Halo Wars 2 Reviews
Halo Wars 2 proves yet again that RTS games can excel on consoles. Exciting battles and intense situations make this a must play for anyone into the Halo mythos.
This is a solid, Creative Assembly-driven RTS, well-suited for those who love the genre and also for those who are into science fiction; if you're a fan of both, even better. Simple to understand, fun to play and challenging on higher difficulties, it's hard to go wrong with Halo Wars 2.
Halo Wars 2 is a great example of how to make a great console RTS: the 343 Industries & Creative Assembly title is improved over its predecessor in terms of its interesting gameplay features, great calibration, good rhythm and Blitz as an excellent new mode. Unfortunately the campaign doesn't always look brilliant overall. However Halo Wars 2 stands as an absolutely recommended purchase for Halo lovers and has great appeal for RTS genre newcomers.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A diet RTS, but still the best one on console
Captivating, yet not without its issues
Ben received a physical copy of Halo Wars 2 from Xbox NZ for review.
Halo Wars 2 is fine, but definitely not the real-time strategy genre's long-sought salvation. Same-old missions, same-old structure, and with a layer of console-style oversimplification on top.
Whilst boasting a compelling story in the Halo universe, this game's shortcomings bog down an otherwise solid RTS.
Creative Assembly and 343 Industries should be proud of their work here. Halo Wars 2 isn’t perfect, and it’s not likely to win over tons of new RTS fans. But for fans of the game-starved genre (which is admittedly seeing a resurgence of sorts), Halo Wars 2 is a bright spot. It’s a little shallow, a little greedy with Blitz cards, and a little short in the campaign. But it’s a good game overall, and one I’d gladly play more of in the future. Keep it up, CA and 343i.
Halo Wars 2 fills the niche for a console-accessible real-time strategy game admirably.
But even so, it's still an often-thrilling experience, and a great entry in both the Halo franchise as a reminder that there's always room in the market for a good RTS game.
Halo Wars 2 offers fans of the franchise a whole new swathe of lore and is a damn fine real time strategy to boot - all playable from the comfort of your sofa.
Halo Wars 2 isn't trying to redefine real-time strategy games, but rather give fans of the genre an option on their Xbox One consoles. It's leaning on Microsoft's most cherished franchise and using it well.
Halo Wars 2 brilliantly captures what was great about the original, while also adding more depth and variety to the playing field. This is definitely a game for both newcomers and veterans alike.
Overall, Halo Wars 2 feels like a fantastic entry into both the Halo franchise and as a sequel to the original. The gameplay is spot on, as it takes the mechanics that were already there and expands on them by adding a new resource to balance and making leader powers more varied, allowing for more strategies to thrive. It looks great and runs well on both Xbox One and PC, which is good to know because of the cross-play allowed in certain modes so users from both platforms can benefit from each other. The single player is long enough for anyone to get their feet wet and move into the multiplayer, which features its own wealth of content in various modes. The soundtrack is good enough for what it needs to be, the story is much better than the more recent Halo titles, if a bit lacking in certain aspects, and the whole package comes together to really elevate the title above others. Anyone who enjoys RTS games, and especially fans of the original title should be taking a look and giving it a chance. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty damn good.
This is an evolution - and decidedly not a revolution - of console strategy games, and as such won’t win over any hardcore strategy gamers. Those who enjoyed the original Halo Wars, however, will find a solid strategy game offering up plenty of fun.
Halo Wars 2 does a fantastic job building on the foundation laid out by the original game. New modes and new characters highlight what is a fun return to the Halo universe, even if the campaign is shorter than I'd prefer.
In the end, I appreciate what Halo Wars 2 has to offer. It may not be a huge step forward for the genre, but its ease-of-use on console -- and the new Blitz mode -- are things other games should look at.
Halo Wars 2 is hands-down the best RTS available on console, and a game that rightfully deserves a place in any thinking Xbox One owner’s library.
I love Halo Wars 2. It’s not perfect. I’ve had a few bugs creep in, like going to a load screen and the little white wheel just spins and spins forever like an ADHD child in a room full of kittens, but I will forgive it because this game is the exact game I never knew I wanted.