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Halo Wars 2 Preview Thread

S

SOR5

Member
HW2-Art-Series-Hero-1.jpg


Just a compilation of impressions

Venturebeat
Overall, I'm enjoying myself and the story. I was pleasantly surprised that I had to play The Cartographer mission more than once to actually succeed. I'm anxious to get further in the campaign.
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Windows Central
Besides making the regular real time strategy (RTS) gameplay a little more immersive, it also complements the story 343i and Creative Assembly are weaving with Halo Wars 2. One of the themes the game puts forward early on is that of family, and that's the way Captain Cutter and his crew see each other. 343i and Creative Assembly did an incredible job bringing this sentiment to life so far, giving Halo Wars 2's campaign a sense of quality I haven't experienced since Warcraft 3.

I haven't played much of Halo Wars 2's campaign yet, and it could certainly all fall apart between now and the end, but I somehow doubt it. If 343i and Creative Assembly maintain this level of quality throughout, I think Halo Wars 2 will not only take up a spot as a great Halo game but as a one of the great modern RTS games, as well.
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Gamespew
As you'd expect it's visually a step up from the original title; textures are sharper and everything just looks a lot cleaner, but what's really surprising is how smooth an experience it is. You can tell that 343 Industries and Creative Assembly have prioritised the framerate over excessive eye-candy for Halo Wars 2 and it's a move that pays off. Navigating and moving your units around maps feels better because of it, and gameplay isn't hindered by hiccups or slowdown at even the most hectic of times.
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Gamereactor
Despite the change of developer and the face that it's being developed for two different platforms, the already solid foundations laid down for the previous game are intact, and in some cases improved upon. Most of it's handled in the same way as before, but the gameplay here feels deeper, the action more dynamic. An entertaining campaign with beautiful cutscenes, varied missions, and a co-operative mode that changes the dynamic and that can be a lot of fun, is complimented by both elaborate multiplayer and the fun new Blitz mode. It even looks like 343i and Creative Assembly will continue to pump content into the game for years, and we certainly have a lot to look forward to in terms of additional content drops, including more story, cards, and tournaments.
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Haruspis
Halo Wars 2 is a really strong entry into the series. I think it does a good job of bridging the gap for people who want a simpler, more approachable and digestible story while retaining the interest of lore fans through the plentiful supply of Phoenix Logs. I've not touched the multiplayer yet, but it's clear that they've been mindful to appeal to the traditional RTS fan while also trying something new with Blitz mode – and I really hope that pays off upon release.

An argument could be made that this game feels a little too self-contained, it could definitely have made reference to its predecessor a little more at certain moments. It does end up feeling more like the first act, setting up a continuation, rather than a traditional kind of sequel. But that's not necessarily a bad thing because the set-up material is interesting enough to warrant a continuation.

Overall, I would say it's a definite net-positive. Even with its flaws, I am far more excited to see how the story of the Ark continues from here than I am for the stuff going on in the galaxy as of Halo 5. And that means something to me. It's been a damn long time since I've felt unenthused about the series the way I did after Halo 5, but Halo Wars 2's more contained, smaller-scale narrative has provided me with a considerable confidence and excitement boost for where this aspect of the series is going.
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COGConnected
As the franchise returns back to its old art style its rendition of the Ark (seen mostly in Halo 3) and its many Forerunner installations, as well as the almost ancient design of the marines and Spartans, is a welcome change of pace from Halo's 4 and 5. The vehicles and architecture of the Banished enemy faction are also superb and look appropriate for a group being controlled by the Brutes. Seeing the game in action is a sight to behold, especially in larger battles. All manner of debris and flailing bodies fly across the screen, and the vibration feedback feels utterly satisfying. If you ever get the chance, make sure to stock up on the Hellbringer forces that are equipped with flamethrowers. The sea of crackling red and orange inferno as they all focus their sights on a single target is incredibly gruesome.
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PCGamer
I played through a single campaign mission of Halo Wars 2, which wasn't enough time to get a feel for the story or how complex the campaign will be. I spent most of my time in the multiplayer, playing a 1v1 deathmatch, 2v2 Strongholds and Blitz Firefight against the AI. All three were fun, but I think deathmatch is where my heart lies: I love basebuilding too much to give it up, though in Blitz I was determined to set a new high score on the account I was playing on.

As you'd expect from The Creative Assembly's pedigree, Halo Wars 2 feels like a real PC RTS. Its basebuilding and tech trees are simpler than, say, Starcraft, but on the whole the game gives me a 90s Command & Conquer vibe. It's fast, flashy, and filled with fun unit abilities to juggle and use at the right moments.
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Brockstar Gaming
Because of strict embargo rules, I'm not allowed to go into to much detail on Halo Wars 2 but I do have a few thoughts I can share with you.
THE GOODS
-Controls are as smooth as butter. D-pad shortcuts are fantastic
-The Music. OMG The music is so good
-A surprisingly deep and well thought out story
-Cut-scenes are stunning
-Boss fights
-Excellent voice work
-Banter between units is highly entertaining
-Atriox is a great menacing villain
-Sizeable missions that feel large but never large enough that you are feel bored watching your troops walk into battle

THE BADS
-Some oddly ugly load screens that look like half-finished pieces of concept art
-Not much of a challenge on Normal Difficulty (Granted these are early missions)
-Quite a few bugs. Was forced to restart my Xbox multiple times during playing because of freezing.
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Will update as more come in

1486672789_halowars2.gif
 
V

VanCityGamer

Member
Wow, this game is out really soon. Doesn't seem to be getting much hype? By comparison to a rival exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn is getting all the attention. Maybe that's due to Halo Wars 2’s more niche genre?
 
