Like its predecessor, Halo Wars 2 combines the lore, character and artistry of the main Halo series with the methodical gameplay of a real-time strategy outing like StarCraft or Warcraft III. Unlike its predecessor, Halo Wars 2 is real close to feeling like the best of both worlds.
The main thing that's kept Halo around for so long is its impeccable first person combat mechanics, and so Halo Wars is a difficult ask: take everything that makes Halo great, but then switch the entire gameplay system out for something more resembling Age of Empires. The result is hands down the best RTS on consoles, and probably the best Halo game on PC, even though you might argue there's not much competition in either case.
![Atriox and his Banished are a much more interesting alien force than the traditional Covenant.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170722193521im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/c/6/7/w/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gugkte.png/1487553411365.jpg)
On the Halo side, that sense of epic space drama is certainly there. The music is spine-tingling and amongst the best Halo has to offer. The cinematics (provided by Blur studio) and world-building are engrossing. The setting — a tropical construct known as The Ark — is stunning to look at and the units — both the chatty UNSC soldiers and fearsome Banished beasts — feel more like people and less like nameless grunts.
The mode of play might be very different, but this is very recognisable Halo.
![Hero units, like the UNSC's Spartans, add a bit of an adventure game feel during the campaign.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170722193521im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/g/o/g/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gugkte.png/1487553411365.jpg)
The campaign mode is where most players will start, and where the game exists at its most Halo-ish. Taking place concurrently with the latest entry in the shooter franchise, Halo Wars 2 expertly side-steps the mess of Halo 5 by picking up the narrative of The Spirit of Fire and its captain James Cutter.
Waking from cryonic sleep after 28 years, the crew have no knowledge of the events seen in the main series of games. Pitting Cutter's out-dated and old-fashioned crew against a much stronger army of alien deserters, it's a great Halo story and a smart way to learn the game.
Like the previous game, campaign missions vacillate between explorations — which put you in control of a small amount of units and ramp up the narrative and action — and strategic scenarios which play out like small-scale versions of the competitive game.
The intimidating Atriox and his legions make for great enemies — with his inner circle providing several cool boss battles — and the tiny representations of familiar bad guys like elites and grunts are among the most detailed and well-animated I've seen in an RTS. But despite this — and despite the effort and voice acting put into making the heroes and human troops as relatable as they are in the main series — the top-down perspective and strategy gameplay always has you feeling a step removed.
![Ground units, air units and vehicles all have their strengths and weaknesses in battle.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170722193521im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/g/o/g/g/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gugkte.png/1487553411365.jpg)
It feels like Halo at about 80 per cent strength, and the same is actually true about the RTS game mechanics, which are engaging but noticeably restrained.
The resource management and outpost-building is solid and has an enjoyable (if merely aesthetic) Halo slant, as all your requested buildings and supplies are visibly flown down from orbit and stacked like Lego blocks before assembling themselves into useful structures.
![Advanced tactics are a must to succeed. For instance fire-spewing hellbringers are strong against infantry but very ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170722193521im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/g/o/g/h/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gugkte.png/1487553411365.jpg)
The leader-based abilities and trio of rock-paper-scissors unit types return from the previous game, making for a system that's easy to understand but requires a lot of strategy to deploy effectively.
Not only does each unit have its own strengths and weaknesses that will define how you use them in battle, but units will grow in power and rank up as they see more and more battle. This means a leader who uses his units wisely will have a more experienced and powerful force than one that constantly churns out soldiers and sends them on suicide missions.
![The cinematics, by Blur, are gorgeous as always.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170722193521im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/g/o/g/i/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gugkte.png/1487553411365.jpg)
The biggest change since the last game is in control. Launching simultaneously on console and PC (and if you buy one digitally, you get both), Halo Wars 2 offers a choice between the direct control of a gamepad and the more complex control of a mouse and keyboard.
In theory this means PC RTS fans keen to jump into the various multiplayer modes will be just as comfortable here as Halo series fans on console, who might be in it primarily for the campaign mode (which can also be played two-player). In reality, it's clear that genre mainstay Creative Assembly has deftly crafted an RTS game that sits somewhere between the worlds of consoles and PC, but it's also clear that both worlds have to stretch a little to accommodate.
![Multiplayer matches can be chaotic.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170722193521im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/g/o/g/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gugkte.png/1487553411365.jpg)
While both versions are functionally identical, on console the advanced controls are a bit clumsy and require a lot of memorisation, and I often found myself focusing on driving a small team of units around instead of focusing on the big picture.
Things are sort of reversed on PC: micro-managing becomes much easier and getting your production line and rows of soldiers in order requires just a few swishes of the mouse, but some of the campaign mode can feel a bit vapid. Consequently I enjoyed the characterisation and production values more on Xbox, but I struggled less managing my troops effectively on PC.
![Blitz mode is an interesting diversion, but you'll need to get lucky (or have deep pockets) to get all the cards you ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20170722193521im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/g/o/g/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gugkte.png/1487553411365.jpg)
Competitive multiplayer, therefore, feels very different depending on the platform you're on. Reaction times are much slower if you have a controller in your hands, as scrolling around the map and selecting specific units is cumbersome (especially early on when you haven't learned the wealth of button shortcuts). On PC, long-time fans of RTS warfare will feel right at home.
A new multiplayer mode, called Blitz, joins the fray this time. Following the lead of Halo 5's excellent multiplayer it puts a modern, accessible twist on a tried and true competitive genre, replacing the more complicated aspects of warfare with a kind of collectible card game.
It's a fun diversion, especially for playing with friends or if you'd prefer to skip the part of the game where you have to painstakingly build your army, but it's not without its flaws. Using cards you've accumulated randomly by playing through the game (or, more troublingly, purchased with real money), means players are often not on an even playing field.
In all, Halo Wars 2 does a much better job than its predecessor of marrying the world of Halo with the real-time warfare of classic PC games. It's not the best example of a Halo game or the greatest RTS ever made, but each of those two elements make for some interesting and unique influences on the other.
Halo Wars 2 is out for Xbox One (reviewed) and Windows 10 on Tuesday February 21.
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