Hi gamers, I know I didn't post last week but it looks like consistency isn't my strong point, but I suppose there's not much point blogging when I just don't feel like it. However profile-forbidding I'm here this week with another entry and I won't get a repeat of the hyperlink-less Gamespot blog or the completely blank Giant Bomb blog from last week. Oh and although I've got content about Halo Wars in this blog, don't worry, there are no spoilers.

I have predictably enough picked up Halo Wars this weekend and it's actually worked out pretty well, a 3 day weekend means that I've had 3 full days with the game. However upon my first attempt of obtaining the game the cashier wouldn't serve me, despite being 17 (and 6 months) and looking it, I was still told I needed ID to purchase a 16+ game and apparently my college ID wasn't valid. I suppose GAME have got to keep to their rules, but interestingly the other GAME in the same shopping centre seemed to have no problem with serving me and so I walked out of the store with a fresh copy of Halo Wars: Limited Edition.

The campaign mode has been awesome and I'm currently struggling my way through the 10th mission on normal, I'm not too great at RTS games and I imagine I'm really gonna have trouble making it through all 15 missions on this difficulty but the gameplay is good and constantly has you developing new strategies and fulfilling new objectives to take on the enemy. I'm sure even the most hardened RTS veterans will find a fair challenge on legendary difficulty. The story and cutscenes are also as high quality as I expected and there are moments where the graphics of the cutscenes really do impress. All in all Stephen Rippy's soundtrack to the game isn't as good as the work of O'Donnell's on the Halo trilogy but I think it would be unreasonable to expect it to be and Rippy does do a good job on all the tracks, especially the main theme, Spirit of Fire. Skirmishes are also fun and overall while the game doesn't have the most complex tech-tree system and may not satisfy gamers looking for a really in-depth and complex build-up of their army; the rock-paper-scissors system of combat and the various units and upgrades do still make for a very enjoyable game. I was worried that there would be a limited number of units in the game but this hasn't actually been a problem. I've still yet to conquer my way through the online world though, I remember when I'd get my backside constantly kicked around the map on Dawn of War, I'm not sure I can do much better on Halo Wars but I'll darn well try.

All extra items that come with the limited edition are nice as well. I must say even the packaging of everything is really nice but the Spirit of Fire patch, leader cards, graphic novel and Honour Guard Wraith are all very nice and Halo fans should be pleased with what they get. Of course for many part of the allure of the limited edition is a chance to get an early download of the Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack, in fact looking at some of the threads on Bungie.net not only are some people buying the full game just to get the maps early but they are also complaining that Bungie are giving out the maps early, bunch of whiners. But the Mythic maps are all good, Assembly I must admit I'm just plain bad at, there are too many sides to get attacked from, I've had great fun on Orbital, especially with Team SWAT and CTF and Sandbox really does live up to its name, once I got up to the skybox it felt like there was almost too much building space, it really is the new Foundry. All the maps look brilliant as well and even and this point there seems to be a good amount of people online (there were well over a couple of thousand playing the Mythic playlist yesterday).

To finish up I'd like to say that I'm looking forward to the week with Halo Wars and the Mythic maps, I've purchased The Art of Halo 3 and it's a great looking book, amazing to see how much great-looking content was dropped from the game and finally I've been listening intently to the Giant Bombcast over the last couple of weeks and it's been awesome. This week I'll leave you all with a brilliantly confusing look at Noby Noby Boy.

-Gamer_152