Pros

Cons

Bottom Line

"Halo Wars is pretty close to the Goldilocks porridge of RTS games: not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Hardcore fanatics who watched the genre evolve from Dune II on up will probably find it a little too light, but I am impressed with how well it handles RTS management. The gamepad is still no replacement for a keyboard and mouse, but the game does a reasonably good job of letting you manage your troops. And if you look at the game as a strategy adaptation of Halo, it's spot on, with all the vehicles, enemies and concepts you shot at as Master Chief in the three shooters. Also, it handles story much better than then the shooters, with elaborate cutscenes that explain the story with every step and every mission. Speaking of missions, Halo Wars is worth playing for clever mission design alone: managing your forces while a Halo beam sweeps the battlefield is one of many cool challenges. What a pity it's Ensemble Studios' final game. There's a studio taken before its time."

Jason's Score:

8.5