fbpx
Wikipedia

Halo: Spartan Assault

January 31, 2023

Halo: Spartan Assault is a twin stick shooter video game developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games. Part of the Halo media franchise, the game was released on July 18, 2013, for Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms. The game subsequently released on Xbox 360, Xbox One, Steam, and iOS. Halo: Spartan Assault is set between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4. Players control the human soldiers Sarah Palmer and Edward Davis as they fight a new splinter faction of the alien Covenant. The game launched with 25 single-player missions; an additional campaign released as downloadable content. The console versions also feature an exclusive cooperative horde mode.

Halo: Spartan Assault
Spartan Assault cover art, featuring the main character Sarah Palmer
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Microsoft Studios
Composer(s)Tom Salta
SeriesHalo
Platform(s)
Release
July 18, 2013
  • Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone
    Xbox One
    • WW: December 24, 2013[3]
    Xbox 360
    • WW: January 31, 2014[4]
    Steam
    • WW: April 4, 2014[5]
    iOS
    • WW: April 16, 2015
Genre(s)Twin-stick shooter
Mode(s)

After years of rumored or cancelled handheld Halo projects, Spartan Assault was the franchise's first mobile game. The developers spent time adapting Halo's distinctive elements to a touchscreen game meant to be played in short bursts. The game received mixed reviews on release. Reviewers praised the game for its success at replicating Halo's aesthetic; the mobile versions of the game received lower average scores. Spartan Assault was followed by a sequel, Spartan Strike, in 2015.

Gameplay

 
The player character (center) firing on enemies. Spartan Assault's replication of the Halo franchise look-and-feel was praised by reviewers.

Halo: Spartan Assault is a shooter game where players experience gameplay from an overhead top-down perspective.[6] Players assume the role of human supersoldiers fighting against a splinter faction of the former alien alliance known as the Covenant. The control method for the game depends on the host device.[7] On touchscreen mobile devices, players control the character through virtual joysticks—the left stick controls movement and the right stick controls the direction of the character's fire—along with buttons along the edge of the screen.[7][8] Xbox 360 and Xbox One players use a physical gamepad, while Windows players can use either a gamepad, or keyboard and mouse.[9] To assist players, many weapons auto-target enemies in the direction the player is firing.[7]

The game's campaign mode is divided into chapters, then further subdivided into individual missions.[7] The game features classic weapons and vehicles from the franchise.[10] Playing Halo: Spartan Assault earns the player experience points and content for use in Halo 4.[10][11] Completing missions or rotating weekly challenges award credits that can be used to buy boosts or different weapons for each mission.[11][12] In lieu of spending credits for upgrades, players can use real currency.[13]

The Xbox 360 and the Xbox One versions of the game feature an additional cooperative game mode, designed to be different from that of the main campaign. Two players team up to survive against waves of enemy Flood on five different stages.[14][15] The game mode features new Spartan abilities and weapons.[15] The Windows Phone and Windows PC version support cross-play, allowing players to start missions on one device and resume on another.[11]

Plot

Halo: Spartan Assault takes place in the 26th century between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4.[16] Following the events of Halo 3, the human UNSC and alien Elites (Sangheili) signed a ceasefire to end a decades-long war. Gameplay follows through the perspective of the Spartan supersoldiers Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis.[17] Canonically, the events are played from the perspective of human military cadets, reliving the events inside a battle simulation.[18]

Spartans Palmer and Davis are stationed on the planet Draetheus V when it comes under attack from a splinter group of the Covenant who have ignored the ceasefire. Palmer and Davis work to repel the invaders. This new Covenant faction led by Merg Vol discovers that Draetheus' moon is actually a weapon built by an ancient race known as the Forerunners. Merg Vol's Covenant activates the weapon, tearing apart Draetheus and triggering an evacuation. Spartan Davis gives his life to allow the remaining human forces enough time to escape. Spartan Palmer tracks down Merg Vol, kills him, sabotages the Forerunner weapon, and escapes the moon.

In the Operation Hydra campaign, Spartan Palmer returns to X50 in search of a mysterious signal. She discovers that the signal is actually a distress signal from Spartan Davis. Palmer reaches the core of X50, but finds Davis dead; the moon is using his remains to create an unknown device, which Palmer extracts for study.

