English
Gamereactor
reviews
Halo: Spartan Strike

Halo: Spartan Strike

The twin-stick spin on the Halo formula returns in Spartan Strike.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

* Required field
HQ

Halo: Spartan Assault launched not long after the Xbox One, and it was a solid twin-stick shooter that made good use of the Halo IP, even if it ultimately failed to dazzle. Spartan Strike, the recently released sequel, is most certainly an improvement on that first offering, although once it was finished we were left with much the same feeling, that perhaps it might have been better.

The formula has been improved in some key areas. For starters the needless microtransactions that plagued the original have been ripped out. It makes for a cleaner, more complete experience. This doesn't have a huge impact in-game, but it's nice to see that 343i and Vanguard Games have listened to feedback.

The most notable improvement comes from the addition of the Prometheans, the alien race introduced in Halo 4. Their inclusion here muddies the timeline somewhat, as this game starts off during the Covenant attack on New Mombasa that fans will know takes place during Halo 2. It's forgivable because, like Spartan Assault, this is set in a combat simulator and presents a "what if" scenario for players to contemplate.

While it stretches the fiction to fit the format, these new enemies ensure more variety, and as such they're a welcome addition. Indeed, the rise in enemy types means that the player will have to adopt increasingly diverse tactics if they're to progress through some of the trickier exchanges. The Promethean Knights and the Watchers that can revive them once dead make challenging scenarios more so, and these are layered on top of the existing strengths of the Covenant forces (there's no Flood this time around).

This is an ad:
HQ

With the new enemy types come new weapons, and there's a number of different options strewn across the floor and dropped by Promethean and Covenant troops throughout the campaign. Some of the weapons fail to feel noticeably different from one another, but having the option to switch between UNSC and alien guns mid-battle is certainly welcome, and it does mean there's more options to consider as you approach the different set-pieces. It also helps that the controls feel a mite more responsive in Spartan Strike, and it's easier to be accurate.

The story that holds it all together never really raises the pulse. There's a key, a conduit, and back and forth between the UNSC and the Covenant, with the Prometheans pitching in for good measure. We jump between Earth and Gamma Halo, with the former boasting futuristic city environments and the latter featuring lush jungles laid over Forerunner architecture. The decision to bring the new enemy into the old timeline is a strange one, and surely something like Halo Wars, which managed to neatly separate itself from canon, wouldn't have been beyond the dev team.

There's a decent mix of mission types. Some, as is the Halo way, involve blasting away on the back of a Scorpion or driving a Warthog, while others involve standing on plates and activating devices. They're predominantly short bursts of action without checkpoints that can be completed in just a few minutes. There's some difficulty spikes that frustrate in the moment because of the lack of checkpoints, but once they've been beaten it's easier to appreciate them for what they are; friction that gives more substance to the campaign.

This is an ad:
Halo: Spartan Strike

Players are graded based on their performance, earning bronze, silver and gold depending on how well they do. There's four chapters (and a fifth that can be unlocked once all levels have been completed to the gold standard), and the main story can be finished in around four or five hours, maybe even less. Like Spartan Assault before it, you can increase your score by activating skulls. These skulls were one of the best features of the first game, and it's a shame they've not really elaborated on it for this sequel. At least there's no microtransactions, and the different loadouts that are often the key to unlocking higher scores can now be accessed by spending XP instead of real money.

It looks decent, although that can also be said of the original. This sequel also boasts some impressive detail, with explosive set-pieces unfolding in the background painting the illusion of a story set in the midst of a wider conflict. The isometric viewpoint is certainly a good fit, even though the perspective does chip away at the cinematic splendour that the series is known for. It's worth noting that we played the PC version of the game for the purposes of this review, but you can also pick up the game on WP8 and iOS if you'd prefer.

One siginificant omission is the lack of multiplayer. The mode was thoughtfully implemented in Spartan Assault and it's a shame that they didn't manage to include it in this sequel. Given the low price point you're certainly going to get value for your money, but still, co-op would have been a nice addition and its absence certainly stands as a mark against.

Overall we enjoyed blasting away at the Covenant and Prometheans in Halo: Spartan Strike. There's some tense set pieces to fight through, and once again they've managed to cleverly adapt the Halo brand to fit this alternative perspective. Having said all that, while we most certainly appreciated the effort, it still feels like there's something missing that could have made this a more thrilling experience. Perhaps a mission editor could have been included, so that players could create their own missions and try out some new ideas, because as it stands there's a good game here, but it also never takes the risks needed to make it a great one.

Halo: Spartan Strike
Halo: Spartan StrikeHalo: Spartan StrikeHalo: Spartan Strike
Halo: Spartan Strike
Halo: Spartan StrikeHalo: Spartan Strike
Halo: Spartan StrikeHalo: Spartan StrikeHalo: Spartan StrikeHalo: Spartan Strike
HQ
HQ
07 Gamereactor UK
7 / 10
+
+ Good use of the lore, no microtransactions, some tense battles, some slight improvements over the original.
-
- Not enough risk taking, no co-op.
overall score
is our network score. What's yours? The network score is the average of every country's score

Related texts

0
Halo: Spartan StrikeScore

Halo: Spartan Strike

REVIEW. Written by Mike Holmes

"The isometric viewpoint is certainly a good fit, even though the perspective does chip away at the cinematic splendour that the series is known for."



Loading next content