January 23rd, 2009

Halo Wars Demo, Comin’ Up!

I guess I should be telling you more about Halo Wars, but saying that Ensemble's RTS take on the Halo universe is going straight to the printer should be enough, don't you think? Well, it should be, but it's not. Why? I'll tell you why, don't worry, especially since I won't be able to grab that Halo Wars demo, and most of you will!

The story is very simple - for the start, only Xbox 360 gamers will be able to enjoy Halo Wars, but I hope we'll get some PC version later, too. Anyway, for now, here's the official mumbo-jumbo, still boiling hot(a few hours old), right from HaloWars:

"Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios announced today that “Halo Wars,” the highly anticipated action strategy game based on the legendary “Halo” universe, is finished and sent to manufacturing! Created from the ground up for the Xbox 360 console and controller, “Halo Wars” combines a peerless control scheme and gameplay with an incredibly rich, epic story set 20 years prior to the story told in “Halo: Combat Evolved”. The result is a commanding experience that is a must-have for “Halo” fans and a title that is sure to become a classic amongst fans of strategy games.

As fans eagerly await launch day, a video documentary series announced today will explore defining themes of “Halo Wars” and give viewers a behind the scenes look at the game’s development and some of the people involved in its creation. The premier episode captures key elements that frame “Halo Wars” gameplay: the controls, perspective and strategy. The “Halo Wars” video documentary is available for download on Xbox LIVE and can be viewed at Xbox.com/Halo.

In addition, the recently announced Xbox LIVE public demo for “Halo Wars” will be available beginning on Feb. 5 at 2 a.m. PST in Xbox LIVE enabled regions worldwide. In the demo, players will be able master Ensemble’s groundbreaking control scheme in optional beginner and advanced tutorials or jump right into the action to experience the beginning of the “Halo Wars” story with the first two campaign missions. The demo will also include “Chasms,” one of “Halo Wars’” 14 multiplayer maps, wherein players can battle it out in Skirmish mode vs. A.I., playing either as the UNSC with Captain Cutter’s leader powers, or as the Covenant with the Prophet of Regret’s own unique abilities. Don’t forget to set your Xbox to download this demo!"

Yeah, right I won't forget to set my... damn, I don't have any Xbox around!