Halo: Spartan Assault

*Halo: Spartan Assault*

*“Halo like you have never played before.”*— Halo: Spartan Assault tagline.
***Halo: Spartan Assault***is a top-down shooter science fiction video game developed by343 Industries and Vanguard Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for iOS , PC , Xbox 360 and Xbox One .

*Halo: Spartan Assault*was first released on July 18, 2013. The game is the first in the series to be a top-down shooter; most *Halo*games are first-person shooters, making this game different. It is also the first *Halo*game released on mobile, as well as the first since *Halo 2*to have a PC port (as well as the first to be released on PC before Xbox).

## Story

### Plot

*Halo: Spartan Assault'*s is alot more basic than previous *Halo*games. The level structure is also entirely different, with levels being seperated into seperate mega levels called Operations. There are a total of six operations, with a few levels available only in Co-Op mode. There are two playable characters, both of which are Spartan-IVs: Edward Davis and Sarah Palmer. The cutscenes are also different; instead of in-game or CGI scenes, the cutscenes themselves are largely artistic slideshows. The events of the game are actually a training simulation on tactics being shown to new recruits of the Spartan-IV program by Roland.

The game opens in the year 2554; a year after *Halo 3* and three years before *Halo 4*. A Covenant Remnant fleet, in direct violation of the Treaty of 2552, arrives over Draetheus V and begins attacking its moon, X50. The fleet itself is comprised of four CAS-Class Assault Carriers and five CCS-Class Battlecruisers. Almost immediately, Davis is deployed to site CF32 to help security forces repel Covenant troops. Later, in the Mirror Flats, Palmer deploys with a detachment of marines to destroy plasma artillery that is making a UNSC counterattack on a Wraith battalion suicide. This mission proved successful, and Davis was later deployed to Glacial Perch to set up anti-aircraft defenses so as to fight off Covenant dropships. However, Covenant forces were proving almost unstoppable, and it was believed Research Facility Alpha would fall.

Palmer later redeployed to provide air support for Hornets to land, with the hope that they could escape X50 to warn Draetheus V of the invasion. Soon, the Covenant had complete control of X50, and despite the ferocity of their invasion, UNSC forces on Draetheus V were unaware of the invasion due to magnetic fields making communications impossible. While Davis stayed behind to hold X50, Palmer managed to escape on a Hornet and headed for Draetheus V.

Although Palmer was able to warn the planet of the impending invasion, the Covenant forces were overwhelming. However, Palmer was able to single-handedly hold off continuous waves of suicide Grunts from the breached walls, allowing marines to defend Faraday Base from the Covenant troops. She then took off for the western reactor field, helping defend it from Covenant forces. Palmer then systematically located and eliminated the leading Covenant officers of the invasion within thirty minutes, severely weakening the Covenant's position. Later, Covenant forces secured nine bridges in the Epsilon Expanse, holding it with plasma artillery. Palmer advanced with the 23rd Armoured Cavalry, and then led marines in taking out the artillery, allowing their tanks to cross and launch a counter offensive.

Palmer then lead the Armoured Cavalry in a massive offensive against Covenant armor battalions in the Red Slate, hoping to relieve the pressure the Covenant was placing on Faraday. The offensive was successful, managing to destroy most of the Covenant column and repel the rest, but with significant losses, with only eight functioning vehicles left on the UNSC's side.

Back on X50, Davis faced significant resistance from Covenant forces, but thanks to the UNSC *Eminent Domain*, support from UNSC forces was deployed to the southern Mirror Flats to assist. Davis went to work on aiding the 3rd Helljumper Platoon, whilst also helping to secure a second landing zone. The *Eminent Domain*was destroyed shortly after, but not before destroying numerous Spirit dropships from orbit. Covenant troops swarmed the crash site, but Davis and his platoon of marines managed to hold them off.

Not long after, it was discovered that the leader of the Covenant forces, Merg Vol, planned to use a Forerunner structure, which was actually a planet deconstructor, to destroy Draetheus V. Davis, hoping to aid UNSC technicians in deactivating the structure, moves through the Besalt Maze to disrupt Covenant supply lines. Afterwards, Davis escorted sniper teams past a mile wide defensive perimeter, after killing numerous stealth Sangheili. With sniper teams in position, and Davis in support, the technicians were able to disable the Forerunner structure; however, they were too late, and they were forced to watch the sky as Draetheus V began to break apart.

On Draetheus V, Palmer attempted to organize a coordinated retreat, but panic had already spread across all UNSC infantry units. Palmer then proceeded to equip a jetpack as the planet fell apart and escaped the rapidly disintegrating Faraday Base. She then secured a few Elephants to aid in the evacuation of numerous marines. UNSC Command quickly declared losses on the planet to be huge, but Palmer declared this unacceptable. She then organized UNSC forces and overran Covenant landing zones, confiscating their dropships. She then later reinforced the rear guard, defending the escaping elephants from the remaining Covenant troops. Once reaching the landing zones, Palmer helped hold off whatever was left of the Covenant troops, allowing 23 dropships to escape, saving lives that would have otherwise been lost.