Development

Over the years, rumors swirled of a handheld or mobile version of Halo for the Game Boy Advance,[19] Gizmondo,[20][21] Ultra-Mobile PC,[22] and Nintendo DS.[23][24][25] Then-Halo developer Bungie quashed speculation they were developing an Xbox Live Arcade title in 2006.[26] When Halo overseer 343 Industries was interested in developing a mobile game, Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor recommended an arcade shooter, having wanted for years to see a Halo game in the vein of Moon Patrol.[27] Having come up with the idea for the game, 343 Industries approached Vanguard Games, who had prior twin-stick shooter experience, to develop it.[28] During development, the game was known by the codename Bootcamp.[27]

343 Industries Executive Producer Dan Ayoub described the challenge of adapting Halo for a portable device as crafting the right experience for the device.[29] "If we'd gone down the first-person shooter route, we might have built something compelling, but it couldn't on its own merit play as well as a traditional Halo game," O'Connor recalled.[27] While focusing on optimizing the game for touch controls, the developers wanted to make sure the elements that made Halo distinctive—its weapon sandbox, abilities, and look—remained.[29]: 4'35"  The focus on a mobile game experience also meant that the developers broke up the game's missions into smaller chunks for short playthroughs.[29]: 4'45"–5'15"  More than fifteen control variations were tested.[30] The developers designed adaptive controls that move around the screen to match the drift of player's hands on the touchscreen and reduce frustration.[31] For the console release of Spartan Assault, the developers took feedback from reviews to further tune the controls and adjust balance and scoring.[15]

Tom Salta composed Spartan Assault's music. The game was the first time Salta had worked on a project where the sound had been established by another composer—Salta called the original music of Combat Evolved "sacred ground for me" and his inspiration to compose for video games. Previous to Spartan Assault Salta was part of the team that reorchestrated and recorded the music for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.[32] Because the game was designed to be played on mobile devices, Salta and the music team worked to make sure audio quality would be high on small mobile speakers as well as through headphones or higher-end hardware. Since there was a limited budget for the music, Salta chose which sounds and instruments he would record live.[32] Salta starts composing on a keyboard and uses Logic.[33]

Release

Spartan Assault was announced in June 2013 at San Diego Comic-Con.[34][35] The game was released in North America and Europe on July 18 and 19, respectively. In the United States, the game was initially restricted to Verizon phones before being released to all Windows 8 enabled devices in August.[36] The game's release coincided with a tie-in comic series, Halo: Initiation, which detailed Palmer's path to becoming a Spartan.[10]

An Xbox One version of the game—running at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second—released on December 24; the Xbox 360 version was delayed and released January 31, 2014.[3][4][37] Players who already purchased the mobile version received a discount on the console pricing.[15][38] It was released on Steam on April 4, the first game in the series to be distributed on the platform.[39] It was a free title for Xbox Live subscribers as part of the "Games with Gold" program in June 2014.[40] On April 16, 2015, the game was released for iOS.[41]

Operation Hydra, a free update to the game, was released August 29. The update added new missions and achievements, the ability to buy certain power weapons with XP rather than real currency, and support for the Xbox 360 controller. A demo version of the game, featuring a tutorial and single mission, was released on August 30.[42] The update also added compatibility for Windows Phone hardware with 512MB of RAM, and enabled play using an Xbox gamepad on Windows computers.[43]

Reception

Spartan Assault received mixed reviews upon release. The PC version has a weighted aggregate rating of 70/100 on Metacritic, with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions having lower scores of 51 and 53, respectively.[44] Critics including Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer and Chris Carter of Destructoid wrote that while Spartan Assault was not going to be a Windows 8 killer app, it was a worthwhile purchase for gamers on the Windows 8 platform.[47][52] Geek.com's Russell Holly wrote that the game was a milestone in mobile gaming, with Microsoft producing a high-quality mobile experience of an established property.[53] Digital Trends considered the mobile version satisfactory, but found the ports underwhelming.[54] More critically, reviews such as those for PC Gamer and X-One considered the game a disappointment.[55]

Reviewers praised the game for its authentic Halo look and feel.[18][8][56][57] Game Informer's Kyle Hillard called Spartan Assault "a true Halo game, even if the series' signature scope and size are scaled down", with the game featuring familiar Halo moments, enemies, and sounds.[18] Destructoid's Christ Carter praised the game for successfully adapting Halo's gameplay formula of guns, grenades, and melee attacks to the new genre.[47] In comparison, Polygon's Philip Kollar called the appeal "illusory", as Spartan Assault did not contain any of Halo's "subtlety or strategy."[58] IGN's Dan Stapleton considered the Halo trappings the main appeal of the game, as without it, Spartan Assault would be just another competent but unremarkable twin-stick shooter.[49] The console co-op missions were considered a highlight of the game;[58][59] GameSpot and Polygon's critics noted that the cooperative mode demanded different tactics than the regular campaign.[16][14]

Reviewers were divided on the controls. VideoGamer's Simon Miller found the on-foot sections excellent but controlling vehicles difficult on PC and even harder on mobile.[57] The Verge's Tom Warren agreed the touch controls were awkward.[60] Stapleton recommended playing the game with a keyboard and mouse if possible,[49] a sentiment echoed by Hillard, who felt the touch controls became more of a liability as the game's difficulty increased.[18] The lack of controller support at launch was criticized.[51] TouchArcade's Eric Ford found the touch controls serviceable once players had acclimated to their sensitivity.[56]

