Halo Wars

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Halo Wars is a 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 is being developed by Ensemble Studios, and is planned as an Xbox 360 exclusive, unlike the rest of the series. It is rated "T" for Teen.

Summary

A SPARTAN from SPARTAN Group Omega in the Halo Wars announcement trailer.

The control scheme in Halo Wars.

In Halo Wars, players can command armies of both familiar, and new UNSC units during its first encounters against the Covenant, a coalition of alien races that threatens to eradicate all of mankind. Halo Wars will immerse gamers in an early period of the Halo universe, allowing them to experience events 20 years prior to Halo: Combat Evolved.

With the guidance of the AI Serina, 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.

Halo Wars can be played online on Xbox Live and through the single-player or co-op campaign. Up to 6 players can play 3 versus 3 over Xbox Live. Co-op campaign is also available online. Published by Microsoft Game Studios, Halo Wars is a title exclusive to the Xbox 360. Despite speculation of a version for the PC, Ensemble and Microsoft have repeatedly said that no such plans have been made or even considered for it. It has been confirmed that the Covenant will be a playable race only in skirmish mode.

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 in Seattle for the piano and mixing. At this point in time, they are working on in-game units and how they interact with each other. Alpha testing has also begun, with testers having been reported as playing the game over Xbox Live.

The game was featured at the 2008 E3 event, held in July. It was shown on G4's E3 08 LIVE as a hands on demo. Some newer off-screen demos were released, showing how controls are made up and how battles proceed.

Internationally, Halo Wars will be available on the following dates:

Japan and Asia Pacific: Feb. 26

EMEA: Feb. 27

Americas (US, Canada, Mexico and South America): Mar. 3

A pair of UNSC Sparrowhawks from the Halo Wars website.

Plot

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UNSC and Covenant units clash in-game. Note in particular the Halo in the background of the image.

"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."

— Graeme Devine, Lead Writer, formerly Lead Developer.

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, it focuses around the Marine forces of the UNSC Spirit of Fire as they engage Covenant ground forces after the discovery of an ancient artifact during a journey to the planet Harvest, at which point has been partially glassed, the first planet to be attacked by the Covenant.

Harvest just after the UNSC Spirit of Fire arrived in the system.

The story will thus begin with the UNSC's early battles on Harvest, but will also feature 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. While no Halo Installations will be featured in the campaign, they are likely to be present in some multiplayer maps. The majority of the campaign (15 missions in total) will take place in the polar/mountainous, parts of the jungle, and ruin regions of the world, allowing Ensemble Studios to "do some great stuff with mountains, snow, ice, forests and some Forerunner structures". In addition to striking into new territory, past events not just from the games will be expanded upon.

It has been confirmed that the Master Chief will not be making an appearance in the game. There will be a group of SPARTANs that are called SPARTAN Group Omega. In contrast, the Spirit of Fire is set to be "full of new characters," such as the AI Serina, Sergeant John Forge, and the Spirit of Fire's commander, Cutter. At least some of these characters will go planet side to aid the player. It has also been confirmed that the single player campaign is purely from the UNSC's perspective. Co-op for campaign over Xbox Live has been announced too.

Campaign Elements

• Halo Wars will incorporate the concept of "Socket Bases", in which only specific areas can be used to build specific buildings.

• 'Supply runs' are set to be featured, allowing a regular rejuvenation of supply for the production of units as opposed to a resource gathering system.

• Forerunner structures have been added into the game.

• Ensemble has stated the camera angle and zoom can be adjusted so that the player can zoom in on one unit, while playing, and then see the whole battlefield.

• Downloadable content has been planned for the game, ranging from new units and maps to potentially new campaign levels. This could perhaps expand to new game campaigns.

"We have plans for extra units and extra maps, and then beyond that we’ll look at what else we can add further down the track, such as extra campaigns and so on. I think it’s definitely a good way of consistently breathing new life into the product via DLC."

— Graeme Devine

• It may also feature a map editor, either shipping with the game, or as downloadable content from Xbox Live Marketplace.

"We actually talked quite a lot about that, we’ve got a very powerful map editor, so we’ve talked about whether we could release that with the game or via Xbox Live and allow people to make their own maps, and then work out a way for users to share the maps. I would love for that to be in the final product. Because I think user created content is just fantastic. I think it’s absolutely the future, because people love to tell their own stories, people love to make up their own little war campaigns, and there are a lot of people out there who are incredibly talented."

