Microsoft Studios today announced a brand new Halo game – we know, you weren’t expecting that just yet, were you? Unfortunately for the hardcore gamers it’s not a new Xbox 360 or even Xbox One game, instead Halo: Spartan Assault will be exclusively for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.
Microsoft Studios announced the new title today, which it has developed alongside 343 Industries and Vanguard Games, revealing that it will be the first Halo game designed for touchscreen devices and exclusively for Windows.
In Halo: Spartan Assault we follow the story of Sarah Palmer, a senior Spartan officer who has of course starred in previous Halo titles. The look of the game isn’t quite like previous Halo titles, adopting a ‘top down’ view with smaller characters, much like an MMORPG. Designed for use on tablets and smartphones primarily, the control buttons are situated around the edges of the screen and automatically hide when not in use so as to maximise what you see while you play.
Microsoft Studios says it built the game from the ground up in order to create something specific to Windows devices that use a touchscreen. There are 25 brand new Spartan missions to play through and a whole new world to explore, and from July the game will be available to download digitally from the Windows Store and Windows Phone Marketplace.
If you’re hoping to play the new title on your iPhone or Android tablet, you’re out of luck unfortunately. 343 Industries Executive Producer Dan Ayoub quashed any hope of the game going elsewhere outside of the Windows ecosystem at the launch event today, saying;
“We created this optimised for Windows 8 devices, to drive that platform forward.
“We haven’t really given too much thought to anything beyond that, so we’re absolutely looking at Windows devices.”
Are you excited for a new Halo title?