Halo: Spartan Assault: Difference between revisions

'''''Halo: Spartan Assault''''' is an isometric shooter video game developed by [[Vanguard Games]] in collaboration with [[343 Industries]]; it is the eighth game in the ''Halo'' series. Originally designed and released for [[Wikipedia:Windows 8|Microsoft Windows 8]] and [[Wikipedia:Windows Phone 8|Windows Phone 8]], enhanced ports of the game are upcoming for [[Xbox 360]] and [[Xbox One]].<ref name="HWP"/> Set between the events of ''[[Halo 3]]'' and ''[[Halo 4]]'', the game features 25 missions that tell the story of the [[SPARTAN-IV Program]]'s earliest operations.<ref name="official">[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-US/games/halospartanassault '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Halo: Spartan Assault'']</ref><ref name="firsttrailer">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxsYQtltOco ''Halo: Spartan Assault'' '''Announce Trailer''']</ref><ref name="windows8only">[http://www.gameinformer.com/games/halo_spartan_assault/b/pc/archive/2013/06/04/343-industries-reveals-halo-spartan-assault.aspx '''GameInformer''': ''343 Industries Reveals Halo: Spartan Assault'']</ref> The game went by the codename "'''Bootcamp'''" prior to its official announcement.<ref name="Waypoint 652013">[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/06/05/The-Halo-Bulletin-6513.aspx '''Halo Waypoint:''' ''The Halo Bulletin 6.5.2012'']</ref> ''Spartan Assault'' was released on [[2013|July 18, 2013]] for Windows 8. The complete version of the game (including all DLC) will be released on December 23, 2013 for Xbox One and in January 2014 for Xbox 360.<ref name="Xbone"/><ref name="console dates">[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/12/09/Halo-Spartan-Assault-Release-Date-Revealed.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Halo: Spartan Assault Release Date Revealed'']</ref>

Set sometime between [[2553#March|March 2553]] and [[2557#July|July 2557]], ''Halo: Spartan Assault'' explores the SPARTAN-IVs' first Spartan Ops<!--This is the in-universe term, not the game mode.--> during the [[Battle of Draetheus V]].<ref name="gameplay 1">[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halospartanassault/mediadetail?title=halo-spartan-assault-defend&id=984bc596-d52b-49e4-be4c-93457bd55bf3&category=Videos '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Halo: Spartan Assault - Defend'']</ref><ref name="gameplay 2">[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halospartanassault/mediadetail?title=halo-spartan-assault-clear&id=8704efa0-1cc1-4920-8209-5c9e13440c97&category=Videos '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Halo: Spartan Assault -Clear'']</ref> This battle is part of the [[Second human-Covenant war|second war]] between the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] and the [[Covenant remnant|remnants]] of the [[Covenant]], which is still being waged during the events of ''Halo 4''.<ref name="official"/><ref name="Reed">[http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2013/06/03/Halo-Initiation-Writer-Interview.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Halo Initiation Writer Interview'']</ref><ref>[http://blogs.windows.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone/archive/2013/06/04/coming-this-summer-a-new-halo-for-windows-phone-8.aspx Coming this summer: '''Windows Phone Blog''' ''A new Halo for Windows Phone 8'']</ref> The story unfolds through the [[UNSC Tactical Simulator|UNSC TACSIM]], a historical computer simulation which the SPARTAN-IVs use for combat analysis and training, much like ''Halo 4''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[War Games]] mode;<ref name="firsttrailer"/><ref name="pareport''>[http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/the-next-halo-game-is-coming-to-hardware-you-dont-have-and-software-you-don  '''The PA Report''': ''The next Halo game is coming to hardware you don’t have, and software you don’t want'']</ref> this framing structure likely explains some of the game's arcade-like elements, such as weapons' ability to fire continuously.<ref name="gameplay 1"/><ref name="gameplay 2"/>

The campaign has two protagonists, Spartans [[Sarah Palmer|Sarah Palmer]] and [[Edward Davis|Edward Davis]], whose first meeting is depicted in the ''[[Halo: Initiation]]'' limited comic series.<ref name="Reed"/> Rather than the in-engine cutscenes used in most ''Halo'' games, ''Spartan Assault'' instead makes use of motion comic-style animations between missions, much like the [[terminal]]s in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' and ''Halo 4''.<ref name="windows8only"/>

The [[campaign]] mode is divided into six chapters called "Operations", with five missions each. The [[Cooperative play|co-op]] mode is divided in five missions.

On Windows 8 PCs and tablets, the game can also be played with a mouse and keyboard. Keyboard controls use a standard shooter format: the "WASD" key group controls movement and the mouse is for aiming and firing. An update has recently been applied to the game (August 29th) which enables the use of an [[Xbox 360]] controller as well.<ref name="debut"/>

The Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of the game will include a two-player online cooperative mode. In this mode two Spartans battle against hordes of [[Flood]] forms.<ref name="HWP"/>

*[[Roland (AI)|Roland]]<ref>[https://vine.co/v/hmgIb1VATxb '''Vine.co''' - ''Xbox: Meet Roland, your A.I. guide in Halo: Spartan Assault'']</ref>

*[[MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System]]

*[[MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System]]

Vanguard Games began development of ''Halo: Spartan Assault'' around April 2012 for the Windows 8 platform, before the announcement of Windows Surface.<ref name="build">[http://www.wpcentral.com/halo-spartan-assault-coming-mid-july-will-include-future-game-updates '''Windows Phone Central''': ''Halo Spartan Assault coming mid-July, will include future game updates'']</ref> During initial development, Vanguard experimented with several prototypes by bringing the traditional ''Halo'' first-person shooter experience to the mobile platform and found out the gameplay is wholly unsuitable for the platform.<ref name="build"/> The game's AI system is managed by HAVOK, the same AI system management technology used in ''Halo 4''.<ref name="havokai">[http://www.havok.com/news-and-press/releases/halo-spartan-assault '''Havok''': ''Havok’s AI Technology Powering Halo: Spartan Assault on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8'']</ref> The Microsoft Surface Pro version of the game runs at 60 frames-per-second. The Windows Phone 8 and PC versions are locked at 30 FPS.{{Citation needed}} The game's top-down view and stylization result in an aesthetic very similar to that of ''[[Halo Wars]]''.  

==External Links==