The first Halo Wars is an exercise in accessibility. Developer Ensemble Studios set out to make a real-time strategy game for Halo fans, complete with the universe�s iconic worlds and a streamlined console control scheme. In that respect, the developer succeeded. But Halo Wars wasn�t the deepest title from a strategy standpoint. Its basic rock-paper-scissor structure emphasized spectacle and basic tactics over flanking maneuvers or unit positioning. With Halo Wars 2, though, developer Creative Assembly is trying to expand the franchise�s reach. �This time, we want to make an RTS for everybody,� creative lead Alistair Hope said after a demo at E3 2016. �It�s absolutely for Halo fans. But if you�re into great RTS games, this is for you as well. Wherever you�re coming from, there�s something here for you.� One of the first notable things about Halo Wars 2 is its presence on PC�its predecessor only ever graced Xbox 360. And after 15 minutes with the sequel on each platform, I can say the addition of PC is welcome. Using a mouse to navigate the game world and a keyboard to form groups between your disparate units is an RTS staple that doesn�t make a fluid transition to controllers. Simply having the option is a welcome change to the Halo Wars formula.
Even on Xbox One, though, Halo Wars 2 displays a certain flow. For the purposes of my demo, Creative Assembly gave us infinite resources and unlocked every unit from the outset. While this didn�t give me an overarching idea of how the economy will work, or the process it takes to unlock new structures and units, it did show me how Halo Wars 2�s armies function at their best: hero units in Mjolnir armor firing Spartan lasers at airborn Covenant Banshees; heavily outfitted Pelicans launching missiles into the alien ranks; and Kodiac tanks pummelling enemy Wraiths from afar.
