The isometric viewpoint is certainly a good fit, even though the perspective does chip away at the cinematic splendour that the series is known for. This sequel also boasts some impressive detail, with explosive set-pieces unfolding in the background painting the illusion of a story set in the midst of a wider conflict. It looks decent, although that can also be said of the original. At least there's no microtransactions, and the different loadouts that are often the key to unlocking higher scores can now be accessed by spending XP instead of real money. These skulls were one of the best features of the first game, and it's a shame they've not really elaborated on it for this sequel. Like Spartan Assault before it, you can increase your score by activating skulls. There's four chapters (and a fifth that can be unlocked once all levels have been completed to the gold standard), and the main story can be finished in around four or five hours, maybe even less. Players are graded based on their performance, earning bronze, silver and gold depending on how well they do. There's some difficulty spikes that frustrate in the moment because of the lack of checkpoints, but once they've been beaten it's easier to appreciate them for what they are friction that gives more substance to the campaign. They're predominantly short bursts of action without checkpoints that can be completed in just a few minutes. Some, as is the Halo way, involve blasting away on the back of a Scorpion or driving a Warthog, while others involve standing on plates and activating devices. The decision to bring the new enemy into the old timeline is a strange one, and surely something like Halo Wars, which managed to neatly separate itself from canon, wouldn't have been beyond the dev team. We jump between Earth and Gamma Halo, with the former boasting futuristic city environments and the latter featuring lush jungles laid over Forerunner architecture. There's a key, a conduit, and back and forth between the UNSC and the Covenant, with the Prometheans pitching in for good measure.
The story that holds it all together never really raises the pulse. It also helps that the controls feel a mite more responsive in Spartan Strike, and it's easier to be accurate. Some of the weapons fail to feel noticeably different from one another, but having the option to switch between UNSC and alien guns mid-battle is certainly welcome, and it does mean there's more options to consider as you approach the different set-pieces. With the new enemy types come new weapons, and there's a number of different options strewn across the floor and dropped by Promethean and Covenant troops throughout the campaign. The Promethean Knights and the Watchers that can revive them once dead make challenging scenarios more so, and these are layered on top of the existing strengths of the Covenant forces (there's no Flood this time around). Indeed, the rise in enemy types means that the player will have to adopt increasingly diverse tactics if they're to progress through some of the trickier exchanges. While it stretches the fiction to fit the format, these new enemies ensure more variety, and as such they're a welcome addition.
It's forgivable because, like Spartan Assault, this is set in a combat simulator and presents a "what if" scenario for players to contemplate. Their inclusion here muddies the timeline somewhat, as this game starts off during the Covenant attack on New Mombasa that fans will know takes place during Halo 2. The most notable improvement comes from the addition of the Prometheans, the alien race introduced in Halo 4. This doesn't have a huge impact in-game, but it's nice to see that 343i and Vanguard Games have listened to feedback. It makes for a cleaner, more complete experience. For starters the needless microtransactions that plagued the original have been ripped out. The formula has been improved in some key areas. Spartan Strike, the recently released sequel, is most certainly an improvement on that first offering, although once it was finished we were left with much the same feeling, that perhaps it might have been better.
Halo: Spartan Assault launched not long after the Xbox One, and it was a solid twin-stick shooter that made good use of the Halo IP, even if it ultimately failed to dazzle.