Everything different, and wrong, with HW2

Games Halo Wars Series
1

Okay so after playing the Blitz beta, although only a small part of the game, there are many things that have been bugging me.
I understand people have addressed these in various posts but I just felt like posting a larger one with the intention of, hopefully, every HW1 fan understanding my viewpoint.

What I loved about HW1 was the nitty, gritty backstory and combat of the Halo universe. Regardless of animation detail, (I don’t care how much 343 add to it), the very fact that even the main menu screen showed cutscreens of both marines and elites being butchered was extremely moving. HW1 was, very much so, a war. Captain Cutter was an experienced man putting everything on the line for humanity. The Spartans were an elite combat force but not an overpowered unit. Professor Anders was, simply, a researcher. Forge literally sacrificed himself. The Prophet and the Arbiter have their very rightful place in conquest and prophecy fulfilling quests and the Chieftain was an absolute monster on the field. So many things made it a game that made it worth ‘fighting’ for.

Now, with HW2… It just seems gimmicky. Have you heard Anders talk? She’s suddenly full of sass. Why are we even the commander now? I always loved the fact we were playing as the leader we chose but now, we’re some commander in charge of our corresponding character. Here’s a list of everything I don’t like in short:

-Cutter appears younger and has the voice of the spartans in HW1. He absolutely is not the same veteran Cutter we originally knew.
-Anders now has sass ; she used to be a woman of respect and professionalism. Now she’s almost a stuck-up teenager.
-Spartans are now this ridiculous demi-super unit? I do like how they kept the same Spartans involved but I’m willing to back down on this one as this is just from Blitz.
-Correct me if wrong but, no “all units” button??? Or fast glide? No flares?
-Main menu, if beta menu is the same as the game, is gimmicky and all units feel lego-like. Colour palette is childish.
-where on earth is Serena? Who is Isabel? Story probably a huge part so willing to ignore.
-Why is Forge still alive as a playable character? This destroys everything HW1 stood for.

Things I do like, however:

-Brute leaders seem pretty realistic; Atriox and Demicus very respectable leaders.
-Animation is fluid and units e.g. Wraiths, ODSTs are a bit more intimidating and even Pelican/Condro inclusion is a nice touch.
-Extra unit diversity. Especially the artillery inclusion; HW1 did lack some diversity. I like how Locusts are a bit more versatile.

I don’t really know what else to put. Maybe this post seems a bit ‘ranty’ but I just wanted to get out this frustration of, well, HW2 doesn’t seem to be presented as a serious warfare game. It just seems like it’s going to be a generic strategy game. HW1 added so much dirt to the Halo Universe which the trilogy didn’t provide and I’d love HW2 to add the same. Maybe I’m just out of touch with the latest Halo games? Maybe I’m just expecting too much. But in all…

Halo Wars is for the people who want to embrace the true warfare of the epic Halo universe.

Feedback appreciated…!

2

Haven’t played the first Halo Wars but…
There is an all units button. On Xbox you double tap the local units button.
Forge is going to be a DLC character, but I assume multiplayer only, not story.
Spartans upgraded their armor.
Fun fact: Locusts are driven by Grunts.

So do you think the dialogue the units say is similar to the first game?