— Graeme Devine

• It is stated so far that the currency featured in the game will be Energy and Resources. It is a strong certainty that large vehicles such as the Covenant Scarab will be costly.

• It is unknown whether or not the Covenant Drone race will be included for the Covenant. At this time in the Halo Universe, they still filled a minor technical role, rather than a more important combat role.

• In Halo Wars, certain vehicles and powers are only available for certain leaders. The player(s) must choose a leader in multiplayer and skirmish mode.

Characters

File:The Arbiter - Halo Wars.png

The Arbiter that appears in Halo Wars.

Aside from CGI cutscenes and on-the-battlefield appearances, characters in Halo Wars often appear in "talking head" animations, where a small view screen appears in the upper left corner showing the face of the character speaking at the moment.

UNSC

• Captain James Cutter
• Serina
• Professor Anders
• Sergeant John Forge
• SPARTAN Alice
• Adam

Covenant

• An unknown Arbiter
• An unknown Jiralhanae Chieftain
• Prophet of Regret

Gameplay Units

United Nations Space Command

A SPARTAN-II wielding an AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun.

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UNSC Marines.

• Infantry
• SPARTAN Group Omega: SPARTAN-IIs are individual units who are superior to Marines. They can receive the ability to dual-wield weapons and can hijack enemy vehicles, so the player can control them. They can also be outfitted with chainguns and Spartan Lasers as well as AIs which can increase their speed, much like Cortana does for John-117 in Halo: The Fall of Reach, and help them hijack vehicles faster. When a SPARTAN hijacks an enemy vehicle, their rank is added to the vehicle's rank and the captured vehicle's stats are increased. Only three SPARTANs can be deployed at a time. It has been confirmed that their health will regenerate over time; Spartans do not have shields, as they are outfitted with the MJOLNIR Mk. IV, meaning they should not be capable of supporting AIs, a fact which has apparently been overlooked.
  • UNSC Marines: Marines are the basic infantry of the UNSC who are armed with MA5 Series rifles and have the special ability to throw grenades. The squads can be upgraded to include a Rocket Launcher, making them more effective against vehicles. They usually operate in teams of five.
    • Flamethrower Marine: Called the Hellbringers, these Marines are specialists equipped with heavier armour and flamethrowers which can be used to torch entire infantry units. They can be upgraded with Flash Bang Grenades, which stun enemies when hit, napalm ammunition that will most likely increase the damage they caused, and oxide tanks, which also increase damage.
    • Machine Gun teams: These are Marines who carry about an AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun that can be deployed and fired.
    • Medic: This is a unit capable of healing injured infantry. These are gained when an infantry unit reaches a large size.
    • Orbital Drop Shock Troopers: An available upgrade for infantry. It can possibly be upgraded at the Field Armory. The upgrades effects are unknown a this time. It is possible they are dropped into combat as special units belonging to a UNSC leader, keeping in with the Helljumper theme.

• Weapons
  • M6D Personal Defense Weapon System (Magnum)
  • M19 SSM Rocket Launcher
  • M90 Close Assault Weapon System (Shotgun)
  • MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System (Assault Rifle)
  • SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle
  • NA4 Flamethrower
  • AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun
  • Weapon/Anti-Vehicle Model 6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle (Spartan Laser)
  • M7/Caseless Submachine Gun (SMG)

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M808 Scorpion MBT

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M12 LRV (Warthog)

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Dropship 77-Troop Carrier Pelican

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UNSC "Flaming" Warthog and Covenant Honor Guard Wraith.