The microtransaction features of Spartan Assault were generally negatively received.[61][51] While reviewers such as Carter felt that the microtransactions could be ignored and did not impact enjoyment of the game,[47] Hillard wrote that "it’s hard not to feel as though an important part of the game is being withheld after buying into the agreed-upon price of admission."[18] Kollar considered the upgrades necessary to completing levels with a high score, and considered them "exploitative and unnecessary" in a game that cost money upfront.[58] GameZone's Jake Valentine agreed, feeling XP was a scarce resource and the game heavily prodded players into shelling out real money instead.[62]

Vanguard Games and 343 Industries announced a sequel to Halo: Spartan Assault, Halo: Spartan Strike in late 2014. This game was released as a digital download for Windows devices and Steam in 2015.[63][64]

References

  1. ^ pocket-lint.com (December 31, 1999). . MSN. Microsoft. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  2. ^ Leo, Jon (July 18, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault launches in North America today". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  3. ^ a b . Xbox.com. Microsoft. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Halo: Spartan Assault - Xbox.com". Xbox.com. Microsoft. from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  5. ^ "Now Available on Steam - Halo: Spartan Assault". Steampowered.com. Valve. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  6. ^ Butts, Steve (June 4, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault is a Twin-Stick Top-Down Shooter". IGN. from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Holly, Russell (July 17, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault preview is everything you hoped it would be". Geek.com. Ziff Davis. from the original on August 21, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Hayward, Andrew (April 20, 2015). "Halo comes to iOS, but it's not the same shooter you know from Xbox". MacWorld. IDG. from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  9. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (June 4, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault is a top-down twin-stick shooter for Windows 8 devices". Eurogamer. from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "Halo: Spartan Assault Launched on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 in July". Xbox Wire. Microsoft. June 4, 2013. from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c Acevado, Paul (June 4, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault coming to Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 in July!". Windows Phone Central. Mobile Nations. from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  12. ^ Acevedo, Paul (June 4, 2013). "Windows Phone Central takes Halo: Spartan Assault for a spin and interviews the developers". Windows Central. from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  13. ^ McLaughlin, Rus (June 4, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault — mobile, microtransactions, meh (preview)". VentureBeat. from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  14. ^ a b TraceyLien (December 13, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault's co-op mode will flood you with enemies". Polygon. Vox Media. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d Takahashi, Dean (December 16, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault's lead designer Mike Ellis tells us how we can blast The Flood in co-op on Xbox One (interview)". VentureBeat. from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  16. ^ a b c Concepcion, Miguel (December 30, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault Review". GameSpot. from the original on November 30, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  17. ^ LeBlanc, Brandon (June 4, 2013). "Halo comes to Windows PCs and Tablets with Halo: Spartan Assault". Windows Experience Blog. Microsoft. from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  18. ^ a b c d e f Hilliard, Kyle (August 7, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault". Game Informer. GameStop. from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  19. ^ Thorsen, Tor (June 18, 2004). . GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 19, 2006. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  20. ^ Thorsen, Tor (January 7, 2005). . GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  21. ^ Grant, Christopher (May 5, 2006). "Gizmondo Halo "project" used cam-mouselook". Joystiq. AOL. from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  22. ^ Thorsen, Tor (March 9, 2006). . GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  23. ^ Casamassina, Matt (January 1, 2007). . IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 7, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
  24. ^ Casamassina, Matt (October 2, 2007). . IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2007.
  25. ^ Crecente, Brian (October 5, 2007). . Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  26. ^ Weeks, Ken (March 4, 2006). . Joystiq. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013.
  27. ^ a b c Shea, Jessica (June 5, 2013). . Halo Waypoint. 343 Industries. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013.