To allow the dropships a way to escape past the moon, Palmer declared that Merg Vol's death was required. With rumors stating that Merg's second-in-command, Parg Vol, had a transport hidden away, with Palmer deciding to try and steal it. Finding the camp it was located in, Palmer neutralized all forces inside and a technician began to access the Phantom. Parg Vol returned and, realizing her intent, ordered a full bombardment, but Palmer ended up taking the Phantom regardless. Merg Vol learnt of her attempt and ordered all phantoms shot down, except those of commanding officers; this allowed Palmer to sneak through and land behind enemy lines. She then proceeded to fight through Merg's most seasoned soldiers, destroying a group of Tyrant AA guns to draw them out of cover and kill them.

Having dealt with his camp, Palmer proceeded to his main position, his base being almost impregnable, and guarded by Merg's most devout followers, who throw themselves at her mercilessly. Finally, unable to contact Davis, Palmer confronts Merg Vol, who has managed to activate the structure's emergency defenses. Eventually, Palmer ends up killing Merg, which causes all Covenant forces to withdraw from the moon. The battle ends in a phyrric UNSC victory.

### Campaign

On average, a player will take 4 hours and 19 minutes and 7 hours and 19 minutes if played leisurely to complete *Halo: Spartan Assault*campaign. There are five operations of five missions each. An extra operation was added as DLC later on. The game has two main playable characters; Edward Davis and Sarah Palmer, although most of the game is spent playing as Palmer.

The six operations are:

* Operation A: Umbra
	+ Assault on CF-12
	+ The Mirror Mantle Counter-Assault
	+ Reinforcement of the Perch
	+ Live to Fight
	+ The Last Stand
* Operation B: Tempered Shield
	+ Siege of Faraday
	+ Reactor Field Relief
	+ Hunt for the Sangheili Command
	+ Battle for Epsilon Expanse
	+ Battle at Red Slate
* Operation C: Monolith
	+ Descend from the Perch
	+ Spirit Graveyard Stand-Off
	+ Assault on the Supply Lines
	+ Infiltration of the Covenant Perimeter
	+ Superstructure Stand-off
* Operation D: Captured Chance
	+ Escape from the Southern Fields
	+ Liberation of Faraday
	+ Assault on the Covenant Landing Zone
	+ Escape from Faraday
	+ Defense of the Enemies' Airbase
* Operation E: Frostbite
	+ Hunt for the Phantom
	+ The Scorching of the Thicket
	+ Infiltration of the Cult Leader's Base
	+ Hunt for the Cult Leader
	+ Battle for the Moon
* Operation F: Hydra (Added as DLC)
	+ Battle at the Arid Sea
	+ Breach of the Bulwark
	+ Superstructure Assault
	+ Infiltration of the Cistern
	+ The Source
* Co-op Missions (Added as DLC)
	+ Checkpoint
	+ Holding the Fort
	+ Structural Integrity
	+ Transmission Interrupted
	+ Power Net

### Characters

* UNSC
* Covenant Remnant

### Main characters

* Sarah Palmer
* Edward Davis
* Roland (cutscenes only).

### Main characters

* Merg Vol
* Parg Vol

### Weapons

* UNSC
* Covenant Remnant

### Usable

* MA37 Assault Rifle
* MA5D Assault Rifle
* M6H Magnum
* M7 SMG
* M6 machine pistol
* BR85HB Battle Rifle
* M45D Shotgun
* Grenade Launcher
* Railgun
* M41 Rocket Launcher
* SRS 99-S5 Sniper Rifle
* M6 Spartan Laser
* M9 Frag Grenade
* Napalm Grenade

### Usable

* Plasma Pistol
* Needler
* Plasma Rifle (Mentioned only).
* Plasma Repeater
* Focus Rifle
* Energy Sword
* Plasma Grenade
* Brute Shot
* Gravity Hammer

### Vehicles

* UNSC
* Covenant Remnant
* Ships

### Drivable

* Warthog (gunner seat only).
* Grizzly
* Scorpion

### Undrivable

* Warthog (driver and passenger seat).
* Rocket Warthog
* Wolverine
* Elephant
* Elephant
* Hornet
* Sparrowhawk
* Pelican
* ODST Pod

### Drivable

* Shade turret
* Ghost
* Wraith
* Anti-Air Wraith

### Undrivable

* Banshee
* Spirit
* Phantom
* Covenant Drop Pod

### UNSC

* *Strident*-class heavy frigate
* UNSC *Eminent Domain*
* *Infinity*-class supercarrier
	+ UNSC *Infinity*