• Vehicles
  • M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (Warthog) : Can be upgraded to carry a M41 LAAG or a M66 Gauss Cannon at a reduction of speed. Can jump gaps, and has ramming ability.
  • UNSC "Flaming" Warthog M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle (Warthog) : Only available if game is pre-ordered.
  • M808 Scorpion MBT: The M808 Scorpion is the basic human tank that can be upgraded to the 'Grizzly' variant
    • Variant 1: The Scorpion mounts a much larger cannon
    • Variant 2: Same as above but the coaxial gun has been upgraded.
    • Grizzly variant: An upgrade of the Scorpion, it packs two cannons and a flamethrower.
  • Behemoth-class Troop Transport (Elephant): The Elephant, as it is more commonly known, can carry squads into combat and can fulfill the role of a barracks in the field, along with having the ability to be upgraded with a cannon and twin engines to upgrade speed. It is Captain Cutter's unique unit.
  • Rhino: The Rhino is a heavy tracked unit that has a greater defense but lower attack than the Scorpion. It has been confirmed that the Rhino is a seperate vehicle to the Scorpion, not the grade before.
  • Wolverine: The Wolverine uses guided missiles to shoot down enemy aircraft, such as Banshees.
  • Cobra: The Cobra is a heavy anti-building vehicle armed with a pair of Rail cannons, which can easily tear apart enemy armor. It can also be deployed to fire a Bombard Rail Cannon, at the cost of mobility.
  • Cyclops Exoskeleton: The Cyclops is a re-appropriated support exoskeleton, usually used for construction and ammunition-carrying purposes, that can crush enemies in close combat. It is a faction-specific unit.

• Air Force
  • D77-TC Pelican Dropship: Pelicans can carry units into combat and provide fire support.
  • Shortsword-class Bomber: Shortsword bombers operate low-altitude bombing runs that can destroy or freeze enemy units.
  • Hornet: The Hornet is a light gunship that can carry two passengers to provide support and fire on enemy ground and air targets. The Hornet can also carry "rocket-totting" passengers.
  • Sparrowhawk: The Sparrowhawk is a tank busting aerodyne that provides heavy firepower in an air fight.
  • Vulture: The Vulture is a large gunship that can deliver heavy amounts of fire against all ground targets.
  • Albatross: The Albatross is used to ferry supplies from the Spirit of Fire to ground-side facilities.
  • Pod: Appearing at the beginning of the Field Trip To Harvest cinematic, these dropships, larger than both the Pelican and Albatross, delivers extremely large objects to ground positions, such as portions of firebases.

• Buildings
  • UNSC Firebase: Provides the basic base of the UNSC with optional 'add on' buildings that can increase its usefulness.
    • UNSC Reactor: The Reactor provides power for a UNSC base to run on.
    • UNSC Air Pad: This provides UNSC air units along with upgrades for them.
    • Missile silo: Might house offensive warheads, similar to the 11-B1 ICBM. (unconfirmed).
    • Vehicle Depot: A Vehicle depot provides heavier vehicles for the UNSC to use.
    • Field Armory: A Combination of Machine Shop and Laboratory that provides high tech upgrades for the UNSC.
    • Drill Grounds: (unconfirmed).
    • UNSC Barracks: The barracks can provide a number of infantry types for combat.
    • UNSC Supply Pad: Supply is used to get supplies from the Spirit of Fire via Albatross dropships.
    • Base Turret: Initially armed with an M202 XP Machine Gun which may be replaced by an M41 LAAG. The turret may be outfitted with a rail cannon for use against vehicles, a flame mortar for use against infantry, or a missile launcher for use against aircraft.

• Ship Support
  • Spirit Of Fire: The Spirit of Fire provides both direct and indirect support by sending down troops and buildings, deploying bombers, or directly firing one of its MAC guns on the surface.
  • MAC Blast: Varying numbers of slugs can be used to cause varying levels of destruction, with each being individually aimed.
  • Carpet Bomb: A Shortsword bomber is called in, bombing a region on the battlefield.
  • Cryo Bomb: A Bomb that freezes even Scarab walkers, allowing them to be easily destroyed with conventional weapons.
  • Heal and Repair: Heals all units and structures in a selected area.

Covenant

File:Brute 1024.jpg

A Brute Chieftain in Halo Wars

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Concept art for the Elite grasping two Energy Swords.