  28. ^ De Kwaadsteniet, Maarten (June 17, 2014). "Halo: Spartan Assault Interview". IGN Benelux (in Dutch). from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  29. ^ a b c "Building Halo Worlds Panel - Comic Con 2013". YouTube. July 19, 2013. from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  30. ^ Takahashi, Dean (June 4, 2013). "Why Microsoft made its top-down Windows tablet game, Halo: Spartan Assault (video interview)". VentureBeat. from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  31. ^ "Halo: Spartan Assault – exclusive interview and concept art". Windows Blogs. July 24, 2013. from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  32. ^ a b Kain, Eric (August 8, 2013). "An Interview With 'Halo: Spartan Assault' Composer Tom Salta". Forbes. from the original on August 21, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  33. ^ Hughes, Sam (June 6, 2015). "Interview with Composer, Tom Salta". The Sound Architect. from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  34. ^ Kulasingham, Gajan (July 25, 2014). "Halo: Spartan Assault - Launch Trailer". GameSpot. from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  35. ^ Albanesius, Chloe (June 4, 2013). "'Halo: Spartan Assault' Arrives on Windows 8, Win Phone 8 Next Month". PCMAG. from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  36. ^ Mlot, Stephanie (August 19, 2013). "'Halo: Spartan Assault' Expands to All Windows Phone 8 Devices". PCMAG. from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  37. ^ Makuch, Eddie (December 9, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault for Xbox One launches Christmas Eve, runs in 1080p at 60fps". GameSpot. from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  38. ^ Warren, Tom (December 9, 2013). "'Halo: Spartan Assault' for Xbox One launches on December 24th for $14.99". The Verge. from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  39. ^ Albert, Brian (March 27, 2014). "Halo: Spartan Assault is Heading to Steam". IGN. Ziff Davis. from the original on March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  40. ^ Farokhmanesh, Megan (May 30, 2014). "June Games with Gold brings Dark Souls to 360, Spartan Assault to Xbox One". Polygon. from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  41. ^ "Halo: Spartan Assault on App Store on iTunes". iTunes. Apple Inc. April 16, 2015. from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  42. ^ Hillard, Kyle (August 27, 2013). "Free Halo: Spartan Assault Operation Hydra Update Adds Xbox 360 Controller Support". Game Informer. from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  43. ^ Holly, Russell (August 29, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault gets DLC update; adds Xbox controller support". Geek.com. Ziff Davis. from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  44. ^ a b "Halo: Spartan Assault for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. from the original on August 25, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  45. ^ "Halo: Spartan Assault for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  46. ^ "Halo: Spartan Assault for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  47. ^ a b c d Carter, Chris. "Review: Spartan Assault". Destructoid. from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  48. ^ Donlan, Christian (July 22, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault review". Eurogamer. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  49. ^ a b c Davis, Justin (July 30, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault Review". IGN. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  50. ^ Ferrill, Tim (July 29, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault Review". Maximum PC. from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  51. ^ a b c Brown, Nathan (September 18, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault review". PC Gamer. Future plc. from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  52. ^ a b Slater, Harry (July 19, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  53. ^ Holly, Russell (July 18, 2013). . Geek.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on December 5, 2015.
  54. ^ Staff. "Halo: Spartan Assault Review". X-One (108): 74.
  55. ^ a b Ford, Eric (April 17, 2015). "Halo: Spartan Assault Review – The Covenant Invade iOS". TouchArcade. from the original on February 1, 2017.
  56. ^ a b Miller, Simon (July 23, 2013). "Halo: Spartan Assault Review". VideoGamer. Resero Network. from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  57. ^ a b c Kollar, Philip (January 2, 2014). "Halo: Spartan Assault Review—Tin Soldiers". Polygon. Vox Media. from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  58. ^ Tyrrel, Brandin (March 25, 2014). "Halo: Spartan Assault Receives Console Price Drop". IGN. Ziff Davis. from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  59. ^ "'Halo: Spartan Assault' now available exclusively on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 for $6.99". July 18, 2013. from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  60. ^ Peckham, Matt (December 23, 2013). "Merry Halo-mas! Spartan Assault for Xbox One Rings in Festivus a Day Early". Time. from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  61. ^ Valentine, Jake (January 4, 2014). "Halo: Spartan Assault Review: Nickel and Dime". GameZone. from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  62. ^ "Halo: Spartan Strike Comes to Windows 8 Devices and Steam this December". Xbox.com. Microsoft. October 16, 2014. from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  63. ^ Tipps, Seth (May 1, 2017). "343 Industries Delays Halo: Spartan Strike to Early 2015". IGN. Ziff Davis. from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2020.

