Last year Microsoft tried to bring some spice into the life of their mobile division by releasing a brand new Halo experience exclusively to Windows mobile devices. You wouldn’t say it took the world by storm and with Microsoft still lagging in the mobile world it is no surprise that Halo: Spartan Assault has now been released on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. But is it really a Halo title?
I’ve been a massive fan of the Halo single player franchise and even really enjoyed the Halo Wars spin off but the multiplayer aspect has never really grabbed me as much. So I have to say I was really looking forward to experiencing more of the Halo story when I started this game up.
The game is set between the events of Halo 3 and 4 and you alternate between playing as Spartan Palmer and Spartan Davis as you try clear the planet Draetheus V of the evil Covenant and the ever despicable Flood.
Before entering a stage you are given a static screen showing your placement on the current world and a wall of text trying to tell you a story. I say trying because this is nothing like the immersive experience that Halo campaigns have always been and you can quite easily see it was made to be small and nimble for tablet users. If they had just upgraded these sections with some movies the experience would have been far more interesting.
You are then faced with a screen showing you your default load out for that stage. No it doesn’t matter what you finished the last stage with your weapons are reset and you can then go in and buy more weapons using in game currency. The in game currency does seem to build relatively fast but yes there is a way to purchase a lot more of it if you want to really stock up on weapons.
Then you can choose to load two skulls. Skulls in Halo are game modifiers and will change the game in various ways including things like no explosions, less health, no regeneration etc. It’s a nice idea and does give the game a lot of longevity for those people who really enjoy the game.
But I hate to say I don’t expect that to be that many people.
The game is played from a top down perspective where you move your Spartan around with the left stick, target with the right and use the right trigger to fire. You can also swap weapons (can only carry 2 at a time as is usual with Halo) with the Y button and then throw grenades and use equipment with the Left Trigger and Left Button respectively.
So all pretty standard but as you start you will soon notice that your once deadly Spartan is nothing more than a storm trooper in fancy armour. Aiming is incredibly difficult and you will just end up spraying the stage with bullets in the hope that you hit something enough to die.
You can also take an incredible amount of damage before your shield is down and there is tons of extra ammo and spare weapons dotted all over the place. In the end I was walking straight through most stages and only using any sort of tactics when I got ambushed and they managed to get my health down.
The amount of weapons and vehicles matches what you expect in the parent games and their effectiveness is pretty similar as well. You can also hijack vehicles in Spartan Assault but unlike in Halo this is ludicrously easy which means if the enemy brings out vehicles the game becomes even easier.
The missions are varied enough and there are some nice ideas where you need to use the enemy to breach walls for you, plus a few other little gameplay gimmicks.
The game is gorgeous, the maps are nicely detailed and you can see a lot of attention was paid trying to recapture that Halo feel with bright colours, decaying modern architecture and alien plant life. It’s just a pity that the developers didn’t spend some more time tweaking the controls for the console release.
In the end the game isn’t bad but unfortunately I just found it a little boring and that to me is one of the worst things a game could be. This is however a game that could be patched to perfection. If we had more accurate controls, better AI and some in-game movies to immerse us into the experience think it could easily bump itself up by a point or two.
Last Updated: February 14, 2014
| Halo: Spartan Assault | |
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In the end the game isn’t bad but unfortunately I just found it a little boring and that to me is one of the worst things a game could be.
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| Halo: Spartan Assault was reviewed on Xbox 360 | |
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51 /
100
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General JJ the ashamed
February 14, 2014 at 12:06
I think a decent Halo strategy game could work. It has the potential.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
February 14, 2014 at 12:06
Halo Wars on the Xbox 360 is actually a decent game.
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:07
I didn’t enjoy it… so sold it 😛
General JJ the ashamed
February 14, 2014 at 12:08
Never seen or heard of it. Tbh. Haven’t spent much time on 360’s and when I did it was usually on Forza.
Gavin Mannion
February 14, 2014 at 12:10
Yeah I enjoyed Halo Wars
http://www.kalahari.com/Games/Halo-Wars-Classics_p_40089635
Not the very best strategy game but pretty solid for a console strategy
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 14, 2014 at 12:11
Pimping Kalahari again eh Gav?
