Halo Wars: Difference between revisions

'''''Halo Wars''''' is the first real-time strategy game in the [[Halo Universe]]. It begins in the year [[2531]], during the [[Covenant]] eradication of the Outer Colonies in the [[Human-Covenant War]]. The game was developed by [[Ensemble Studios]], and is an Xbox 360 exclusive, like ''[[Halo 3]]''. Unlike other Halo games, ''Halo Wars'' is rated "T" for Teen, downgraded from "M" for Mature given to previous installments. In the UK, the game is a 16+ game, while it's preccedor Halo 3 is a 15+ game. Downloadable content and support is currently being developed by [[Robot Entertainment]], a studio founded by ex-Ensemble Studios employees after its closing. <ref>[http://www.robotentertainment.com/PressRelease.htm</ref>

In the RTS game '''''Halo Wars''''', players can command armies of both familiar and new [[UNSC]] units during its first encounters against the Covenant, a massive group of alien races that threatens to destroy all of Humanity. ''Halo Wars'' will immerse gamers in an early period of the ''Halo'' Universe, allowing them to experience events 21 years before ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.

With the guidance of the [[AI]] [[Serina]], who is commanding them from the UNSC CFV-88 ''Spirit of Fire'', the player leads UNSC soldiers and vehicles against classic Covenant foes, such as [[Grunts]], [[Elites]], [[Ghosts]], and [[Banshees]]. Each group has its own strengths and abilities in battle. Strategic-minded players who react well under pressure will emerge victorious over their foes.

Ensemble Studios began recording the music for the game in March 2008, with Ensemble's Music and Sound Director, Stephen Rippy, flying to Prague for the orchestral and choral parts and to Seattle for the piano and mixing. <ref>http://www.halowars.com/news/articles/archive/2008/03/27/Halo-Wars-Monthly-Update-03.27.08.aspx ''Halo Wars'' Monthly Update 03/27/08</ref><ref>[http://forums.halo.fr/viewtopic.php?p=315181 Interview-Graeme Divine].</ref><ref>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/04/18/halo-wars-alpha-spotted-on-xbox-live/</ref>

The game's story is told through in-game cut scenes and in-game moments, as with the other ''Halo'' games. The game is set in 2531<ref>http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=168577</ref> and focuses around the [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] forces of the [[UNSC Spirit of Fire|UNSC ''Spirit of Fire'']] as they engage Covenant ground forces after the discovery of an ancient artifact during a journey to the partially [[glassed]] [[Harvest]].

The story begins with the UNSC's early battles on Harvest, but also features another colony world, [[Arcadia]], which holds "something of great interest to the Covenant". The planet is subsequently invaded by the Covenant and the UNSC must evacuate the planet while engaging the invasion force. The [[Flood]] is significant in the storyline and several massive [[Forerunner]] structures are also explored.

This game differs from previous Halo titles in that [[Master Chief]] does not make any appearance, although several key Spartans, collectively known as [[Red Team]], do factor into the plot. In contrast, the ''Spirit of Fire'' is "full of new characters", such as the AI Serina, [[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]], [[Sergeant]] [[John Forge]], and the ''Spirit of Fire'''s commander, [[Cutter]].<ref>[http://forums.halo.fr/viewtopic.php?p=315181 Interview-Graeme Devine]</ref> Some of these characters go planetside to aid the player. The single player campaign is purely from the UNSC's perspective.

While Sergeant Forge is patrolling the northern regions, [[Alpha Base (Harvest)|Alpha Base]] was attacked and destroyed by the Covenant, with survivors fleeing to the countryside surrounding the area. Rounding up these survivors, Forge leads them in an assault that removed the Covenant presence and re-established Alpha Base, returning it to operational status.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Alpha Base (Level)]]</ref> Forge leads an assault on the [[Relic (Structure)|relic site]] itself, removing the Covenant occupiers and preventing the enemy from destroying it to deny human access, and securing the site for Anders to examine it briefly before a Covenant counter-attack cuts them off from Alpha Base.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Relic Approach (Level)]]</ref>[[Grizzly]] tanks launched from the ''Spirit of Fire'' manage to cut through the Covenant, linking up with Forge and his Marines, and escorting them back out through the relic while forces from Alpha Base hold off the Covenant. Information gathered from the Harvest relic shows that the Covenant have been pointed to a second UNSC colony, Arcadia.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Relic Interior (Level)]]</ref>