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A Covenant Scarab destroys various UNSC vehicles

• Infantry
  • Unggoy (Grunts): Fight in lances consisting of a Sangheili Minor or Major (or, possibly depending on the player's selected leader, a Brute Minor or Major) and several Grunts. They have the secondary ability to throw plasma grenades. Can be upgraded with needlers, additional members, a fuel rod gun, and better armor.
  • Sangheili (Elites): In addition to leading Unggoy lances, several specialties of Elites may be fielded.
    • Ranger: Sangheili Rangers possess the ability to fly anywhere on the map and destroy enemy infantry.
    • Stealth Sangheili: Armed with a dual energy swords and an Active Camo generator, they can tear UNSC infantry apart. It is possible that these may be leader specific units of the Arbiter, but this is merely speculation.
    • Honor Guard Elite: Serve as powerful anti-infantry units. They may be the leader-specific unit of the Prophet of Regret.
    • Arbiter: An antagonist in the campaign and a leader unit in multiplayer. He might be Cutter's counterpart. His secondary ability is a rage power that drains resources but makes the Arbiter go on a "killing spree."
  • Mgalekgolo (Hunters): Hunters are heavily armored and armed with fuel rod-launching Assault Cannons, like they are in Halo: Combat Evolved. They are the Covenant's primary anti-vehicle infantry.. It is unknown if they will be able to melee enemy units in close combat, but it is confirmed they have a charge ability that can knock enemy infantry into the air.
  • Kig-yar (Jackals): Jackals fight in large lances of around ten or more members and provide decent defense against Marines armed with conventional weapons but little defense against grenades, explosives or vehicles. Can also be armed with Beam Rifles and can be positioned in Covenant Watchtowers to provide a higher range of view.
  • Jiralhanae (Brutes): In battle the Brutes wield Brute Shots, which are devastating against infantry and effective against light vehicles. Due to their limited battlefield use prior to the events of Halo 2, they are apparently leader-specific units belonging to the unknown Jiralhanae Chieftain .
    • Jiralhanae Minor.
    • Jiralhanae Major/Ultra.[3]
    • Jiralhanae Chieftain. (It is possible that the only usable Brute Chieftain is the same Chieftain that can be selected as a leader, making him a 'hero' unit).
  • San 'Shyuum (Prophets): Prophets fight from their Gravity Thrones and can attack enemy infantry with their destructive plasma weapons. (It is probable that the only usable in-game Prophet is the Prophet of Regret, who can only be used if he is chosen as a 'leader' before the start of the game.)
  • Huragok (Engineers): Sent into combat zones to repair damaged vehicles and structures. May repair other Engineers, but not themselves.
• Weapons
  • Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword (Energy Sword)
  • Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer (Gravity Hammer)
  • Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol (Plasma Pistol)
  • Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle (Plasma Rifle)
  • Type-25 Carbine (Spiker) (Possibly)
  • Type-25 Grenade Launcher (Brute Shot)
  • Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher (Needler)
  • Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon (Fuel Rod Gun)
  • Type-50 Sniper Rifle System (Beam Rifle)
  • Type-51 Carbine (Covenant Carbine)

• Vehicles
  • Type-47 Ultra Heavy Assault Platform (Scarab): The Scarab is a super-unit that can destroy infantry, ground vehicles, and aircraft with ease. The Scarab is extremely resilient to weapons fire, but not MAC strikes. Both the Halo 2 and Halo 3 versions have been seen. Unknown if hijackable by spartans.
  • Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle (Ghost): The Ghost is a light attack vehicle that excels against infantry but not other vehicles.
  • Type-25 Rapid Assault Vehicle (Chopper): Is able to be used by the Brute faction.
  • Type-25 Wraith: The Wraith is the main battle tank of the Covenant and is armed with a plasma mortar and a plasma turret and can decimate enemy vehicles and infantry and can be upgraded with a shield. Comes with a "plasma burn" special ability.
    • Type-52 Wraith: May not appear in the final game.
    • Honor Guard Wraith: Exclusive to the special edition.
    • Unknown Wraith: May just be an early design.
  • Locust: A smaller counterpart to the Covenant Scarab which is described as a "building-killer".

• Aircraft
  • Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft (Banshee): The Banshee can attack infantry, tanks and other air vehicles due to its twin plasma cannons and single fuel rod cannon.
  • DX-class Dropship Spirit: The Spirit is the rival to the UNSC Pelican, capable of carrying vehicles and infantry in addition to giving them fire support.
  • Vampire: A Covenant flying vehicle; a potent craft fitted to fight against hostile air vehicles.
  • Covenant Carrier: Used by the Covenant to support ground operations, glass the surface of a planet, and deliver supplies planet-side with a gravity lift. Parallels the UNSC Spirit of Fire in in-game function.

