HALO WARS 2

Release date: Feb 21

Platforms: PC, Microsoft Xbox One

Halo Wars is a real-time strategy (RTS) spin-off from the successful first-person shooter (FPS) franchise Halo.

I played the Halo Wars in 2009, and was impressed by its seamless gameplay. It was not easy to play RTS games without a mouse, but Halo Wars managed to pull it off with great results.

After nearly eight years, the sequel will finally be here next month. Halo Wars 2 will see the return of the crew of United Nations Space Command (UNSC) warship Spirit of Fire.

It picks up after the events of the FPS Halo 5: Guardians game.

Instead of Halo's usual alien Covenant adversary, the UNSC troops now face a new enemy known as the Banished - a mercenary Covenant Brute faction.

There will be 13 single-player campaign missions and up to six-player multiplayer games.

A new multiplayer mode known as Blitz is especially exciting, as it combines RTS gameplay with collectible card-game mechanics.

So you do not need to gather resources and build a base. Instead, you can activate a card to jump right into the action.

I am looking forward to once again using my wits instead of my fast-faltering reactions in FPS.

Trevor Tan