### Covenant Remnant

* CCS-class battlecruisers
* CAS-class assault carriers

### Armor Abilities and Powerups

#### UNSC

* Sprint
* Regeneration Field
* Overshield
* Hologram
* Stun Blast
* Seeker Drone
* Active Camouflage
* Autosentry
* Hardlight Shield
* Repel
* Teleport

## Reception

*Spartan Assault* received mixed to positive reviews upon release; the game has a weighted aggregate rating of 70/100 on Metacritic, based on 17 reviews. 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. Multiple reviewers praised the game for its authentic Halo look and feel. 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. The microtransaction features of Spartan Assault were generally negatively received. While reviewers such as Destructoid's Carter felt that the microtransactions could be ignored and did not impact enjoyment of the game, 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." GameZone's Jake Valentine gave the Xbox One version a 5/10, stating " Halo: Spartan Assault is a soulless, boring, chore of a game. The small glimpses of fun arcade like gameplay are drowned away by frustration and money grabbing."\***IGN**: 6.7/10.

* **GameRankings**: 69% (PC), 54% (Xbox One), 45% (Xbox 360) and 76% (iOS).
* **Metacritic**: 70/100 (PC), 53/100 (Xbox One) and 51/100 (Xbox 360).
* **Destructoid**: 7/10.
* **Eurogamer**: 7/10.
* **Game Informer**: 8.25/10.
* **GameSpot**: 6/10.
* **Maximum PC**: 8/10.
* **PC Gamer (US)**: 58/100.
* **VideoGamer.com**: 7/10.
* **Metro**: 7/10.
* **Pocket Gamer**: 9/10.

## Halo: Spartan Assault Original Soundtrack

The Halo: Spartan Assault Original Soundtrack was composed for the game, *Halo: Spartan Assault*, and was composed by Tom Salta. Altogether, there are 27 tracks on the soundtrack. All the music from the game is present, with very few missing tracks. It officially released on July 18, 2013.

## Trivia

* The cinematics resemble the art and style of the *Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary* Terminals and the *Halo 4* Terminals.
* Prior to is announcement, *Halo: Spartan Assault* was codenamed *Halo: Bootcamp*.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the second *Halo*title to earn an ESRB rating of "Teen" rather than "Mature." The first was *Halo Wars*.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the second *Halo*title to not be a first-person shooter. The first was *Halo Wars*.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the first *Halo*title made for a mobile device.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the first *Halo*title released on Xbox One.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the third *Halo*title to appear on PC. The first was *Halo: Combat Evolved* and the second was *Halo 2*.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the first *Halo*title to not be released on Xbox first before any other device.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the last *Halo*title released on Xbox 360.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the first game in which the player cannot change the difficulty in the campaign without the use of skulls.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is one of the few *Halo*media to show Sangheili and Jiralhanae fighting on the same battlefield.
* Though seen on the front cover, *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the first *Halo*title in which the player does not fight, nor encounter or see, any Hunters.
* *Halo: Spartan Assault*is the first ever *Halo*game to be released on Steam.
* The game marks the first on-screen appearance of the Wolverine and Grizzly since their introduction in *Halo Wars*.

## Gallery

Halo: Spartan Assault WallpaperHalo: Spartan Assault Logo

## Links

### External Links

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo: Spartan Assault*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 **Steam Store** - *Halo: Spartan Assault*
3. ↑ '*Halo: Waypoint* - *List of games*
4. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Get Halo: Spartan Assault for $1.99 on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8*
5. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Get Halo: Spartan Assault Once On Windows 8.1, Download Anywhere*
6. ↑ **Twitter**, bsangel
7. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo: Spartan Assault For Xbox 360 Releases Tomorrow*
8. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo: Spartan Assault Release Date Revealed*
9. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo: Spartan Assault Price Drop on Xbox One and Xbox 360*
10. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *If you already own Halo: Spartan Assault, get it on Xbox One and Xbox 360 for just $4.99*
11. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - Halo: Spartan Assault *is coming to Steam*
12. ↑ **Halo Waypoint Forums** - *Halo Spartan Assault. Gaso challenge.*
13. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo: Spartan Assault Stats* Hover mouse over question mark
14. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo 4 XP Unlockables*
15. ↑ **YouTube** - *Halo 4 Champions Bundle: Spartan Assault Content*
16. ↑ **Halo 4 Section III ARG** - *Known Sequences*
17. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo: Spartan Assault Achievements*
18. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *Xbox One/Xbox 360 Halo: Spartan Assault Achievements Revealed*
19. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *New Halo: Spartan Assault Achievements Revealed*
20. ↑ **Neowin** - *Syncing problems remain in 'Spartan Assault' despite patch*
21. ↑ **Halo Waypoint Forums** - *Game Progress Is Gone*
22. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - Community Meld
23. ↑ [1]
24. ↑ [2]
25. ↑ **Gameinformer** - *Halo: Spartan Assault*
26. ↑ **Halo Waypoint** - *The Halo Bulletin 6.5.13*