• Buildings
  • Citadel: Provides the basic base of the Covenant with optional 'add on' buildings that can increase its usefulness.
    • Shield Generator: Provides shield protection for the whole Citadel. The generators however use a substantial amount of energy.
    • Warehouse: The warehouse is how the Covenant receive supplies. Gravity lifts bring supplies down and workers move them to their proper area. The warehouse can be upgraded to receive supplies more often.
    • Heavy Plasma Turret: The main defenses of a Covenant base, the Turret first starts with Plasma Turrets, but can be upgraded with a Plasma Mortar, Fuel Rod Cannon, or a Heavy Needler.
    • Temple: A Covenant research building, the upgrades are very expensive but are very effective and powerful.
    • Summit: The roost of the Covenant air force, the Summit builds Banshees, Vampires and Engineers.
    • Hall: The home of Covenant soldiers, Grunt lances, Jackals and Hunters are built here. The building also researches minor upgrades for Covenant infantry.
    • Factory: The manufacturing plant of the Covenant, the Factory builds Ghost scouts, Wraith tanks and Locust walkers.
  • Anti-Vehicle Barrier: Same device used to block tunnels on the level Tsavo Highway in Halo 3, most likely used for defence.
    File:Glassinglaz0r.jpg

    Glassing in Halo Wars.
  • Type-26 ASG (Shade): The Halo: Combat Evolved variant of the Shade will be featured as a defensive Structure.
  • Deployable Lookout Tower: Can be used to garrison units from both players (in co-op), increasing their combat capabilities.

• Gravity Lift

Each Covenant base has a Gravity Lift right outside. Gravity Lift lets the Covenant's players to do "Hot Dropping" Hot Dropping allows Covenant players to send any units directly to their Leader's location1

• Ship Support
  • Glassing: This appears to be used as a Covenant superweapon. The glassing ship can fire this from orbit to destroy ground positions and units. Can be upgraded for an even more devastating effect. This is named the "cleansing beam" in the most recent demo.

Neutral

Forerunner

• Sentinels
• Sentinel Shop: Produces Sentinels for the player who controls it.
• Forerunner Supply Elevator: Produces limitless supplies for the player who controls it.

The Flood

Flood biomass and tentacles ensnare an Elephant, with Flood Infection Forms and Combat Forms in the background.

A Flood Barracks under siege by a Covenant assault team.

"There is quite a bit of concern regarding how we’re going to fit the Flood into our game and keep it in canon which surprised me, but I promised them all that the Halo 1 canon is intact and that they would have to wait and see how we integrate the Flood."

— Graeme Devine

The Flood have been announced to be a faction within the game, though the player is unable to use them. The Flood gain bases and units by taking over Human and Covenant bases and troops, and most likely growing flood biomass around it to signify that it is under Flood control. Nothing else is known at this time.

What has been shown in one of the more recent Halo Wars demos was that Flood Infection Forms, Combat Forms, Carrier Forms and what look remotely like Gravemind tentacles will be the Flood's main attack force. Its unknown if any Flood Juggernaut forms will be in the game, but in the Febuary issue of Gamepro its confirmes that there will be new flood forms in Halo Wars.

• Ground Forms
  • Infection Form Has the ability to crawl over walls, increasing its potent abilities, and is able to reach ground no other forces can reach. It is likely that when a group reaches an enemy unit, it will bite them, and then infect them (if a Human or an Elite) turning them into Combat Forms and using their weapons.
  • Combat form The standard fighting force of the Flood. So far only Human and Sangheili forms have been seen.
  • Carrier Form Most likely a suicidal unit, explodes and delivers its payload of Infection Forms directly into enemy lines.
  • Flood Growth Pods now fuctions as a double-edged knife: shooting them will sometimes releases precious resources for weapon and vehicle upgrades. But other times, they will release a swarm of Infection Forms that can destroy your squads in seconds.

• Air Forms
  • Flood Swarms are the first-ever-seen flying incarnation of the Flood, and were described by developers as "infected buzzards crossed with evil bats". These nasty suckers travel in teeming airborne packs, and can emit barb-like projectiles to puncture enemies. Ensemble Studios have confirmed that Swarms are not the only airborne Flood units - a much larger and deadlier creature remains clouded in secrecy.

