The legacy of Halo Wars is an interesting one to analyse and discuss. Both Halo Wars (Ensemble Studios) and Halo Wars 2 (Creative Assembly) are brilliant examples of well-executed console RTS games. It's not a platform that lends itself well to the genre, but Ensemble navigated these challenges as well as any studio could have. Unfortunately, Halo Wars wound up being the final game released by the legendary studio, as parent company Microsoft shuttered them shortly after due to executive mismanagement and a lack of focus.
The relationship between Bungie and Ensemble was supposedly a strained one, with Ensemble's founder Tony Goodman saying Bungie believed the project represented a "whoring out" of Halo. A recent interview with Halo Wars lead designer Dave Pottinger from the VideoGamer Podcast suggests the relationship may not have been as tumultuous as Goodman's comments suggest.
"I think it's an easy story to believe," said Pottinger. "I can't speak for everyone at Bungie, but the ones we worked with were all fantastic. And, to be honest, it was a fantastic business decision." Pottinger went on to say that Bungie provided Ensemble with fantastic access to the series' lore, and he understands that seeing someone else...
