Halo Wars 2 Reviews
There is plenty of fun to be had, but in the end Halo Wars 2 feels like just another decent game from a popular franchise.
A diet RTS, but still the best one on console
Halo Wars 2 is familiar but different in all of the right ways. A short, robust campaign, rich with genuinely effective character performances and a compelling (though far too absent) villain is complemented by a multiplayer facet that is far better off on the back of a daring deck-building venture.
Halo Wars 2 is an RTS for the layman. Easy-to-learn mechanics and basic micromanagement keep the game interesting and engaging, but it lacks the strategic depth to keep hardcore RTS fans invested for long.
Halo Wars 2 both illustrates the problems traditional RTS titles have on console, and demonstrates how to overcome them with its excellent Blitz mode.
Halo Wars 2 suffers a little from its console limitations, but it’s a solid RTS with a strong campaign and a good overall feel for the Halo universe. After a slow start the mission design grows much more interesting and while there’s little here you won’t have seen in a StarCraft, it’s all handled with variety, pace and drama. There’s potential too in the multiplayer modes, particularly Blitz with its unique hybrid style. It might not be the Halo sequel that you asked for, but it’s a fine one to be getting on with.
Halo Wars 2 might be a bit shallow compared to Starcraft 2, but as a strategy game on console it works really well. The controls are easy to understand, it’s action packed and the world is fantastic. For console players looking for a strategy game, Halo Wars 2 is an easy choice.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Halo Wars didn't rewrite the RTS playbook, and Halo Wars 2 is unlikely to bring on many converts who weren't convinced by the first attempt. In many ways this is an iterative sequel, with new units and balance, and a handful of additions. The campaign is well-made and the multiplayer shines thanks largely to Blitz Mode. It's a streamlined take on a genre that has faded even more in recent years, but in its own way, Halo Wars 2 is still carrying the flame.
If you're craving an RTS on a console, or perhaps aren't particularly well-versed in the genre, Halo Wars 2 has you covered. It doesn't offer much that other games in the same space have given us over the past 10 years, but it's polished and fun to play.
Halo Wars 2 will scratch a real-time strategy itch and give you a dose of Halo-Universe flavor with a decent story, but it won't go much deeper than that. A run-of-the-mill campaign, controls that hamper micromanagement, conspicuous bugs, and multiplayer that relies on luck limit its long-term appeal, but its fast and flashy action makes it fun for a while.
Halo Wars 2 doesn't break any new ground, and won't soon overtake the leaders of the genre, but it offers plenty for gamers who seek a refined console-focused RTS and another joyous trip into the Halo universe.
Creative Assembly and 343 Industries should be proud of their work here. Halo Wars 2 isn’t perfect, and it’s not likely to win over tons of new RTS fans. But for fans of the game-starved genre (which is admittedly seeing a resurgence of sorts), Halo Wars 2 is a bright spot. It’s a little shallow, a little greedy with Blitz cards, and a little short in the campaign. But it’s a good game overall, and one I’d gladly play more of in the future. Keep it up, CA and 343i.
Captivating, yet not without its issues
At the end of the day, Halo Wars 2 is still a highly recommendable title — in fact, likely one of the best RTS games that can be found on the current generation. However, accessibility on consoles came with a price to both controls and gameplay in both campaign and multiplayer modes. But don’t let that stop fans of the series or newcoming gamers to the genre enjoy the game — you are assured to have a blast.
Halo Wars 2 is an ideal strategy game for beginners. There's little doubting that the action is solid and it looks fantastic, but other strange choices mar what would be a great title. From downright bad writing, to the inclusion of pay to win microtransactions in a premium game, there are some absolutely perplexing decisions.
Halo Wars 2 makes stepping into battle in the RTS arena invigorating, and its simplicity, satisfying.
Halo Wars 2 is an ambitious game that delivers easily understandable RTS gameplay in an immersive way.
Halo Wars 2 fills the niche for a console-accessible real-time strategy game admirably.
Halo Wars 2's story is engrossing and the battles are fun, but the mission design follows a predictable pattern