3

> 2533274831832297;1:
> Okay so after playing the Blitz beta, although only a small part of the game, there are many things that have been bugging me.
> I understand people have addressed these in various posts but I just felt like posting a larger one with the intention of, hopefully, every HW1 fan understanding my viewpoint.
>
> What I loved about HW1 was the nitty, gritty backstory and combat of the Halo universe. Regardless of animation detail, (I don’t care how much 343 add to it), the very fact that even the main menu screen showed cutscreens of both marines and elites being butchered was extremely moving. HW1 was, very much so, a war. Captain Cutter was an experienced man putting everything on the line for humanity. The Spartans were an elite combat force but not an overpowered unit. Professor Anders was, simply, a researcher. Forge literally sacrificed himself. The Prophet and the Arbiter have their very rightful place in conquest and prophecy fulfilling quests and the Chieftain was an absolute monster on the field. So many things made it a game that made it worth ‘fighting’ for.
>
> Now, with HW2… It just seems gimmicky. Have you heard Anders talk? She’s suddenly full of sass. Why are we even the commander now? I always loved the fact we were playing as the leader we chose but now, we’re some commander in charge of our corresponding character. Here’s a list of everything I don’t like in short:
>
> -Cutter appears younger and has the voice of the spartans in HW1. He absolutely is not the same veteran Cutter we originally knew.
> -Anders now has sass ; she used to be a woman of respect and professionalism. Now she’s almost a stuck-up teenager.
> -Spartans are now this ridiculous demi-super unit? I do like how they kept the same Spartans involved but I’m willing to back down on this one as this is just from Blitz.
> -Correct me if wrong but, no “all units” button??? Or fast glide? No flares?
> -Main menu, if beta menu is the same as the game, is gimmicky and all units feel lego-like. Colour palette is childish.
> -where on earth is Serena? Who is Isabel? Story probably a huge part so willing to ignore.
> -Why is Forge still alive as a playable character? This destroys everything HW1 stood for.
>
> Things I do like, however:
>
> -Brute leaders seem pretty realistic; Atriox and Demicus very respectable leaders.
> -Animation is fluid and units e.g. Wraiths, ODSTs are a bit more intimidating and even Pelican/Condro inclusion is a nice touch.
> -Extra unit diversity. Especially the artillery inclusion; HW1 did lack some diversity. I like how Locusts are a bit more versatile.
>
> I don’t really know what else to put. Maybe this post seems a bit ‘ranty’ but I just wanted to get out this frustration of, well, HW2 doesn’t seem to be presented as a serious warfare game. It just seems like it’s going to be a generic strategy game. HW1 added so much dirt to the Halo Universe which the trilogy didn’t provide and I’d love HW2 to add the same. Maybe I’m just out of touch with the latest Halo games? Maybe I’m just expecting too much. But in all…
>
> Halo Wars is for the people who want to embrace the true warfare of the epic Halo universe.
>
> Feedback appreciated…!

They probably made the choice to make us a commander to get more opportunity for the voice-actors.

  • Both Cutter and Anders have gotten new voice-actors, as well as mo-cop actors.
  • Anders tends to vary. I assume she’s a bit more professional where it matters; the story. She wasn’t without sass in the original Halo Wars, either.
  • Makes sense to me. Spartans are meant to be exactly that.
  • All Unit exists. I managed to find it on the PC keyboard(Q is local units, E is all units), can’t find it on controller. I notice some abilities are missing from some units, I assume this is because of certain unit upgrades missing. (I think in Blitz they implemented upgrades as part of your cards having levels that increase.)
  • The main menu seems to use a photography method called “Tilt-Shift” to make the background look like models or dioramas. Fitting, I must admit.
  • Serena reached her 7 years of service and ‘initiated final dispensation’(this was assumed, but later confirmed in a short-story in Halo: Tales From Slipspace) - also known as terminated her program, while Isabel is a civilian AI that the crew find in one of the abandoned Human research outposts on the Ark. This isn’t a spoiler, they talk about this in some vidocs and trailers.
  • Forge isn’t alive. His Warthog is still in use, since the crew of the Spirit of Fire will need everything they can get; Forge’s warthog was implemented into the game as a memorial/homage.
4

all units - RB double click

5

Real quick, double tap RB to select all units. Annoying at first as I used to spam RB while adjusting the screen in HW1 to ensure I got every unit on screen. The quick glide is LB.

Everything else is subject to personal opinions.

Personally, I’m really excited for it. The new voice actors and actresses will take some getting used to, true. But after seeing how they have built up Atriox, I think they’ll do great in the story mode.

The big kicker though, is the game feels like an upgraded HW1, which is what I wanted.

but again, this is my personal opinion.

6

> 2535442569875751;2:
> So do you think the dialogue the units say is similar to the first game?

The new warthog lines do make me laugh.

