For a $5 or less game, this game delivered.

There are some things about it that really, really piss me off, but with that price, you get what you pay for one way or another.

The two things that piss me off, just for the record:

1. Tank controls. For the love of God, wtf?

2. The cheapest and most annoying kind of difficulty scaling. Near the end, The game just throws more enemies at you, and takes away all your cover. You never know whether a pathway obstruction is going to be cover or not. And I swear to God the enemies actually take more hits to kill. On top of that you have to destroy objectives that magically regenerate health, even though nothing else in the f****** game did that. SO annoying.

Proper difficulty scaling for a game like this would mean more interesting scenarios, completely new wildcard challenges, and juxtaposed game mechanics that hasn't used that way yet. This game does not do that.

A third thing that was just disappointing: The ending. Story was pretty good, and I liked the stills in the cut scenes, but when the game finished, there was only a 5 second clip of "well that's it for the archives" (not a direct quote) and no credits, and then it just puts you back on the mission screen. It was really anticlimactic and disappointing, especially after being so pissed off with the last level, lol.

Between the difficulty scaling and the story ending, this was probably the worst ending to any game I've ever played.

Overall, I still recommend this game. The bad parts really do not occur until later on and overall my experience was good. I mean I put probably 40+ hours into this game for only a few dollars (idk why steam says my time in-game is so much less). I say it's worth it. Just don't play it seriously to beat it. Use it to chill and kill some time, and don't try to beat the game or get all the badges. It's reall satisfying for casual solo fun. Let's you turn your brain off a little. And it's a bit nostalgic.

I'm sorry the Halo game you really wanted isn't available for Steam. And yes this is a mobile port.

Now that part's out of the way, Halo: Spartan Assault is a fun little top-down twin-stick shooter and it's a great deal for its already low price (and an even better deal during one of the frequent 75% off sales). It's short, but I don't really see that as a downside, personally. As someone with a fairly short attention span at times (like the times when I am awake), I like that Halo: SA is a game that I can pick up and run through a level in a few minutes.

The graphics are nice, particularly since this started in the mobile sphere. I played using an Xbox 360 controller and I didn't find the controls awkward at all, though it did take a few missions for me to get the hang of things. The music's also really good. The story is pretty basic, but you're a recruit in training in some sort of Halo universe thingie, and you are using the game to re-enact the historic battles of some heroic spartan assault in some futuristic past. Probably this all makes great sense if you're already a Halo fan. What you get is a nice little series of missions in which you are some kind of badass futuristic soldier tasked with clearing enemies, escorting vehicles, holding strategic points, destroying heavy weapons, etc.

The enemies, weapons, power-ups, and the missions themselves are all varied enough that it keeps things interesting as you progress through the 30 or so levels. Surprisingly, there's also quite a bit of replayability, whether it's trying to get gold stars on each mission, going for all the achievements and medals, attempting missions with the "extra credit" parameters, farming for XP to buy upgrades, or playing with various handicaps (skulls) turned on. In addition, once you factor in the muliple difficulty levels and the ability to compare your scores to those of your Steam friends, you can easily play through several times.

Add nice Steam integration features (trading cards, achievements, leaderboards) and the only reason not to get this one is (apparently, judging from the negative reviews and threads I see) if you are too busy crying that Micro$oft didn't put the Halo game you really wanted to play on Steam.

A fun and responsive top down shooter. Bizarre design choices and a weak story does not stop me whole heartedly recommending this game to anyone who likes this kind of thing. If you're a Halo fan you probably already own this. I would however advise buying this on a sale if you can help it as the games replay value is limited.

Now if MS would hurry up and get Halo over here on pc, that would be nice.




Halo Spartan Assault is a isometric top down shooter brought to you by 'Vanguard games', who holds reasonable pedigree, as they made the well received title 'Gattling Gears', another top down shooter.
Originally made for Windows Phone, then ported over to Windows 8, then to both generations of Xbox consoles, then finally to Steam, which means it will run on anything. Basically you'll find this title on virtually any reasonbly current gen platform you can find.

From the very start, you can tell this is a ported mobile game almost instantly. Giant menu buttons and a small array of graphical and audio options are not unexpected for these types of game. However it doesn't make it any more excusable. This stuff does not belong on pc and, where I can forgive a smaller company the lack of attention to detail, this is f***ing Microsoft and Co!

