Spartan Assault- 9/10 and Favorite mobile game
I was not sure, at first, what to expect from Spartan Assault. I knew it would have 25 missions, and I assumed they would be short, as the game is not only for Windows 8 PCs but also for Windows Phone. That is evident when I played the game in my PC, and I was somewhat dissatisfied by the lack of a variety of weapons, some of the missions’ structures, and the absence of a narrative as strong as the ones in the console Halo games. The graphics are very detailed if a little repetitive in the environments, and the gameplay is fun, though again not as complex. Controlling your Spartan is relatively easy with a mouse and keyboard both on foot and inside vehicles, which more than meets my expectations for a game that is also for mobile devices. The game is short, but achievements, challenges, 6 different skulls, and reaching a gold medal on each mission could have you replaying the game and improving your skill. As UNSC Infinity's AI Roland states in the opening cutscene of the game, "We're going to study historical battles in hope of increasing your tactical skills in the future. As a bonus, it's a pretty fun game you can play in your spare time." Even though it’s not as big or as deep as the console games, I still praise it for being able to bring Halo to mobile without too much sacrifice in any area.
One aspect of the game I wish was different was the game’s structure between missions. I do not feel it’s treated as a campaign, but rather as separate missions, and separate operations (five missions= one operation). Instead of “Resume/Continue Campaign”, you first select one of the five operations, then a mission, and then your loadout, which you could only change with XP or microtransactions, something that disappointed me, especially from a $6.99 game. It’s just another thing that sets the game apart from a full console game. The structure is similar to Spartan Ops, yet I feel it should be more similar to a console title's campaign. While I understand the game is mobile, and an excellent one, I still would've been more impressed if Spartan Assault was treated more like a full console title and less like another mobile set of minigames.
The lack of checkpoints or a save feature (less like a campaign!) is sometimes frustrating, especially when you rack up a gigantic score and then die, having to start all over again. I would be so grateful for just one checkpoint per mission. This is another instance where it’s good that most missions are short. While the game doesn't have an adjustable difficulty, but you can add extra challenges to the game through skulls such as having limited ammo on picked-up weapons, having to melee enemies to recharge shields, or having only shields instead of shields and armor (the thing that protects you once your shields are down) which in turn provide with extra XP multipliers.
Weapons aren't too varied, but you do get to experiment more later in the game with covenant weapons. However, you can't change your predetermined loadout without spending money on credits or spending XP. However, XP can only unlock you a sniper rifle, one different armor ability, which depends on the mission, and a shield booster. For anything else, you have to pay. I thought the game should've been at least a little more flexible on ways to unlock items without spending money, especially since $6.99 is on the high end of mobile game prices.
Towards the end of the game, the story becomes more focused on and develops more, but is still only portrayed through the cutscenes that appear in between operations, which makes for a total of five, but never plays too much of a role during the missions. There are short text briefings before each mission, but I barely bothered to read them as they only provided rather little information on the not-very-hooking story. However, it was interesting enough for me really wanting to see how it ends, for Palmer's story, Spartan Ops, and the in-game Halo 4 rewards which were also a source of motivation and a satisfying reward for the short but fun game.
I can't say I wasn't a bit disappointed by the game being so different from the core games, but treating the game for what it is, a mobile and PC game, I will say I am impressed by 343 making such a strong game for Windows Phone, in which it stands out as one of the best experiences available in mobile gaming, and it is definitively a blast to play. I hope to see more developers integrate their franchises into the mobile market as expertly as 343 Industries did.