Following the Covenant to Arcadia, they find that the most of the orbital defense ships have been either destroyed or damaged in battle with the Covenant (one of the many ships is the "[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]" which would be involved in the "Halo incident" 20 years later). Sgt. Forge and his forces deploy on the ground in order to assist the Spartans from [[Red Team]] in the effort to evacuate civilians from Arcadia City, via cargo transports.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Arcadia City (Level)''</ref> Afterward, the UNSC forces withdraw to a defensible area on the city outskirts, holding off Covenant attacks long enough for [[SPARTAN Group Omega]] to arrive and assist in the destruction of local Covenant forces.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Arcadia Outskirts]]</ref> At the same time, the Covenant have erected a large energy shield generator around a site of importance, with [[Arcadia Forerunner Ruins|undiscovered ruins]] surrounding the area, forcing the UNSC to deploy prototype [[Rhino]] plasma artillery to penetrate it.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Dome of Light (Level)]]</ref> Moving in to examine what was of such interest to the Covenant, they come under attack from a large Scarab, only partially complete and annihilating any UNSC forces in its line of sight. Eventually managing to destroy it, Anders and Forge begin documenting the area, only for the [[Arbiter (Halo Wars)|Arbiter]] to arrive, taking Anders prisoner and wounding Sergeant Forge, with Red Team arriving too late to assist.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Scarab (Level)]]</ref> Rapidly heading out of the system aboard a starship, the ''Spirit of Fire'' follows, eventually emerging in orbit over a [[Shield World (Halo Wars)|mysterious planet]] in an unknown location.

Deploying ground forces to search for Anders, the UNSC and Covenant forces come under attack from a previously undiscovered alien organism - the Flood.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Ander's Signal (Level)]]</ref> Managing to regroup and hold a defensible location, the UNSC forces manage to locate the source of the signal - an apparent body of water.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[The Flood (Level)]]</ref> The UNSC forces withdraw back to the ''Spirit of Fire'' as a concentrated Flood force begins to gather momentum, narrowly escaping annihilation, regrouping at the ''Spirit of Fire'' over the lake - which splits to reveal an entrance, and with swarms of [[Sentinels]] emerging to deal with the Flood.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Shield World (Level)]]</ref> The ''Spirit of Fire'' manages to enter, proceeding through a docking system, removing Flood growths and moving through a system of concentric rings that filters out Flood biomass<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Cleansing (Level)]]</ref>, the ''Spirit of Fire'' emerges inside a massive [[Shield World]], immediately engaging a [[Covenant Destroyer]] and fending off attacks while conducting repairs.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Repairs (Level)]]</ref>

The Arbiter uses Anders to activate [[The Apex]], revealing a fleet of Forerunner warships which the Covenant plans on reverse-engineering and incorporating into their existing naval forces to crush the humans quickly, without needing to dedicate all of their existing forces to the war. Anders manages to escape, using what had been her stasis prison as a translocation device, teleporting to the surface of the Shield World's interior, linking up with Forge and his Marines, who clear the area of Covenant forces and establish a base of operations on the Shield World.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Beachhead (Level)]]</ref> Removing the ''Spirit of Fire'''s FTL Reactor, the UNSC move it into The Apex, planning to detonate it - the chain-reaction will send the Shield World's sun into a supernova, destroying the installation and the fleet, denying it to the Covenant and saving humanity from near total defeat and extinction. The Arbiter attempts to stop them, but his [[Honor Guards]] are killed by Red Team, and Forge himself manages to kill the Arbiter with one of his own Energy Swords.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Reactor (Level)]]</ref> Forge stays behind to detonate the reactor, while the rest of the UNSC forces activate a portal out of the Shield World, evacuate to the ''Spirit of Fire'', and manage to slingshot around the sun to build up enough speed to escape the supernova's blast radius and the range of the Shield World's debris.<ref>''[[Halo Wars]]'', [[Escape (Level)]]</ref>