External links

  • Halo: Spartan Assault at Halo Waypoint
  • Halo: Spartan Assault August 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine on developer Vanguard Games's website

January 31, 2023
halo, spartan, assault, twin, stick, shooter, video, game, developed, industries, vanguard, games, part, halo, media, franchise, game, released, july, 2013, microsoft, windows, windows, phone, platforms, game, subsequently, released, xbox, xbox, steam, between. Halo Spartan Assault is a twin stick shooter video game developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games Part of the Halo media franchise the game was released on July 18 2013 for Microsoft s Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms The game subsequently released on Xbox 360 Xbox One Steam and iOS Halo Spartan Assault is set between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4 Players control the human soldiers Sarah Palmer and Edward Davis as they fight a new splinter faction of the alien Covenant The game launched with 25 single player missions an additional campaign released as downloadable content The console versions also feature an exclusive cooperative horde mode Halo Spartan AssaultSpartan Assault cover art featuring the main character Sarah PalmerDeveloper s 343 IndustriesVanguard GamesPublisher s Microsoft StudiosComposer s Tom SaltaSeriesHaloPlatform s Microsoft WindowsWindows PhoneXbox OneXbox 360iOSReleaseJuly 18 2013 Microsoft Windows Windows PhoneNA July 18 2013 2 EU July 19 2013 1 Xbox OneWW December 24 2013 3 Xbox 360WW January 31 2014 4 Steam WW April 4 2014 5 iOSWW April 16 2015Genre s Twin stick shooterMode s Single playerMultiplayerAfter years of rumored or cancelled handheld Halo projects Spartan Assault was the franchise s first mobile game The developers spent time adapting Halo s distinctive elements to a touchscreen game meant to be played in short bursts The game received mixed reviews on release Reviewers praised the game for its success at replicating Halo s aesthetic the mobile versions of the game received lower average scores Spartan Assault was followed by a sequel Spartan Strike in 2015 Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Plot 3 Development 4 Release 5 Reception 6 References 7 External linksGameplay Edit The player character center firing on enemies Spartan Assault s replication of the Halo franchise look and feel was praised by reviewers Halo Spartan Assault is a shooter game where players experience gameplay from an overhead top down perspective 6 Players assume the role of human supersoldiers fighting against a splinter faction of the former alien alliance known as the Covenant The control method for the game depends on the host device 7 On touchscreen mobile devices players control the character through virtual joysticks the left stick controls movement and the right stick controls the direction of the character s fire along with buttons along the edge of the screen 7 8 Xbox 360 and Xbox One players use a physical gamepad while Windows players can use either a gamepad or keyboard and mouse 9 To assist players many weapons auto target enemies in the direction the player is firing 7 The game s campaign mode is divided into chapters then further subdivided into individual missions 7 The game features classic weapons and vehicles from the franchise 10 Playing Halo Spartan Assault earns the player experience points and content for use in Halo 4 10 11 Completing missions or rotating weekly challenges award credits that can be used to buy boosts or different weapons for each mission 11 12 In lieu of spending credits for upgrades players can use real currency 13 The Xbox 360 and the Xbox One versions of the game feature an additional cooperative game mode designed to be different from that of the main campaign Two players team up to survive against waves of enemy Flood on five different stages 14 15 The game mode features new Spartan abilities and weapons 15 The Windows Phone and Windows PC version support cross play allowing players to start missions on one device and resume on another 11 Plot EditHalo Spartan Assault takes place in the 26th century between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4 16 Following the events of Halo 3 the human UNSC and alien Elites Sangheili signed a ceasefire to end a decades long war Gameplay follows through the perspective of the Spartan supersoldiers Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis 17 Canonically the events are played from the perspective of human military cadets reliving the events inside a battle simulation 18 Spartans Palmer and Davis are stationed on the planet Draetheus V when it comes under attack from a splinter group of the Covenant who have ignored the ceasefire Palmer and Davis work to repel the invaders This new Covenant faction led by Merg Vol discovers that Draetheus moon is actually a weapon built by an ancient race known as the Forerunners Merg Vol s Covenant activates the weapon tearing apart Draetheus and triggering an evacuation Spartan Davis gives his life to allow the remaining human forces enough time to escape Spartan Palmer tracks down Merg Vol kills him sabotages the Forerunner weapon and escapes the moon In the Operation Hydra campaign Spartan Palmer returns to X50 in search of a mysterious signal She discovers that the signal is actually a distress signal from Spartan Davis Palmer reaches the core of X50 but finds Davis dead the moon is using his remains to create an unknown device which Palmer extracts for study Development EditOver the years rumors swirled of a handheld or mobile version of Halo for the Game Boy Advance 19 Gizmondo 20 21 Ultra Mobile PC 22 and Nintendo DS 23 24 25 Then Halo developer Bungie quashed speculation they were developing an Xbox Live Arcade title in 2006 26 When Halo overseer 343 Industries was interested in developing a mobile game Franchise Development Director Frank O Connor recommended an arcade shooter