.

Looks like I've found the game I'll be spending my Christmas gift cards on!

Rich

[PDorr3]

I very much enjoyed the demo, I will be buying it right away when it comes out. Campaign mode I could care less about (I could care less about Halo story) but I am getting it for the online mode, particularly the crazy 3v3 battles that are sure to ensue.

[Xian042]

I like how the Warthogs act like the trucks in Super Off Road

[Nature Boy]

I like how the Warthogs act like the trucks in Super Off Road

Being able to ram over the bad guys is definitely a nice touch!

[roushimsx]

I'm not much of an RTS fan anymore and I certainly don't enjoy the prospect of having to play one on a console, but I'll be picking this up after a price drop or so because I really loved Ensemble Studios' work. The Age of series was just fan-fucking-tastic and it's a damn shame they got downsized. Doubleshame that this isn't slated for PC at any point.

Still, Ensemble Studios game + takes place 20 years before Combat Evolved = yum!

[Nature Boy]

it's a damn shame they got downsized. Doubleshame that this isn't slated for PC at any point.

I thought I had heard this was it - after this release, they weren't just downsized, they were done! As in shut down (like everybody else in today's world).

I know *way* too many people who have been laid off...

[roushimsx]

yea, they downsized the hell out of them and left a skeleton crew to put the finishing touches on the game and then that's it. :(

[GrandAmChandler]

I just got this for my birthday from Drexel, this game rocks! I am quite impressed how they made the transition from PC to Xbox for an RTS! The demo doesn't do it justice, the missions are incredibly fun! Command & Conquer / Warcraft fans will agree.

[heybtbm]

I agree...this game is great. I'm a big RTS fan, but always buy the PC versions of big RTS titles. Since Halo Wars is a 360 exclusive, I didn't have that much interest leading up to the release. I don't like messing with the clunky control compromises made in most console RTS games.

I love the Halo universe so I ended up downloading the demo a few weeks ago and was hooked. I think I played the one skirmish map in the demo about 12-15 times. The controls feel perfect and the presentation is top notch. I'm almost finished with the single player campaign. Awesome game all around.

[unwinddesign]

I'm a bit mixed on Halo Wars. Ensemble Studios, pound for pound, is probably my favorite development team; Age of Empires II, III and Mythology are all in my top ten best of all time. I've easily sunk over 1,500 hours into the three games and their expansions. I remember tying up your phone line in like 7th grade trying to play AoM online. Good memories.

Halo Wars is very hard to micro with, and it's just plain difficult to get across the map quickly without a mouse. Yeah, they did well enough for a console, but it's just not quite up there with their previous games. The campaign, as is the norm with Ensemble's games, is sad (although the cutscenes are beautiful); online multiplayer is where it's at. The special powers are somewhat akin to the God Powers in AoM, although they can be used more than once. This leads to some cheesing, especially later in the game when people have massed resources.

I haven't really played online enough to pass full judgment on the game, but it's not up to the Halo titles, and it's not up to the Age series. Given that those are two of my favorite series (I'd probably rank Halo 2 as my #2, Age of Empires III as my #3 favorite games), Halo Wars doesn't quite cut it.

It's well made, but it just seems somewhat bland. The strategies are limited by the bases (a necessary compromise, but it hurts what you can do) and I just have not felt the need to play it again after finishing the single player and playing a few online matches. I'm pissed about the lack of unit stats in-game -- how the hell am I supposed to know how "good" Marines actually are if I can't see their attack/defense? The stat tracking is impeccable, the timeline events are cool, and the game certainly isn't bad; it's good. I just feel that too many things were cut, and it makes the game feel like I've gone back to Age of Empires 1 or something. I've been playing Halo 3 instead, despite being psyched for a good two years for Halo Wars' release. It didn't help that the graphics look worse than Age of Empires III, which is now three years old. That's disappointing, although it's probably to optimize the game for online multiplayer.

Maybe once I get into the online multiplay and get a feel for the units, I'll enjoy it more. I don't know.

A side note -- the Mythic Maps are pretty weak (they come with the LE). Sell the code on eBay if you pick up the LE, since they're going for like $30.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Doubleshame that this isn't slated for PC at any point.

Oh, it'll get released on PC eventually. Just you wait.

[maxlords]

I have to say...I absolutely DESPISE RTS....except for Dune: Battle For Arrakis. It's the only RTS I ever enjoyed. That being said...I DLed the Halo Wars demo after like 6 different people told me it was like Dune....and so it is. It's really damned fun. I'm gonna buy it....but not till the price drops, as there are a lot of A titles I'm already commited to. Definitely worth checking out if you're a casual strategy person though.

[digitalpress]

Someone do this, because a lot of us who are hesitant to even START an FPS game on the 360 (personally, thanks to the Lord of the Rings game) would like to know:

Rank these 360 FPS best to worst:
- Lord of the Rings
- Command and Conquer
- Universe at War
- Civilization Revolution
- Halo Wars

You can leave out ones you haven't played. Hopefully there are a few FPS aficionados that have played a few of these... and by all means add in anything I might have missed.

[The 1 2 P]

I played the demo and didn't like it but I'm not an RTS fan. I will give it another try though.

[Lothars]

Someone do this, because a lot of us who are hesitant to even START an FPS game on the 360 (personally, thanks to the Lord of the Rings game) would like to know:

Rank these 360 FPS best to worst:
- Lord of the Rings
- Command and Conquer
- Universe at War
- Civilization Revolution
- Halo Wars

You can leave out ones you haven't played. Hopefully there are a few FPS aficionados that have played a few of these... and by all means add in anything I might have missed.

Ranked from Best to Worst

Civilization Revolution
Halo Wars
Red Alert 3
Command and Conquer 3/ kanes wraith
Lord of the Rings
Universe At War

[heybtbm]

Ranked from Best to Worst

Civilization Revolution
Halo Wars
Red Alert 3
Command and Conquer 3/ kanes wraith
Lord of the Rings
Universe At War

C'mon, LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth II is not the 2nd worst RTS on the console. It's a good (but not great) game. It was light years ahead of previous console RTS efforts. Does it really pale in comparison to the four above it? Maybe my love for the all things Middle Earth clouds my judgement.

I've never played Universe at War and I only have the PC versions of Red Alert 3 and C&C3, so I don't think I could make an objective ranking. All I'll add is Halo Wars is definitely the best RTS on the 360 that I've played. Worth full price IMO.