This Game isn't nearly as bad as everybody says

Games Halo Wars Series
1

Let me start right out the gate with an acknowledgement that the game -Yoinked!- all the -Yoink- right now with bug and general poor polish.

But that should be expected.

This is an actual Beta, as in the first playable version of the game with full textures. This isn’t a flashy server test, this a bugged to hell code test lacking 8 months of polish. Not all the units are in the beta, nor are all the factions.

However, its playable - Oh-ho-ho-oh do you need to jump through some -Yoinking!- hoops to get it to work (Which involves things like disconnecting your controller, and pressing B the moment it prompts you so it doesn’t freeze), and boy does it like to crash and stutter - but 70% of the time … it works.

Here’s what I don’t get - people complaining about the game not being like Halo Wars 1.

Its not a carbon copy, but its not too far from the mark either. Really, the biggest change was making tech level individual from base to base and dividing the resources into two different categories.

Other than that, it plays (when it works right) fairly similar to the the first one.

One thing I like is that they took the opportunity to use their expanded unit list to make each of the three a viable focus. Infantry can finally stand toe-to-toe with armor rushes using the right strats. Vehicles are viable even in early game, but tanks are late game units (where they belong). Warthogs take the role as mid-tier soft infantry counter. Air is more niche, and works well as a support path, especially with both sides having two flyers and a healing unit.

What makes it more interesting are the general unit upgrades that give units %15 Attack and Health buffs per purchase (up to level 3), This essentially rewards you for focusing on a single group while still leaving the door open for dual specializations in the form of better counters.

The Power Upgrade Tree gives you options to better suit your playstyle, and savy players will plan their upgrades to align with their strats.

Look, I’m not saying the game is perfect. Its got more bugs than fetid rotten log at this point, but if CA can put enough polish in the game, I think the gameplay, meta, and flow are pretty good.

2

Couldn’t agree more, this game certainly has its issues (looking at you, base designer) but it is a very early access beta which considering the amount of things that work, it’s actually pretty good and surprisingly balanced.
Im excited to see other gamemodes and maps which may play totally different to the singular one we are playing now.

3

> 2533274882881665;2:
> Couldn’t agree more, this game certainly has its issues (looking at you, base designer) but it is a very early access beta which considering the amount of things that work, it’s actually pretty good and surprisingly balanced.
> Im excited to see other gamemodes and maps which may play totally different to the singular one we are playing now.

If I had to voice a complain that I don’t feel is in here enough, its that I don’t think the two factions play very differently from each other. There are differences, but not entirely different experiences, and most of the strats I’ve come up with work universally with both sides.

I theorize that we’re missing some units, including leader specific units.

4

I wondered about that myself, new units and that.

In my mind the crew of The Spirit of Fire have all been in cryo - so it makes a lot of sense to me that units and abilities wouldn’t have changed all that much.

It’s not as if there was a Huragok floating round the ship for years tinkering with everything Tony Stark style.

5

I think its just a case of people need to get used to the new play mechanics of Halo wars 2 and actually understand that it is a Beta.

6

> 2533274904245048;5:
> I think its just a case of people need to get used to the new play mechanics of Halo wars 2 and actually understand that it is a Beta.

This is pretty spot on

7

Ya, The more I played and understood how it works, it grew on me, but, something I did learn is that the spam of one vehicle is hard to beat, mainly that of vultures, if the enemy has more then 6 of them, your done for.

8

> 2535429756019039;7:
> Ya, The more I played and understood how it works, it grew on me, but, something I did learn is that the spam of one vehicle is hard to beat, mainly that of vultures, if the enemy has more then 6 of them, your done for.

If you can manage to get some wolverines those vultures don’t stand a chance.

9

What I have noticed is that the higher the rank people say they were in halo wars 1 the more they are opposed to change.I think it’s a case of fright and confusion.They outright hate the control scheme even though it makes sense and they don’t like that you can’t use the same tactics.There also is a placebo effect among people regarding the graphics.The graphics are just as cartoony as the original but now with more detail and colour than before.

The halo community is very weird.They never seem to be able to accept change.I think that concerning halo wars they just have the idea that the sequel would be exactly like the original.They had this drilled into themselves so much that they look past how this sequel has only introduced positive changes.

  • Variety - More strategy - Better gameplay - New features - Updated graphics And the most important one:

  • Change, but still staying very close to the original.