• Buildings Forms
  • Flood Barracks are organic structures that ceaselessly churn out a variety of attackers. They can't be destroyed by "conventional" weaponry, but players can damage them enough to force them into a withered, dormant state. The effect is only temporary, and given enough time, the Barracks will recover and begin producing more Flood forms.

Technology Advancement

The tech tree will be a different experience for both factions. When playing as the UNSC, the player advances by building reactors, upgrading buildings, and purchasing upgrades in a fairly standard, though streamlined, manner. For instance, infantry units can graduate to shotguns and later ODSTs, and Warthog units upgrade to a Gauss cannon. The Covenant moves through the tech-tree in Ages rather than small steps..

The flood will most likely not have any tech tree because they are an unplayable faction.

Leader Abilities

Certain characters belonging to both the Covenant and the UNSC have been confirmed to in-game be "leader units", all of which have unique in-game abilities. Currently known leaders are Captain James Cutter, Sergeant John Forge, Professor Anders, an unknown Arbiter, an unknown Brute Chieftain and the Prophet of Regret. Captain Cutter's unique ability is to call down an Elephant from the Spirit of Fire, which is a mobile barracks in the game. It is believed that the Prophet of Regret's ability is to glass enemy forces (known as the "cleansing beam" in Halo Wars), which causes significant damage to both structures and units. The Arbiter can go into a rage mode and wield two energy swords, but at the cost of draining resources for every second it's active. It is reasonable to conclude that all unique abilities drain resources while active.

The Spartans are not in this list because it is believed that they are not hero units, but are commando units, a type of infantry that can perform feats that a common soldier, such as a marine, cannot. However, they can be killed rather easily and more than one can be trained at one time.

In the case of the Covenant, only one leader is allowed on the battlefield at a time. This is offset by the Covenant leaders' ability to empower surrounding friendlies.

It is also unknown how the flood will have a hero unit in the campain, unless one of the major charaters is infected and fills that role.

Alpha Test

A screenshot taken of an Alpha playtester in Sway.

An Alpha test was done for Halo Wars, concluding during May, 2008. The test was open only to several thousand Microsoft employees, including Bungie Studios, in order to locate any bugs or glitches, and to test its performance over Xbox Live. It consisted of a brief "tutorial" and multi-player, and was "limited to a specific set of units." It is unknown how long the Alpha test was conducted, or when it began. The Alpha testing is now complete, as stated in the May Monthly update.

During the Alpha test, anti-air units were glitching so that their effectiveness was lessened, and Scorpion tanks and aircraft were extremely powerful. Aircraft strength was lessened to prevent players from sending in air-strikes against the enemy Command Center and crippling them too easily, ruining many a protocol player's chances of victory. This actually isn't an element of the game, but in fact a "balance issue".

Ambient Life

File:ThornBeastHW.png

Thorn Beast seen in the middle of a battle.

Although only in the conceptual stages at this point, ambient life forms will be encountered in the gameplay. They may be found on the battlefield, and might react to the actions of the player's forces (such as firing a weapon, flying around or near them, etc.). Examples include the Space Owl, the Harvest Whale, the Arctic Beast, Ice Hound and some sort of eel-snake creature that has yet to be named. The ambient life forms will be on the Multi-player Maps and they will be interactive. However, in a recent interview, some Thorn Beast were observed. The Thorn Beasts seen in the game, merely run away from units, not battles; if there is a bombing next to it, it will not flinch. However, since the game is still in development, this lack of a reaction may be changed in the near future for a more realistic gaming experience.

Multi-player

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A possible multiplayer map showing Covenant as playable characters.

Just like Halo 2 & Halo 3, Halo Wars will have the strong characteristic of online gaming. Halo Wars' live gaming characteristics include Direct voice communication & Online leader boards. There's no specific information regarding to the player ranking. As of now, multi-player is said to be up to 6 players at a time in a match. Two player online Co-op for the campaign story will also be in the game. It has also been stated that online games will be rather quick, estimated at around 20 minutes per game.

Multiplayer Maps

• Sway

• Beasley Plateau - a multiplayer map recently unveiled, set on a dense jungle plateau.

• Chasm - a multiplayer map recently unveiled, set on a frozen region of Harvest.