O

Obliterator

Member
Looking really positive. I still can't believe this game is actually happening. I thought Halo Wars 2 was one of those games, like Alan Wake 2, that I was just never going to get to play.

Can't wait
 
S

SOR5

Member
VanCityGamer said:
Wow, this game is out really soon. Doesn't seem to be getting much hype? By comparison to a rival exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn is getting all the attention. Maybe that's due to Halo Wars 2’s more niche genre?
Click to expand...

This thread is about Halo Wars 2, not Horizon Zero Dawn
 
L

LegalEagleMike

Member
from PCGAMER

As you'd expect from The Creative Assembly's pedigree, Halo Wars 2 feels like a real PC RTS. Its basebuilding and tech trees are simpler than, say, Starcraft, but on the whole the game gives me a 90s Command & Conquer vibe. It's fast, flashy, and filled with fun unit abilities to juggle and use at the right moments.
Click to expand...


crying-man.gif
 
Hawk269

Hawk269

Member
Obliterator said:
Looking really positive. I still can't believe this game is actually happening. I thought Halo Wars 2 was one of those games, like Alan Wake 2, that I was just never going to get to play.

Can't wait
Click to expand...

This so much. When it was announced I almost feel out of my chair. I could not believe they were making a sequel especially after Ensemble Studios was shuttered. I enjoy a more "thinking" type of game these days and this game fits the bill. I played a lot of the original game on-line and it was such a blast.

Thanks to OP for gathering this information and making a thread for it! Much appreciated!
 
T

Toa TAK

Banned
Happy this is sounding good from the blurbs, but honestly, I'm just happy Halo Wars 2 is even a thing. Anxious for Friday.

Edit: looks like I'm not the only one that feels this way. Feels good.
 
B

boltz

Member
Good to hear the positive impressions. Here's hoping it injects some fresh energy back into the series and draws in new fans.
 
T

Tecnniqe

Banned
Hawk269 said:
This so much. When it was announced I almost feel out of my chair. I could not believe they were making a sequel especially after Ensemble Studios was shuttered. I enjoy a more "thinking" type of game these days and this game fits the bill. I played a lot of the original game on-line and it was such a blast.

Thanks to OP for gathering this information and making a thread for it! Much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Announced:
oh-yeah-gif.gif


PC version coming:
fckya.gif


Hawk269 said:
Are you making the official release thread?
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I am!

Spent about 3 hours today writing some story summary (oh good lord the lore nerds gonna kill me, RIP) and making some minor graphical stuff :)
 
M

Mookow

Member
I beat my first play through of Halo Wars 1 this weekend on PC, I'm ready for this. Halo + RTS is something I haven't had a lot of lately, so seeing positive feedback just excites me more.
 
R

RoKKeR

Member
Glad to hear initial impressions are positive... awesome that we are not only getting this game, but it might turn out to live up to the first one.
 
G

Gravemind IV

Member
Can't wait for this. I was sort of following it on the side, but not really on the hype train until last week (due to those adverts, of course).

I am so glad that CA decided to roll with the classic art style, it's actually quite funny to see how much of a difference that makes in terms of me associating something with classic Halo. I just haven't been able to adjust to some of the design choices in the more recent games.

Listening to the soundtrack at the moment. It's pretty damn good too.
 
Z

Zvonimir Boban

Banned
-The Music. OMG The music is so good
-A surprisingly deep and well thought out story
-Cut-scenes are stunning
-Boss fights
-Excellent voice work
-Banter between units is highly entertaining
-Atriox is a great menacing villain
Click to expand...

-Not much of a challenge on Normal Difficulty (Granted these are early missions)
Click to expand...

As someone who hasn't played RTS games since the OG Command & Conquer days, these points might convince me to buy it. Was worried about it being too hard for someone who isn't that familiar with the genre but it sounds like I should be able to handle it.
 
J

JlNX

Member
I'm glad to hear the story is looking good so far, the further praise about controls and mechanics relieves some worries I had. Listening to the soundtrack right now, I can safely say that this song will go down as one of the best Halo songs: https://soundcloud.com/343i/barren
 
Toa Axis

Toa Axis

Member
Very excited for this one. It feels great to be truly excited for something Halo related again. It's a feeling I haven't felt in quite a while. Very interested in seeing where the story will go, in particular.

Hope it sells well, too. I'd love to see more Halo spin-offs.
 
Cardon

Cardon

Member
My colleague who is reviewing it seems pretty happy so far. At first, he wasn't that into it, but the recent beta and getting his hands on the finished product has really turned his view around. So those looking for a thoroughly legit sci-fi RTS on the X1 are getting just that.
 
M

m23

Member
Obliterator said:
Looking really positive. I still can't believe this game is actually happening. I thought Halo Wars 2 was one of those games, like Alan Wake 2, that I was just never going to get to play.

Can't wait
Click to expand...

Same. This was a dream announcement for me.
 
T

Tecnniqe

Banned
Toa Axis said:
Very excited for this one. It feels great to be truly excited for something Halo related again. It's a feeling I haven't felt in quite a while. Very interested in seeing where the story will go, in particular.

Hope it sells well, too. I'd love to see more Halo spin-offs.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, the story will be interesting.

First game had a pretty good ending too.
 
A

AYF 001

Member
Glad to see this game getting more attention on GAF. Had a weekend long Halofest with a couple friends and I'm already waiting for 2P bro-op on Friday. Read Hunters in the Dark to make sure I don't miss any references either.
 
F

Forerunner

Member
Can'twait.gif

It has been so long since I played a good RTS and it's Halo on top of it. It can't get much better than that!
 
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