Halo: Spartan Assault (2013)

Vanguard Games gives Halo fans something to cheer about in 'Halo: Spartan Assault,' distilling the essence of the first-person series into fun top-down shooter play.

It’s not surprising that Spartan Strike is an incredibly fun game to play, and 343 Industries certainly has the experience under its belt to produce high-quality action games. Can it compare to the upcoming Halo 5? Of course not. Spartan Strike is an stylish little package, and is being sold for an amazing price. As such, 'true' Halo game or not, it is easily one of the best games to come out on the iPad this year.

As long as your expectations are tempered, Halo: Spartan Assault is a serviceable game. It works as a top-down shooter, but you'll miss the enemy intelligence of the older games. The bite-sized missions can be good, but unfortunately, that means the whole game amazingly short. The presence of co-op is nice, but when you see how limited it is and how little online community engaged there is, the mode might as well be invisible. Most of all, the presence of microtransactions that are not only highly disposable but also pricey is hurtful when you consider that this is the most expensive version of the game. If you already have the game on a Windows 8 device, then it isn't a bad idea to get the Xbox One version if you're a fan or just want to share progress back and forth. Otherwise, wait for a sale or wait for another first-person Halo.

I thought that Spartan Assault would be a great addition to the Halo universe while expanding the audience with a new genre. In the end the short campaign, lack of storyline, and ease of gameplay make this a tough sell. I enjoy dual stick shooters like this, so I did enjoy my time with the game. However, you might have to lower your expectations with your purchase.

It does some things very well, but drops some stitches. The single player is roughly entertaining, but isn't made for long play sessions: the missions are often very short and simple in form. The co-op makes up for a lot, only this mode has a big lack of content. This is a great pity, as it is precisely that multiplayer that brings out the fun. Halo: Spartan Assault doesn't impress as much as had been hoped for beforehand, but it's worth it. Even if you don't have anything with Halo.