A new year and a new Halo game... sort of. COG takes a look at the latest in the Halo franchise for the Xbox One.
"I bought the first version of Halo: Spartan Assault for my Surface RT earlier this year. As I played I found that my enjoyment of the virtual twin-stick shooter was hampered by the touchscreen controls offered, as I am truly a fan analog sticks, not presses on a touchscreen that emulate a true joystick of any kind. I really yearned for controller support, which was patched in later, but I don’t have a wired Xbox 360 controller and I had lost interest by then. Well, Microsoft has seen fit to release Spartan Assault as a downloadable title for the Xbox One. It was released just before Christmas and during the holidays I got a chance to check it out."
BNR: Ah, top-down shooters- one of the more arcade-ey genres with a measure of popularity today, there are quite a few of them on the market. Assuming you’ve played Asteroids (which drew inspiration from what many consider to be the first video game, SpaceWars) and want some more, which are worth your time? Don’t despair; my personal top-five is here! these are games that I personally really enjoyed- if you’re into top-down (also known as twin-stick) shooters, you’ll want to check these out.
My personal favorite TDS of all time is Dead Nation by House Marque. I loved that game so much, and clocked so many hours into it. Can't wait for Alienation.
With the latest update for the IOS games of Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike Xbox services have been added including achievements for both titles.
DD:
What’s quite incredible about Spartan Assault is that it has managed to encapsulate the atmosphere and design of the Halo games, previously exclusive to Microsoft systems, into the confines of an iPad. From the way troops behave, to the weapons and locations, it feels like an authentic Halo experience, even though it's a top-down dual stick shooter, rather than a FPS, and that’s the best thing Spartan Strike has going for it.