The final fate of the Spirit of Fire is unknown. Investigations by the UNSC and ONI are officially closed a few years after it is officially designated MIA, but there is some evidence that the ship does at some point return to UNSC space, with the strongest argument being the number of Spartans present during the [[Fall of Reach]]; At the time, 25 of the remaining 28 are present on the planet, with the three missing identified as [[Grey Team]] and the remaining dead or missing all previously identified, leading credence to the idea that Red Team, and thus Spirit of Fire, do eventually reunite with the UNSC. However it is noted that since Spirit of Fire's crew were the first humans to encounter the Flood, information should have been reported to ONI, but the first recorded Human-Flood encounter was in 2552, 21 years later, on Halo Installation 04, meaning that either the Spirit of Fire did not come back or ONI kept the 2531 Human-Flood encounter a closely-guarded secret.

*[[Warthog|"Flaming" M12 Warthog Light Reconnaissance Vehicle]] (Warthog)&nbsp;: This variant Warthog is only aesthetically different from the original vehicle in the game.  

Just like ''[[Halo 2]]'' & ''[[Halo 3]]'', ''Halo Wars'' has strong characteristics of online gaming. ''Halo Wars''' live gaming characteristics include Direct voice communication & Online leader boards. Unlike any of the other ''Halo'' games, now your vehicles' and troops' armor will change to the teams color so you can get red Hunters, purple Grunts, etc. There is no specific information regarding player ranking but players are able to achieve the ranks of Recruit, Lieutenant, Major, Commander, Colonel, Brigadier, and General. Multiplayer is up to 6 players at a time in a match. Two player online Co-op for the campaign story is available in the game.<ref>http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/04/18/halo-wars-alpha-spotted-on-xbox-live/</ref><ref>http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=874562</ref>

The music for Halo Wars was composed by [[Ensemble Studios]] in-house composer [[Stephen Rippy]], with additional music by his long time collaborator and game Audio Lead Kevin McMullan. It was recorded in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague Prague, Czech Republic] by 45 members of the FILMHarmonic Orchestra and a 21 voice choir at CNSO Studio No. 1.<ref>[http://www.halowars.com/news/articles/archive/2008/12/12/_2200_Over-and-Out_2200_.aspx</ref><ref>[http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=259]</ref> The score was released as a single CD package with a bonus DVD containing additional tracks, 5.1 surround sound mixes of some cues and a behind the scenes video showing the recording sessions of the Halo Wars [[Spirit of Fire (Song)|main theme]] and various trailers for the game.<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Wars-O-S-T-Stephen-Rippy/dp/B001OB3R1I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1238425481&sr=1-1</ref> It was also put up for retail as a digital download over iTunes and Sumthing Digital.<ref>[http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=303159741&s=143441]</ref><ref>[https://www.sumthingdigital.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumid=4074]</ref> The response to the score was almost universally enthusiastic, with most critics praising [[Stephen Rippy]]'s taking the series into new stylistic territory while still paying homage to and reworking classic themes and ideas.<ref>[http://www.music4games.net/Review_Display.aspx?id=191]</ref><ref>[http://www.originalsoundversion.com/?p=2028#more-2028]</ref><ref>[http://fangoria.com/musick/56-musick-reviews/1570-halo-wars-soundtrack-musick-review.html]</ref>

If you wait long enough on the main menu screen, one of the tips at the bottom of the screen will say how many achievements you have unlocked. After the recent update, this tip was changed from&nbsp;??/50 to&nbsp;??/58, instead of&nbsp;??/54. And also maps called [[Barrens]] (1v1), [[Blood River]] (1v1), and [[Memorial Basin]] (2v2) are mentioned in the underlying text that scrolls along the bottom of the screen. This suggests that there are four new achievements and 3 more maps being released with the upcoming DLC.