having wanted for years to see a Halo game in the vein of Moon Patrol 27 Having come up with the idea for the game 343 Industries approached Vanguard Games who had prior twin stick shooter experience to develop it 28 During development the game was known by the codename Bootcamp 27 343 Industries Executive Producer Dan Ayoub described the challenge of adapting Halo for a portable device as crafting the right experience for the device 29 If we d gone down the first person shooter route we might have built something compelling but it couldn t on its own merit play as well as a traditional Halo game O Connor recalled 27 While focusing on optimizing the game for touch controls the developers wanted to make sure the elements that made Halo distinctive its weapon sandbox abilities and look remained 29 4 35 The focus on a mobile game experience also meant that the developers broke up the game s missions into smaller chunks for short playthroughs 29 4 45 5 15 More than fifteen control variations were tested 30 The developers designed adaptive controls that move around the screen to match the drift of player s hands on the touchscreen and reduce frustration 31 For the console release of Spartan Assault the developers took feedback from reviews to further tune the controls and adjust balance and scoring 15 Tom Salta composed Spartan Assault s music The game was the first time Salta had worked on a project where the sound had been established by another composer Salta called the original music of Combat Evolved sacred ground for me and his inspiration to compose for video games Previous to Spartan Assault Salta was part of the team that reorchestrated and recorded the music for Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary 32 Because the game was designed to be played on mobile devices Salta and the music team worked to make sure audio quality would be high on small mobile speakers as well as through headphones or higher end hardware Since there was a limited budget for the music Salta chose which sounds and instruments he would record live 32 Salta starts composing on a keyboard and uses Logic 33 Release EditSpartan Assault was announced in June 2013 at San Diego Comic Con 34 35 The game was released in North America and Europe on July 18 and 19 respectively In the United States the game was initially restricted to Verizon phones before being released to all Windows 8 enabled devices in August 36 The game s release coincided with a tie in comic series Halo Initiation which detailed Palmer s path to becoming a Spartan 10 An Xbox One version of the game running at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second released on December 24 the Xbox 360 version was delayed and released January 31 2014 3 4 37 Players who already purchased the mobile version received a discount on the console pricing 15 38 It was released on Steam on April 4 the first game in the series to be distributed on the platform 39 It was a free title for Xbox Live subscribers as part of the Games with Gold program in June 2014 40 On April 16 2015 the game was released for iOS 41 Operation Hydra a free update to the game was released August 29 The update added new missions and achievements the ability to buy certain power weapons with XP rather than real currency and support for the Xbox 360 controller A demo version of the game featuring a tutorial and single mission was released on August 30 42 The update also added compatibility for Windows Phone hardware with 512MB of RAM and enabled play using an Xbox gamepad on Windows computers 43 Reception EditReceptionAggregate scoreAggregatorScoreMetacriticPC 70 100 44 XONE 53 100 45 X360 51 100 46 Review scoresPublicationScoreDestructoid7 10 47 Eurogamer7 10 48 Game Informer8 25 10 18 GameSpot6 10 16 IGN6 7 10 49 Maximum PC8 10 50 PC Gamer US 58 100 51 Pocket Gamer9 10 52 Spartan Assault received mixed reviews upon release The PC version has a weighted aggregate rating of 70 100 on Metacritic with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions having lower scores of 51 and 53 respectively 44 Critics including Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer and Chris Carter of Destructoid wrote that while Spartan Assault was not going to be a Windows 8 killer app it was a worthwhile purchase for gamers on the Windows 8 platform 47 52 Geek com s Russell Holly wrote that the game was a milestone in mobile gaming with Microsoft producing a high quality mobile experience of an established property 53 Digital Trends considered the mobile version satisfactory but found the ports underwhelming 54 More critically reviews such as those for PC Gamer and X One considered the game a disappointment 55 Reviewers praised the game for its authentic Halo look and feel 18 8 56 57 Game Informer s Kyle Hillard called Spartan Assault a true Halo game even if the series signature scope and size are scaled down with the game featuring familiar Halo moments enemies and sounds 18 Destructoid s Christ Carter praised the game for successfully adapting Halo s gameplay formula of guns grenades and melee attacks to the new genre 47 In comparison Polygon s Philip Kollar called the appeal illusory as Spartan Assault did not contain any of Halo s subtlety or strategy 58 IGN s Dan Stapleton considered the Halo trappings the main appeal of the game as without it Spartan Assault would be just another competent but unremarkable twin stick shooter 49 The console co op missions were considered a highlight of the game 58 59 GameSpot and Polygon s critics noted that the cooperative mode demanded different tactics than the regular campaign 16 14 Reviewers were divided on the controls VideoGamer s Simon Miller found the on foot sections excellent but controlling vehicles difficult on PC and even harder on mobile 57 The Verge s Tom Warren agreed the touch controls were awkward 60 Stapleton recommended playing the game with a keyboard and mouse if possible 49 a sentiment echoed