Halo Wars succeeds at what it set out to do; be an entertaining spin-off for fans of the series.
Halo Wars takes its cues from other popular RTS games like Starcraft and Command and Conquer but streamlines the process to make the action more newbie friendly. There is base building, but it can only be done on a limited number of squares around your main structure. There are also a very small number of structures: 6 plus the main building. A small number of structures also means a small number of units. There are 3 infantry units, 4 vehicles, and 2 air units. Each can be upgraded a decent amount of times and the changes from one step to the next are far more noticeable than in typical RTS games. The maximum army size is also very limiting. It starts at 30 but can be increased to 40 (or sometimes 50) through an upgrade. This may seem like a good number, but when larger units start taking anywhere from two to six points, this number decreases quickly (the Scarab when playing as the Covenant takes 20 population points). The lower number of units and buildings help get you into the battles quicker, but it also means that most fights will play out the same way with the same participants. The resource management is handled well. Instead of needing to hunt for supplies around the map and keep your workers protected, you simply build a supply pad and resources are automatically flown in regularly. These pads can also be upgraded to get supplies faster. Since you can build as many supply pads as you have room for, it's a fun balancing act to try and decide between more resources or other structures when empty building pads start running low. I didn't mind most of the typical RTS ideas that were removed in an effort to streamline the action, but one did bother me. You cannot make groups of units. You can only select all units, all onscreen units, or any units in the center of the screen. This sometimes made it difficult to make sure I had the right units going up against a specific enemy. Other than this one omission, the rest of the game is very accessible and fun to play.
The mission variety is impressive. Each new level is very different than the last and even the basic base-building missions are spiced up by interesting objectives. One gripe I have is that there is only one campaign: the USNC. Nearly every other RTS game has a minimum of two factions. The Covenant is played in the skirmish mode and online, but has no campaign. The Flood are in the game (though not called by name; only referred to as an alien race) and have their own specific buildings and units, but are not playable at all. The campaign can be completed in around eight hours, so I don't think it is unreasonable for us to expect a second one. The appearance of the Flood and the mechanical enemies from the original games is strange since their appearance isn't explained and the Halo itself makes no appearance here. There is a ton of replay value to be found in the game, though. Every map has a Black Box hidden somewhere and there are also secondary objectives that, when completed, make a skull appear somewhere on the map. These skulls, like the ones in the original games, give you unique advantages and disadvantages that change the gameplay and affect your final score for the level. The higher you score in a level, the higher ranking you get: tin, bronze, silver, or gold. Adding in four difficulty levels, skirmish modes, and online play will give you plenty to keep coming back.
The story is decent, if somewhat generic. It doesn't tie into the other games much and acts as a stand-alone plot. The game takes place twenty years before the original Halo, so there is no Master Chief, but three other Spartans follow you through the campaign (no, you never se their faces either). Each person is a generic stereotype of their character. The ship captain is the typical no nonsense, by-the-book leader. The female scientist is the smart but tough girl that feels like she needs to prove herself. The last main character is the staple of a generic action story; a loose cannon that is allowed to do whatever he likes because he's just that damn good. Even the ending wasn't as dramatic as it was supposed to be because it was just so predictable. But even a dull story can be entertaining if it is presented well, and that is the case here. The cutscenes are top quality and the voice acting is spot on. I also need to say that I think the second to last cutscene in the game is the most entertaining movie from any game in recent history.
Graphically it gets the job done. Nothing blew me away, but it all looks good. Many of the smaller units were hard to see and the camera didn't zoom in far enough to get a good look at them. The camera also doesn't go out as far as I would have liked, especially in levels where the terrain varies greatly. On the other hand, the explosions look great and the color throughout the game is as vibrant as would be expected from the Halo universe.
This game doesn't rewrite the RTS book; nor does it try. It succeeds at what it set out to do; be an entertaining spin-off for fans of the Halo series. Gamers wanting a deep RTS experience should look elsewhere. If you are looking for a good game to get you into the RTS genre, this is the perfect place to start.