New Halo alert. New Halo alert. New Halo alert!
No, this isn’t about a new Halo for Xbox One. Something that huge–if it happens–won’t be revealed until Microsoft’s E3 presser. Halo: Spartan Assault is a new series installment in development at 343 Industries and Vanguard Games exclusively for Windows 8 PCs and tablets and Windows Phone 8. It’s a top-down twin-stick shooter sandwiched between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4.
Windows gamers will do battle against the Covenant as Commander Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis, blasting through 25 campaign missions from bird’s eye view. Integration with Halo 4 will allow players to earn experience and unlock emblems for their Xbox 360 Spartan career, while leaderboards and weekly challenges will provide a nonstop source of online competition.
Halo: Spartan Assault will be available starting in July for $6.99, supported by in-app purchases for players who prefer to pay their way through the grind of unlocking new upgrades and weapons.
Money-grubbing microtransactions aside, Spartan Assault looks spectacular. To be perfectly honest, Halo as a top-down shooter is way cooler than Halo as an FPS if you ask me. Too bad the game’s only coming to Windows 8 and Windows Phone, because those are two platforms I currently have no interest in owning. I get that they want to push their new Windows 8 devices, but why Microsoft isn’t also launching this on Xbox Live Arcade, where it would no doubt rake in big bucks, is beyond me. If only because a twin-stick shooter is best on a console controller with, you know, twin sticks.
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