> What's Halo Wars? by ROCKY13 2009/02/09 09:30
Halo Wars Impressions: Rock, Paper, Warthog!
Halo Wars Impressions: Rock, Paper, Warthog!
ROCKY13 2009/02/09 09:30
The Xbox 360 exclusive Halo Wars demo lands tomorrow, so how about some impressions of the final game while you're waiting?
What's Halo Wars? Obviously something Halo-related. You know, Microsoft's trilogy about a super-soldier who never takes his helmet off, and probably smells like a locker room (the entire locker room) all by himself?
Halo Wars is Microsoft's stab at a non-shooter iteration of Halo, a totally new direction for the series (unless you count I Love Bees, which I don't). It's also developed by Age of Empires creator Ensemble Studios , the guys who went on to make Age of Empires II, Age of Mythology, and Age of Empires III. Ensemble didn't write the book on real-time strategy, but it penned several pivotal chapters.
But those were PC games. Halo Wars is Xbox 360 only. Can a console real-time strategy game really work?
The Xbox 360 exclusive Halo Wars demo lands tomorrow, so how about some impressions of the final game while you're waiting?
What's Halo Wars? Obviously something Halo-related. You know, Microsoft's trilogy about a super-soldier who never takes his helmet off, and probably smells like a locker room (the entire locker room) all by himself?
Halo Wars is Microsoft's stab at a non-shooter iteration of Halo, a totally new direction for the series (unless you count I Love Bees, which I don't). It's also developed by Age of Empires creator Ensemble Studios , the guys who went on to make Age of Empires II, Age of Mythology, and Age of Empires III. Ensemble didn't write the book on real-time strategy, but it penned several pivotal chapters.
But those were PC games. Halo Wars is Xbox 360 only. Can a console real-time strategy game really work?
ROCKY13 2009/02/09 09:31
It's a tough sell. Some have tried, mostly through ports, but nothing's panned out (unless you count Pikmin, which I do). There's an argument for EA's The Battle for Middle-earth II, but you won't catch me making it.
Real-time strategy games usually require nearly prescient multitasking skills. They're built around keyboard/mouse controls, because that's the medium they were born to. Gamepad thumbsticks by contrast are finicky enough as it is with first-person point-and-aim, let alone managing bases while zipping around maps executing precision tactics with multiple squads of discrete units.
Ensemble's solution: Strip positional tactics (flanking, high/low terrain) out, keep faction bases static (located in fixed positions) and make build queues as simple as possible.
It's a tough sell. Some have tried, mostly through ports, but nothing's panned out (unless you count Pikmin, which I do). There's an argument for EA's The Battle for Middle-earth II, but you won't catch me making it.
Real-time strategy games usually require nearly prescient multitasking skills. They're built around keyboard/mouse controls, because that's the medium they were born to. Gamepad thumbsticks by contrast are finicky enough as it is with first-person point-and-aim, let alone managing bases while zipping around maps executing precision tactics with multiple squads of discrete units.
Ensemble's solution: Strip positional tactics (flanking, high/low terrain) out, keep faction bases static (located in fixed positions) and make build queues as simple as possible.
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Review and discuss all forms of entertainment, including TV, movies, music, video games, books & theatre.