• Blood Gulch - a Multiplayer map recently unveiled, partly based off designs from Blood Gulch, the Halo:Combat Evolved map.

• Release - a Multiplayer map set on a Flood-dominated environment.

• Each multiplayer map apparently takes place on a different "world", each with its own musical theme and playlist.

• The Halo Rings won't be in the story, but may be included in future maps for multiplayer.

Skirmish Mode

Halo Wars features a "Skirmish Mode", where the player can battle on Multiplayer maps against an AI on the maps.

Editors of OXM's January 2009 Halo Wars article played on a multiplayer map called "Blood Gulch". It was stated that it's not the same map as that in Halo:Combat Evolved, but some elements have clearly been used in the design for the map.

Trailers

E3 2008 Trailer

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A screenshot from the trailer.

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A Marine about to be killed by a Covenant Elite.

Main article: Five Long Years Cinematic

Five Long Years is a Halo Wars cinematic preview released on the July 14th of 2008 depicting the five year long struggle to reclaim Harvest from the Covenant. The trailer can be downloaded from the Halo Wars official website or here.

Field Trip To Harvest

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A Zealot Field Master taking orders from an Arbiter on Harvest.

Field Trip To Harvest is a cinematic preview that was released to the public on October 3rd, 2008 showing the UNSC's retaking of the planet Harvest and the Covenant's finding of a Forerunner structure. Also, in the conversation between a Zealot and the Arbiter, there is mention of "the Infection". This could be an introduction to the Flood in Halo Wars, or just a name for the Humans on Harvest.

Achievements

There have been confirmed to be 50 achievements available in Halo Wars, adding up to a total of 1000 Gamerscore.

Cut Content

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The asteroid that never was...

Two units, the UNSC Cougar and Covenant Air Artillery, were under development early in the game. The developers later announced that they had been cut, as they had decided to focus on more recognizable Halo units. However, recent screenshots would seem to suggest that the Cougar may have been added back in.

Early Plot

Originally the storyline was supposed to feature a Covenant mining asteroid that was located at a Forerunner ore refining mechanism, this concept tries to show the scale of the large Forerunner machinery in place, machines that are still operational (although now controlled by the Covenant). In the end the mining aspect of the story was removed from the game.

Demo

On the 5th of February, a demo for Halo Wars will be released on Xbox Live for the first time. It has been confirmed that the player can play the first 2 modes of campaign, as well as play skirmish mode where the player can pick the Covenant as their faction alongside the UNSC, with one leader for the Covenant, and one leader for the UNSC, aswell as a tutorial mode. The demo will let the player try and retake Alpha Base with Sergeant Forge as their first unit, picking up stranded Marines and Warthogs along the way, which will eventually help the player retake Alpha Base from the Covenant.

Downloadable Content

Although not much is known about the content, it has been confirmed that Ensemble Studios have already finished DLC for Halo Wars, yet a release date is not known.