> 2533274974033696;3:
> - Anders tends to vary. I assume she’s a bit more professional where it matters; the story. She wasn’t without sass in the original Halo Wars, either.
> - Makes sense to me. Spartans are meant to be exactly that.
> - The main menu seems to use a photography method called “Tilt-Shift” to make the background look like models or dioramas. Fitting, I must admit.
> - Forge isn’t alive. His Warthog is still in use, since the crew of the Spirit of Fire will need everything they can get; Forge’s warthog was implemented into the game as a memorial/homage.

Yeah I figured I was missing out on some story info so I’ll let that slide. Same with the Forge concept.
I do think Anders seems a bit more ‘edgy’ than normal though, judging by her victory/intro lines.
Personally, I always saw the Spartans as a tactical advantage not as an uber unit. But I suppose they are meant to be the UNSC’s ultima weapons.

Either way, after seeing what you’ve posted, it has made me a bit more optimistic about the game. I’ll ignore Blitz for now because I think it seems silly and well, I’ll just pray it all turns out great. Fingers crossed!

Still not a fan of the main menu screen though. Might just be for the beta but yeah, I hope release has a bit more of a dramatic background.

7

Not bad at all. and anders was always snooty.

8

How about looking at the controls. Everything is there

9

> 2533274895787994;8:
> How about looking at the controls. Everything is there

I mean, I did say that was only one thing. It’s already been pointed out. Thank you though lol.

10

> 2533274831832297;1:
> Okay so after playing the Blitz beta, although only a small part of the game, there are many things that have been bugging me.
> I understand people have addressed these in various posts but I just felt like posting a larger one with the intention of, hopefully, every HW1 fan understanding my viewpoint.
>
> What I loved about HW1 was the nitty, gritty backstory and combat of the Halo universe. Regardless of animation detail, (I don’t care how much 343 add to it), the very fact that even the main menu screen showed cutscreens of both marines and elites being butchered was extremely moving. HW1 was, very much so, a war. Captain Cutter was an experienced man putting everything on the line for humanity. The Spartans were an elite combat force but not an overpowered unit. Professor Anders was, simply, a researcher. Forge literally sacrificed himself. The Prophet and the Arbiter have their very rightful place in conquest and prophecy fulfilling quests and the Chieftain was an absolute monster on the field. So many things made it a game that made it worth ‘fighting’ for.
>
> Now, with HW2… It just seems gimmicky. Have you heard Anders talk? She’s suddenly full of sass. Why are we even the commander now? I always loved the fact we were playing as the leader we chose but now, we’re some commander in charge of our corresponding character. Here’s a list of everything I don’t like in short:
>
> -Cutter appears younger and has the voice of the spartans in HW1. He absolutely is not the same veteran Cutter we originally knew.
> -Anders now has sass ; she used to be a woman of respect and professionalism. Now she’s almost a stuck-up teenager.
> -Spartans are now this ridiculous demi-super unit? I do like how they kept the same Spartans involved but I’m willing to back down on this one as this is just from Blitz.
> -Correct me if wrong but, no “all units” button??? Or fast glide? No flares?
> -Main menu, if beta menu is the same as the game, is gimmicky and all units feel lego-like. Colour palette is childish.
> -where on earth is Serena? Who is Isabel? Story probably a huge part so willing to ignore.
> -Why is Forge still alive as a playable character? This destroys everything HW1 stood for.
>
> Things I do like, however:
>
> -Brute leaders seem pretty realistic; Atriox and Demicus very respectable leaders.
> -Animation is fluid and units e.g. Wraiths, ODSTs are a bit more intimidating and even Pelican/Condro inclusion is a nice touch.
> -Extra unit diversity. Especially the artillery inclusion; HW1 did lack some diversity. I like how Locusts are a bit more versatile.
>
> I don’t really know what else to put. Maybe this post seems a bit ‘ranty’ but I just wanted to get out this frustration of, well, HW2 doesn’t seem to be presented as a serious warfare game. It just seems like it’s going to be a generic strategy game. HW1 added so much dirt to the Halo Universe which the trilogy didn’t provide and I’d love HW2 to add the same. Maybe I’m just out of touch with the latest Halo games? Maybe I’m just expecting too much. But in all…
>
> Halo Wars is for the people who want to embrace the true warfare of the epic Halo universe.
>
> Feedback appreciated…!

