2017 real-time strategy video game

Halo Wars 2 is a real-time strategy video game developed by 343 Industries and Creative Assembly. It was published by Microsoft Studios and released in February 2017 on Windows and Xbox One. The game is set in the science fiction universe of the Halo franchise in 2559. It is a sequel to Halo Wars (2009). The story follows the crew of Spirit of Fire, a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) ship. Spirit of Fire arrives at the Ark, a Forerunner installation responsible for constructing and remotely controlling the titular Halo rings. Conflict breaks out between the UNSC forces and an alien faction known as the Banished over control of the Ark.

In Halo Wars 2, players construct a base of operations, accumulate resources to produce infantry and vehicle units, and command their armies from a bird's-eye view of the battlefield. The primary goal during a battle is typically to destroy an opponent's bases or to capture and control territories on the battlefield. Combat is balanced by a "rock–paper–scissors" counter-attack system, in which ground vehicles are effective in combat against infantry, infantry are effective against aircraft, and aircraft are effective against ground vehicles. The game supports online multiplayer for playing cooperatively or competitively with other players.

Development of Halo Wars 2 began in 2014 when Halo franchise developer 343 Industries approached development studio Creative Assembly about a collaboration. Creative Assembly were chosen for their years of experience in developing real-time strategy games. The developer 343 Industries wanted to integrate the story of Halo Wars 2 more closely with the ongoing storyline of the Halo series, leading them to set the game 28 years after the original Halo Wars to fix the story in the current timeline of the franchise. The game was announced in 2015 at Gamescom and showcased at a number of video game events before release. Two open betas ran during the final year of the game's production so the development team could make adjustments to the game based on player feedback.

Halo Wars 2 received generally positive reviews. Blur Studio's campaign cinematics were lauded for their outstanding animation quality. Reviewers thought the game was very approachable for beginners, but felt it needed more strategic depth to appeal to experienced RTS players. Nuisances in the keyboard and mouse controls left some critics disappointed, but enhancements made to the gamepad control scheme from Halo Wars were praised. The game was supported after release with additional content and features.

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