The first venture for the Halo series outside of the FPS genre is an RTS that doesn't stay true to it's form. Unlike most RTS games, Halo Wars takes the basic RTS principles and dilutes the very nature of it's traditional structure. Where most RTS games give you the option to micro manage and expand your base as you wish, HW gives you premolded bases and forces you to macro manage. Where old style RTS's are a scalpel, Halo Wars is a broadsword, and it's the most fun I've had with an RTS on a console in a long time.
The best part of HW is the design of the missions. Not one of the 15 missions of Halo Wars feels too belabored or overly intricate. All optional objectives are straight to the point, players won't feel like they'll be sacrificing primary objectives to fully complete missions. Granted advanced players with a clear schedule may be able to beat this game in a day, Halo Wars promotes a healthy challenge for the causal gamer. And when you've beaten the game, collected all of the black boxes & skulls; you'll have more to do. As the remaining black boxes will be unlocked as you win skirmishes on the maps that shipped with the game; which will eventually unlock more of the Halo Timeline. Add that to trying to beat this game on "Legendary" and this game will have you playing for awhile.
Online HW takes quite a bit from it's cousin Halo 3. Ranks and the TrueSkill ratings are similar to the model that has been honed from Halo 2. Though I'm not a big fan of "superpowers," Halo Wars' balance is derivative of the rock-paper-scissors format. It would seem initially that standard rush and counter-rush tactics are balanced enough that, other stratagems may be the key to winning a skirmish. As I so humbly learned the first time I rushed a competitors base. Plainly put, the game will offer more to those who play in 3v3 matches as opposed to 1v1 matches.
SPOILER ALERT
All in all, Halo Wars is a healthy update to the franchise. Fans of the book will also enjoy some of the parallels that originate from the Halo literature such as the Dyson sphere that The Spirit of Fire ends up in halfway through the game. A common thread that the big wigs behind the Halo franchise wanted weaved into Nylund's Ghosts of Onyx, and the legendary ending of Halo 3. Additionally, a new cast of characters have not only been included to the cannon, but their phyrric victory inside the shield world has left them as a loose end which we can only assume will be further developed in a follow up game. At the end of the day Halo Wars can only be considered a microcosm in the machine that is the Halo Universe, we'll just have to wait to see if Capt. Cutter and The Spirit of Fire spill over to share the spotlight that is UNSC Code Sierra 117.
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