Gavin Mannion
February 14, 2014 at 12:14
nope that’s a normal link… also the commissin on R180 is like R0.50 I think 🙂
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 14, 2014 at 12:19
Lolz
RinceandLeSIGH
February 14, 2014 at 12:21
That’s like Darryn’s monthly cheque isn’t it? 😛
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 14, 2014 at 12:23
I think he gets paid in batman goodies…
General JJ the ashamed
February 14, 2014 at 12:24
Plastic batterangs?
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:25
Plastic’s too expensive
General JJ the ashamed
February 14, 2014 at 12:25
I don’t think polystyrene will be very effective though.
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 14, 2014 at 12:31
lol, since they are spelled batarangs, I read “batterangs” as things to batter Darryn with, and lolled even MOAR
RinceandLeSIGH
February 14, 2014 at 12:32
BWAHAHAH! I was thinking chip shop ‘can I have a portion of hake, side of mushy peas, and some battered baterangs 🙂
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:40
This aint the Uk mate!
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:35
Called be the Japanese sweat shop made knock offs?
General JJ the ashamed
February 14, 2014 at 13:00
Hey! A word to the wise is enough.
General JJ the ashamed
February 14, 2014 at 12:12
I know they’re all “XBOX ONLY!” but flip man. I’d love to play games like these on my pc.
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:13
My copy might still be at BT Northgate… Collectors as well
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 14, 2014 at 12:20
Dunno about that, it has squirrel marks all over…
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:20
lol! it’s still relatively safe…
RinceandLeSIGH
February 14, 2014 at 12:19
Something odd happening with first and third image? First scrolls left when trying to scroll over and third does the same but vertically? Or is that a ‘new’ thing?
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:20
Probably Gavin playing with code
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:21
It’s not cool, hopefully just playing as what Gareth said.
RinceandLeSIGH
February 14, 2014 at 12:22
I think it’s fun actually.
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:28
Its hurting my head, too much to focus on at once.
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:19
WOAH! WTF is up with pics moving as you scroll! flipping BS!!
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:20
I think it’s cool
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:20
okay but what if I want to look at one part of the image…
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:21
Play with your scrolling? 😛
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:22
I don’t want to play with my mouse my boss will look at me funny. Next I will be stroking it and giving it a name!
Norm
February 14, 2014 at 12:31
😐
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:35
You HAVEN’T named your mouse yet?
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:39
my work mouse is a piece of shit!
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 14, 2014 at 12:39
So you named it PoS?
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:40
It says on back made in china,I agree with them there.
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:50
call it Mike then
General JJ the ashamed
February 14, 2014 at 12:25
That’s what she said.
Gavin Mannion
February 14, 2014 at 12:38
Will keep that in mind.. make them clickable for the full image?
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:39
That would work yes thank you.
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:39
Sounds like a plan?
When you organizing that test web server? 😛
Admiral Chief in Vegas
February 14, 2014 at 12:39
You need to run things by the elders before effing with our delicate constitution and changing stuffs and so on Mr Mannion
Gavin Mannion
February 14, 2014 at 12:23
paralax scrolling..we’re trying newthings…
RinceandLeSIGH
February 14, 2014 at 12:24
Don’t confusing him with new words 😛
VampyreSquirrel
February 14, 2014 at 12:24
see @TiMsTeR1033 :disqus I told you so 😛
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:27
p p pareelex wait paralaxative. 0_0 you trying to make people go while scrolling!
HvR
February 14, 2014 at 16:01
weird seems with my browser settings and zoom I can never see more than half of an image. Either half of each (left/right) and then either top half of the one or bottom half of the other.
You should market this to government for publishing those pesky reports the DA wants.
Norm
February 14, 2014 at 12:29
Interesting image effects.
Norm
February 14, 2014 at 12:31
Halo: Reach is still my fave Halo game.
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:38
I would love to take you on in that!
Norm
February 14, 2014 at 12:43
I would be keen to kick your arse, but I have no internet connection at home.
X_x
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:44
Pitty man, I would of enjoyed making you cry. ;P
TiMsTeR1033
February 14, 2014 at 12:34
Halo isnt halo without it being a FPS period! people are fooling themselves saying halo wars was good!
Rudi
February 14, 2014 at 13:10
dont like the paralax scrolling effect, can’t see the top image properly 🙁
Corporal Stick
February 14, 2014 at 18:40
Halo and Good bye!