Halo Wars 1 and 2

Author: Efrain Silva

Halo Wars 1

Plot

Here’s the plot in a nutshell, according to the lead writer : “At this point in time, the Covenant is at its most evil. They are hell-bent on the destruction of humanity, on scouring us from the universe.”

Ooh, catch your attention? Well, it should. It all happens in the year 2531. And this time, it’s the UNSC Spirit of Fire versus the Covenant. Game on!

Gameplay

The gameplay was fun. It truly was. There was lots to do and plenty of places to go. Multiplayer lacked nothing good, either.

But to expand on that, you get to pick from the game’s four modes. They are as follows : Single - player, Two - player co - op, Skirmish, & Multi - player. I liked ‘mixing it up’ and trying each either with myself or with friends, sometimes both in the same day.

I especially ruled this game with an iron fist when it came to doing the two - player co - op campaign. There’s a lot of fun to be had doing that...I kid you not, fellow players. If you’ve played it, I know you’ll agree.

Weapons

I’ll make a note of what I really liked seeing in this game, and more than anything, for me, it was the main rifles (the MA5 Series ones) that the UNSC Marines get in this game. They were not a bad choice of weapon. This is basically the standard issue type of combat rifle you’ll be seeing the most of, and it’s issue to aim with and point (and of course, shoot).

I also liked how ‘throw grenade’ special attacks have been upgraded in the game. That always helps. And it feels so good to throw one!

Levels

There’s a full 15 special campaigns, in here, that you can play around with --- what I always tell fellow players to do is close their eyes, after beating each level, and open them up in a whole new playing arena. It’s a little trick that not only relaxes your eye muscles for a few seconds but also prepares you mentally for what is next. And believe me, you’ll need all the preparation you can get as each of these levels gets only tougher and tougher as you get deeper into the game...no lie.

Uniqueness

You see so many characters in this game, and places to explore, that you don’t in others, Halo or non - Halo alike. A couple of memorable characters, or should I say, an entire team, are Team Omega of the UNSC. This is a Spartan - II rapid response team Covenant should not be messing with --- they can kick butt.

On the Covenant side, there’s the memorable Thrallslayer. Who he is? Well, he’s none other than the Covenant’s beloved Jiralhanae Army Commander. He’s quite a character you won’t find anywhere else, and I can promise you that.

This massive red alien is no joke to be messed with, either. But you can take him down. Just remember to play smart and be the bigger man. Outwit him as needed.

Give this game a try!

Halo Wars 2

Plot

2559 --- that is the year you need to remember here. That is when this amazing new story takes place, and Halo is not the same without it. Period.

What happens? Well, 28 years have now passed since Shield 0459 and the UNSC’s involvement in the whole mess. Now, the Spirit of Fire has a new adventure that lies in front of it, and its crew has just been awakened out of its ongoing cryogenic sleep. Time to wake up and face the music, I suppose, because the fight really is far from over….

Gameplay

I really liked the campaign play. It was not bad at all. But what I liked even more, this time, would be the multi - player Skirmish Mode involved. The Halo Wars 2 version of Skirmish Mode, to me, is perfect.

Get through 8 different multi - player maps in this mode, if you can. And stay alive. Fight some amazing AI opponents as you do so. Choose from one - on - one, two - versus - two (my favorite team up), or even three - against - three. Have you got what it takes?

Weapons

Check out the weapons used this time, which is well worth noting this time around….

UNSC’s Weapons

  1. MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System
  2. MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System
  3. M6C Personal Defense Weapon System
  4. BR55 Service Rifle
  5. M90 Close Assault Weapon System
  6. Model 99 Special Application Scoped Rifle
  7. M247H Heavy Machine Gun
  8. M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle
  9. M41 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium Anti-Vehicle/Assault Weapon

Weapons of ‘The Banished’

  1. Energy Mace
  2. Chainbreaker
  3. Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword
  4. Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer
  5. Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol
  6. Type-25 Grenade Launcher
  7. Type-51 Carbine
  8. Type-25 Carbine

Levels

12 missions through 3 acts, that’s what you get. And all of them are worth checking out. You use the Spirit of Fire, and its team, once more, to help you make your way to the end. Take out those foes with some intelligence and skill.

The first mission is called ‘The Signal’. Here, as the name implies, you investigate a signal and its potential source. I enjoyed every minute of this mission and all others, even to the very end of the game, right past Gatecrashers, where you take down your enemies, the Banished, once and for all.

Uniqueness

The game is different in every way, even in its original concept art, not to mention the way it was later marketed and pre - sold as a game. It even offers an ‘Ultimate Edition’, and if you get that version of the game, you’ll see a partial background and a whole new cover art on the game itself. In this version, you get to use 7 more leaders than before, 2 added campaign missions, and even the Halo Wars : Definitive Edition included as part of the package. This Halo Wars 2 : Ultimate Edition sells for appx. $79.99 MSRP.

Anyways, check out Halo Wars 2. But do so only when you’ve fully made it through Halo Wars 1, of course. You can’t run before you walk, unless you’re someone like Usain Bolt, who holds a world record….