Trivia

• This will be the first Halo game to officially feature the Huragok without the use of mods like Halo: Custom Edition.
• On April 1st, 2008, an "interview" with Graeme Devine revealed Forerunner would be a playable faction, including a "Rampancy" in the AI and the ability to build a Halo and fire it if the player decided to give up. Although some people took it for truth, it was easily shown to be an April Fools joke due to the article's source which linked to the Wikipedia article for the first of April and Ensemble's own remarks about the articles.
• According to the E3 demo video, soldiers can shoot the Grunt's Methane tanks and the Grunt will explode, much like in Halo 3. In addition, each individual soldier will have his own separate reaction to background stimulation in an attempt by Ensemble to add a "human element" to the game.Orders can be given for troops to take cover and/or take shelter in buildings.
• The Doritos snack food held a sweepstakes where the winner got a voice role in the game.
• Halo Wars didn't start as a Halo game at all. Six months were spent developing a control scheme for a viable RTS for the Xbox 360, which was later pitched to Microsoft, asking to use the Halo IP, to which Microsoft agreed.
• It is likely that Easter Eggs will be featured in a manner similar to the previous three Halo games.
• There are skulls in the campaign like in Halo 2 and Halo 3, which add a little replay value.
• During the introductory level in the E3 demonstration video, UNSC Marines can be seen doing push-ups behind the barracks, being drilled by a Drill Instructor. This looks set to be dropped from the final version.
• The D77-TC Pelican is the model used in Halo Wars, not the D77H-TCI which is only introduced during Halo 3.
• At this point in time, there are over 5,402 sound files for sound and voice in the game.
• Many new UNSC units were seen on G4's hands-on coverage of Halo Wars on July 14th.
• E3 '08 Halo Wars game play has proven the existence of Honor Guard Elites in Halo Wars.
• An image of E3 game play has proven that Brutes will be playable units in Halo Wars.
• An article released by ShackNews states that Halo Wars is Ensemble's last game, and that they are laying off any personnel not essential to the game's completion. In fact, the supposed layoffs were confirmed merely as a rumour, and that while Ensemble was indeed shutting down after the shipment of Halo Wars, layoffs had not begun.
• As of mid-2008 it appears that Ensemble has chosen to represent each faction by a single matte color (green for the UNSC, purple for the Covenant) instead of allowing each unit to be rendered in a unique manner; something that was shown in the original E3 2007 Demo. The reason for this downgrade in quality remains unknown, but many theorize it is due to the departure of veteran designers Graeme Divine and Ryan Sohmer from the development staff.
• Halo Wars currently has 50 Xbox 360 achievements, worth a total of 1000 Gamer-points. It will also be released on February 27th in the EU and March 3rd for the US.
• The Halo Wars Official Strategy Guide will be released on the 3rd of March.
• It has been confirmed in the February Monthly Update that there will be no space battles in the game.

Gallery

• Halo Wars - Collectors Edition (Box Art).png

  The cover for the limited edition of Halo Wars.

• HarvestT-1-.jpg

  An early cutscene from Halo Wars.

• GruntEncounterT-1-.jpg

  Grunts encountered in the game.

• HaloWarsCanyon.jpg

  Covenant and UNSC forces in-game.

• Emag halowarsqa 4 d96d0-1-.jpg

  Trouble coming down the hill. Notice the Scarab on the ridge.

• HaloWarsTanks.jpg

  Scorpions and Warthogs vs Wraiths and Ghosts.

• 

  An Elite holding a dead Marine.

• HWscreen.jpeg

  Multiplayer Screenshot, revealing that Scarabs will be usable in multi-player.

• Gameprohalowars.jpg

  Gamepro's Image for Halo Wars, note the terrain.

• Hwfuelrod.jpg

  Elite firing a Fuel Rod Gun.

• Hwscarab.jpg

  A Scarab Firing its main weapon.

• 2zdua7o.jpg

  A battle between UNSC and Covenant forces, for a Forerunner structure.

• 1213852807 192808-5-2.jpg

  A large Covenant Army can be seen, composed of many species and vehicles.

• Burningcritters.jpg

  A group of Flamethrower-equipped Marines leaving an Elephant.

• Grizzler.jpg

  A destroyed Grizzly.

• Rhinox.jpg

  A Rhino in multi-player.

• Wolveriney.jpg

  A trio of defending Wolverines.

• 

  A battle against a Scarab.

• CovenantArmyHW.jpg

  A large Covenant force.

• UNSC CovieBattle.jpg

  A small battle between the UNSC and Covenant forces.

• Screenshot 6 preview.jpg

  Concept art of a battle to claim a Forerunner structure.

• 196539.jpg

  Kig-Yar, as they appear in Halo Wars.

• HalowarsFlood.jpg

  Covenant Locusts leveling a Flood structure.

• HalowarsBoardingAction.jpg

  The Arbiter seen dual wielding two energy swords.

• HalowarsSpartan VsWraith.jpg

  A Spartan in MJOLNIR Mk. IV boarding a Covenant Wraith

• UNSCcivilwar.jpg

  A multiplayer screenshot of two UNSC forces engaging in a fight.

Links

Internal

• Circle Menu
• Halo: Contact Harvest
• Halo Wars Announcement Trailer
• Halo Wars: Limited Edition

External

• Official website
• Halo Wars announcement
• Halo Wars Fansite
• Halo Wars E3 Trailer
• Extended Halo Wars E3 montage
• Heavengames.com
• Halo Wars Profile Page
• "Halo Wars" GC 2008: Halo Wars Hands-on