by Hillard who felt the touch controls became more of a liability as the game s difficulty increased 18 The lack of controller support at launch was criticized 51 TouchArcade s Eric Ford found the touch controls serviceable once players had acclimated to their sensitivity 56 The microtransaction features of Spartan Assault were generally negatively received 61 51 While reviewers such as Carter felt that the microtransactions could be ignored and did not impact enjoyment of the game 47 Hillard wrote that it s hard not to feel as though an important part of the game is being withheld after buying into the agreed upon price of admission 18 Kollar considered the upgrades necessary to completing levels with a high score and considered them exploitative and unnecessary in a game that cost money upfront 58 GameZone s Jake Valentine agreed feeling XP was a scarce resource and the game heavily prodded players into shelling out real money instead 62 Vanguard Games and 343 Industries announced a sequel to Halo Spartan Assault Halo Spartan Strike in late 2014 This game was released as a digital download for Windows devices and Steam in 2015 63 64 References Edit pocket lint com December 31 1999 Halo Spartan Assault now available MSN Microsoft Archived from the original on July 22 2013 Retrieved July 20 2013 Leo Jon July 18 2013 Halo Spartan Assault launches in North America today GameSpot CBS Interactive Archived from the original on October 3 2013 Retrieved July 20 2019 a b Halo Spartan Assault Xbox com Xbox com Microsoft Archived from the original on February 9 2014 Retrieved February 6 2014 a b Halo Spartan Assault Xbox com Xbox com Microsoft Archived from the original on February 9 2014 Retrieved February 6 2014 Now Available on Steam Halo Spartan Assault Steampowered com Valve Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved April 4 2014 Butts Steve June 4 2013 Halo Spartan Assault is a Twin Stick Top Down Shooter IGN Archived from the original on June 9 2013 Retrieved June 14 2013 a b c d Holly Russell July 17 2013 Halo Spartan Assault preview is everything you hoped it would be Geek com Ziff Davis Archived from the original on August 21 2013 Retrieved January 9 2019 a b Hayward Andrew April 20 2015 Halo comes to iOS but it s not the same shooter you know from Xbox MacWorld IDG Archived from the original on August 26 2019 Retrieved August 15 2019 Yin Poole Wesley June 4 2013 Halo Spartan Assault is a top down twin stick shooter for Windows 8 devices Eurogamer Archived from the original on March 24 2020 Retrieved March 24 2020 a b c Halo Spartan Assault Launched on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 in July Xbox Wire Microsoft June 4 2013 Archived from the original on June 8 2013 Retrieved June 4 2013 a b c Acevado Paul June 4 2013 Halo Spartan Assault coming to Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 in July Windows Phone Central Mobile Nations Archived from the original on June 8 2013 Retrieved June 4 2013 Acevedo Paul June 4 2013 Windows Phone Central takes Halo Spartan Assault for a spin and interviews the developers Windows Central Archived from the original on December 28 2018 Retrieved January 9 2019 McLaughlin Rus June 4 2013 Halo Spartan Assault mobile microtransactions meh preview VentureBeat Archived from the original on March 23 2020 Retrieved January 9 2019 a b TraceyLien December 13 2013 Halo Spartan Assault s co op mode will flood you with enemies Polygon Vox Media Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved December 21 2014 a b c d Takahashi Dean December 16 2013 Halo Spartan Assault s lead designer Mike Ellis tells us how we can blast The Flood in co op on Xbox One interview VentureBeat Archived from the original on March 24 2020 Retrieved August 26 2019 a b c Concepcion Miguel December 30 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Review GameSpot Archived from the original on November 30 2015 Retrieved August 31 2014 LeBlanc Brandon June 4 2013 Halo comes to Windows PCs and Tablets with Halo Spartan Assault Windows Experience Blog Microsoft Archived from the original on June 8 2013 Retrieved June 4 2013 a b c d e f Hilliard Kyle August 7 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Game Informer GameStop Archived from the original on September 17 2015 Retrieved August 8 2013 Thorsen Tor June 18 2004 Rumor Control Halo GBA and Dirty Harry The Game GameSpot CBS Interactive Archived from the original on February 19 2006 Retrieved June 6 2008 Thorsen Tor January 7 2005 Rumor Control Xbox Next Patents and Gizmondo Halo GameSpot Archived from the original on December 1 2008 Retrieved June 6 2008 Grant Christopher May 5 2006 Gizmondo Halo project used cam mouselook Joystiq AOL Archived from the original on November 7 2011 Retrieved June 6 2008 Thorsen Tor March 9 2006 Origami officially unveiled GameSpot CBS Interactive Archived from the original on October 7 2008 Retrieved June 12 2008 Casamassina Matt January 1 2007 Matt Casamassina claims playing Halo DS IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on September 7 2007 Retrieved October 2 2007 Casamassina Matt October 2 2007 Matt Casamassina demonstrates Halo DS IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on December 16 2008 Retrieved October 2 2007 Crecente Brian October 5 2007 Bungie Owns Bungie The Q amp A Kotaku Archived from the original on October 11 2007 Retrieved October 5 2007 Weeks Ken March 4 2006 The Bungie XBLA game that never was Joystiq Archived from the original on November 4 2013 a b c Shea Jessica June 5 2013 The Halo Bulletin 6 5 2013 Halo Waypoint 343 Industries Archived from the original on August 2 2013 De Kwaadsteniet Maarten June 17 2014 Halo Spartan Assault Interview IGN Benelux in Dutch Archived from the original on March 23 2020 Retrieved January 9 2019 a b c Building Halo Worlds Panel Comic Con 2013 YouTube July 19 2013 Archived from the original on April 13 2016 Retrieved August 10 2013 Takahashi Dean