This is just nitpicky, literally just your own opinions. Your own very specific opinions.

11

Ok hang on. I’m all for being somewhat disappointed with this game (Was during the first beta, still kinda am but less so) but there’s a few things that you have to take into account. Touching on your list:
Professor Anders had about as much sass back in the first game as she does now. Can’t go too much off what is in the game currently, we only have that cutscene and her in-game announcements, intros, outros and her new appearance but I guess we’re going to just have to accept she and Cutter are a little different. Honestly, I can’t stand when they don’t get the same VA’s but their new looks i’m ok with and they aren’t as different as you say. (Go watch her cutscenes with Serena or Forge)
The new spartans are kinda taking over for PoR, Arbiter and BC. They could almost take on whole armies themselves if you recall. And MC himself singlehandled takes out scarabs IN-GAME AS YOU CONTROL HIM. Jerome and company are cut from pretty much the same cloth.
Something is up with the flares. Been playing the PC version and there’s definitely kinks to still work out. PC version does have Local and All units buttons.
This is one thing I do dislike. The overall aesthetics don’t look all that Halo-like. Reminds me a bit of Halo 4.
Can’t say for sure yet. I honestly hope 1. They get the VA from before again and 2. they include her as one of Cortana’s created.
Honestly, this shouldn’t get you this upset. Retcons happen. Remember in Halo CE when they said that Johnson didn’t die even though it looked like he did in the Legendary clip? For all we know they could make up some BS that Forge found a forerunner ship just in the nick of time and got out too. Besides, his inclusion could very well be non-canonical. It’s like in Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds (Age of Empires clone set in Star Wars) where you could have matches with the Republic against the Empire even though they’re the same organization just at different times in the plot. I don’t think HW2 can satisfy my expectations for a HW sequel, not with all the things i’ve outlined in a past post (which is more artistic in nature anyway) but I’m probably still gonna buy it.

12

Honestly, most things are better in this game… Yes still can’t get over why they made Cutter younger (cryo-sleep reverses aging? O.o) and Anders looks too different. Felt like they just kept the names and the history but changed the actors.
As far as gameplay goes… There are just generally more strategic options as to what to do… I kind of preferred it in the first game where you only need to decide between some many options. It was just, simpler. But of course, that kind of lacked depth. Complexity is not an entirely bad thing.
Biggest problem with this game right now, on the console at least is the controls still feels a bit clunky… not as well-thought out as the first one. When you selected multiple units and tries to cycle through different types, there is a long delay till the game reacts to that and puts the icon effect on the type. This could have catastrophic results in fights (pulling your tanks out and sticking your engineers in… rip). Don’t know if they have worked on the building and training menu any further… Honestly, I preferred when they had a sound effect for everything. It just feels more reassuring that my orders have been given and the game is going to work on it. And this could just be me but, where is the fast map scrolling button?.. like the LT in the first game? I need that to see everything that is going on, last event / unit / base is just not good enough, especially in Blitz where everything is more fast-paced.
And also, the way you get cards for Blitz is absurd. Basing everything off RNG means there will be someone who will not have access to certain cards! This might change when the game releases. But, they should ensure that every pack contains at least 1 card that you do not previously own, if you do not own all cards. After seeing the ‘stores’ tab in cards, I felt sick… This game does not need micro-transaction, especially if you can just put in a fix as simple as that, to cope with the RNG… If you want more money, work for it. Don’t put in RNG grinds as a lazy approach. Make good skins or cosmetic packs, emblems, etc… Just look at League of Legends and the amount of money people put down for that Hextech skin. I don’t know how balanced everything will be at release. But, if someone couldn’t possible win a match just because they do not own such and such card because of RNG or haven’t grinded hard enough. Then there is something wrong with this PAID game. This isn’t free to play and sure as hell shouldn’t be pay to win.
Other than that, great job on the most parts. XD