Many were surprised when Microsoft announced the sequel at Gamescom 2015. While the original game garnered a fair fan base, its developer Ensemble Studios closed down shortly after its release, which seemed to confirm that Halo Wars 2 wasn’t in the cards.
Fortunately, the talented team at Creative Assembly picked up the mantle, using skills acquired while developing the perennially popular Total War series. Now, we’re finally set to find out whether the only Halo game scheduled to release for the Xbox One in 2017 can cut the mustard. Here’s the early critical response to Halo Wars 2.
Polygon (Arthur Gies)
Score: 8/10
IGN (Dan Stapleton)
Score: Review in Progress
EGM (Ray Carsillo)
Score: 9/10
Hardcore Gamer (Kevin Dunsmore)
Score: 4/5
Destructoid (Chris Carter)
Score: 7/10
Critics seem to be rather enamoured with Halo Wars 2, even though it’s fair to say that certain elements of the game are divisive. The game’s plot — particularly its dialog — its criticized by many, but on the other hand, there’s plenty of praise for the game’s fearsome villain, Atriox.
The length of the campaign also seems be a sticking point for some, clocking in at twelve missions. Anyone who’s buying Halo Wars 2 for multiplayer won’t be too bothered, and the fact that the campaign features co-op support adds to its replayability, but single-player-centric gamers might be disappointed.
It’s also worth noting that many critics didn’t have time to test out the full extent of the game’s multiplayer, given that it’s not yet out in the wild with fully populated servers. Blitz mode looks set to be a compelling spin on competitive RTS gameplay, even if some players may shudder at its reliance on microtransactions.
Halo Wars 2 certainly seems like a treat for fans of the first game, and the franchise in general — even if there are some flaws. If nothing else, it’s good to see a console RTS that’s mechanically solid and fun to play.
Halo Wars 2 is scheduled to be released for Xbox One and PC on February 21, 2017.