June 4 2013 Why Microsoft made its top down Windows tablet game Halo Spartan Assault video interview VentureBeat Archived from the original on March 23 2020 Retrieved January 9 2019 Halo Spartan Assault exclusive interview and concept art Windows Blogs July 24 2013 Archived from the original on March 23 2020 Retrieved January 9 2019 a b Kain Eric August 8 2013 An Interview With Halo Spartan Assault Composer Tom Salta Forbes Archived from the original on August 21 2013 Retrieved August 15 2013 Hughes Sam June 6 2015 Interview with Composer Tom Salta The Sound Architect Archived from the original on August 26 2019 Retrieved May 23 2020 Kulasingham Gajan July 25 2014 Halo Spartan Assault Launch Trailer GameSpot Archived from the original on March 24 2020 Retrieved March 24 2020 Albanesius Chloe June 4 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Arrives on Windows 8 Win Phone 8 Next Month PCMAG Archived from the original on March 23 2020 Retrieved March 23 2020 Mlot Stephanie August 19 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Expands to All Windows Phone 8 Devices PCMAG Archived from the original on March 23 2020 Retrieved March 23 2020 Makuch Eddie December 9 2013 Halo Spartan Assault for Xbox One launches Christmas Eve runs in 1080p at 60fps GameSpot Archived from the original on December 24 2018 Retrieved January 9 2019 Warren Tom December 9 2013 Halo Spartan Assault for Xbox One launches on December 24th for 14 99 The Verge Archived from the original on March 28 2020 Retrieved August 26 2019 Albert Brian March 27 2014 Halo Spartan Assault is Heading to Steam IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on March 27 2014 Retrieved March 29 2014 Farokhmanesh Megan May 30 2014 June Games with Gold brings Dark Souls to 360 Spartan Assault to Xbox One Polygon Archived from the original on March 23 2020 Retrieved March 23 2020 Halo Spartan Assault on App Store on iTunes iTunes Apple Inc April 16 2015 Archived from the original on March 6 2016 Retrieved April 16 2015 Hillard Kyle August 27 2013 Free Halo Spartan Assault Operation Hydra Update Adds Xbox 360 Controller Support Game Informer Archived from the original on October 30 2013 Retrieved February 13 2014 Holly Russell August 29 2013 Halo Spartan Assault gets DLC update adds Xbox controller support Geek com Ziff Davis Archived from the original on August 26 2019 Retrieved August 15 2019 a b Halo Spartan Assault for PC Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive Archived from the original on August 25 2013 Retrieved September 15 2013 Halo Spartan Assault for Xbox One Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive Archived from the original on December 25 2013 Retrieved September 15 2013 Halo Spartan Assault for Xbox 360 Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive Archived from the original on December 27 2013 Retrieved September 15 2013 a b c d Carter Chris Review Spartan Assault Destructoid Archived from the original on July 29 2013 Retrieved July 28 2013 Donlan Christian July 22 2013 Halo Spartan Assault review Eurogamer Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved July 22 2013 a b c Davis Justin July 30 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Review IGN Archived from the original on September 18 2020 Retrieved July 31 2013 Ferrill Tim July 29 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Review Maximum PC Archived from the original on September 18 2020 Retrieved July 31 2013 a b c Brown Nathan September 18 2013 Halo Spartan Assault review PC Gamer Future plc Archived from the original on September 21 2013 Retrieved September 18 2013 a b Slater Harry July 19 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Pocket Gamer Steel Media Archived from the original on August 6 2016 Retrieved July 22 2013 Holly Russell July 18 2013 Review Halo Spartan Assault on the Lumia 928 Geek com Ziff Davis Archived from the original on December 5 2015 Gurwin Gabe March 14 2019 The best Halo games ranked from best to worst Digital Trends Archived from the original on March 24 2020 Retrieved March 24 2020 Staff Halo Spartan Assault Review X One 108 74 a b Ford Eric April 17 2015 Halo Spartan Assault Review The Covenant Invade iOS TouchArcade Archived from the original on February 1 2017 a b Miller Simon July 23 2013 Halo Spartan Assault Review VideoGamer Resero Network Archived from the original on April 30 2019 Retrieved July 23 2013 a b c Kollar Philip January 2 2014 Halo Spartan Assault Review Tin Soldiers Polygon Vox Media Archived from the original on September 3 2020 Retrieved August 6 2020 Tyrrel Brandin March 25 2014 Halo Spartan Assault Receives Console Price Drop IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on August 24 2015 Retrieved August 1 2020 Halo Spartan Assault now available exclusively on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 for 6 99 July 18 2013 Archived from the original on March 28 2020 Retrieved August 26 2019 Peckham Matt December 23 2013 Merry Halo mas Spartan Assault for Xbox One Rings in Festivus a Day Early Time Archived from the original on March 25 2020 Retrieved March 25 2020 Valentine Jake January 4 2014 Halo Spartan Assault Review Nickel and Dime GameZone Archived from the original on January 11 2014 Retrieved January 22 2014 Halo Spartan Strike Comes to Windows 8 Devices and Steam this December Xbox com Microsoft October 16 2014 Archived from the original on October 18 2014 Retrieved October 26 2014 Tipps Seth May 1 2017 343 Industries Delays Halo Spartan Strike to Early 2015 IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on August 14 2018 Retrieved August 7 2020 External links EditHalo Spartan Assault at Halo Waypoint Halo Spartan Assault Archived August 8 2017 at the Wayback Machine on developer Vanguard Games s website Portal Video games Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Halo Spartan Assault amp oldid 1129426991, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.