Controlling your Spartan is easy. WASD keys will move your guy around, while aim and shoot with the mouse. Pretty simple. Everything here feels tight and responsive. Quite an achievement for a top down shooter, where many a time you'll find yourself struggling to control a slow and unresponsive character.
Gameplay wise, this is about as good as you're going to get out of this genre. Good stuff!

Graphically, the game is very pleasing to the eye. It's by no means going to win awards. But it definitely has it's own style and charm to it. Everything here feels like Halo. Plasma grenades explode with a satisfying buzz Halo players will no and love, while the chatter of different weapons all feel hefty and interesting. One of Halo's greatest strengths is its weapons variety and while it does taught some of the best weapons from the game, I was slightly disappointed they didn't include more weapon variety.
Also, due no doubt to this being originally a Mobile game, some weapons are extraordinarily overpowered (The automatic rocket launcher for example) This completely breaks the tactical nature of the game, and really only limits you to a few weapons which you'll either start with at the beginning of the level, or by unlocking them XP points. None of the guns enemies drop are worth anything. And they'll more than likely get you killed if you attempt to use them on harder difficulties.

This brings me to another strange design choice the game has. Instead of paying for an advantage, on console and desktop versions of the game, you can simply buy OP weapons with XP points you earn by repeating levels. This to me, feels sloppy and hurried. Maybe I was expecting too much, but it would have been cool to have some kind of progression system to unlock more guns. It would have lengthened the games longevity somewhat also.

The story here is about as by the numbers as you'll get. Rookie Spartan Sara Palmer gets into trouble with the covenant. Davis, and her fight back and win the day. Pretty standard stuff. This is by no means going to make you fall in love with the Halo lore if this is your first outing of Halo. Which it very well might be,given MS's track record of releasing Halo games on PC.

One massive, and rather nonsensical issue I have with the game however is that MS has actually made the decision to strip the CO-OP mode out of the game entirely. Unless you own the game on Xbox One, (which I do) you wont be able to play with friends. Aside from the insanely short sighted design decision to rip pieces out of the game so the Next gen port would look more favorable, I can't think of single reason to do this. This severely hurt the games fun factor as two players really makes this one of the best top down shooters out there.

It's fun for a spin off Halo game, but I would love for the other Halo games to appear on Steam. Please 343 industries or Microsoft make it happen someday.

The game really feels and looks like Halo even though is not a FPS. It has the same atmosphere and the same graphic and artistic direction, making it a real Halo game.

These being said, the game is actually designed for mobile touch enabled devices and the first thing that gives it away is the missions length that never reaches 10 minutes. In fact, you can finish most of the missions in less than 5 minutes(if you're good enough), making Halo: Spartan Assault the first casual game in this series.

The story is interesting and it's written in such a manner that can justify the moments when the game gets really hard.

The game features and experience system that allows you to buy new weapons and abilities. You can get XP points only based on the enemies you kill and the manner you kill them. This way you can earn the Bronze/Silver/Gold star or none (this means no XP points). You can also select 2 out of 6 skulls to make the game harder but gain more XP points.

The game is really enjoyable but unfortunately it has some serious issues.

There are moments the game feels so scripted and cheap that you really want to ditch it.

The default weapons set usually feels useless so you have to pick your own custom ones. However this requires a lot of XP points and force you to pick up skulls. This makes the game harder but frustrating and cheap.

While the Covenant troops have no problem in controlling the vehicles, you struggle to.
While the need 1-3 grenades to blow up their own vehicles when you are driving them, you need 3-5 at least to do the same thing with the same vehicles. While they can blow up you vehicle really fast with mounted turrets without stopping from shooting, you need more shots and time to do it and you also have to stop firing since the turrets magically start overheating when you use them.
And you also need more grenades to blow up the turrets when the enemy uses it than they need for when you are using it.

All those aspects make some missions so hard that you have to keep on trying to finish them. Sometimes you need to replay old missions to get XP points so that you can afford the right set of weapons and abilities since you waste all those points trying to figure the right set out, making a 5 minutes mission feel like a 30 minutes repetitive hell and a very bad way to make a game feel longer than it really is.

If you compare it to other Halo games it will be the worst of them all. But it is stilll a good game. The mechanics/controls are smooth and feel responsive. the story is interesting (if you are a fan of the Halo universe). The cutscenes are also really well made, same goes for the rest of the graphics. I think I beat it within 3 to 4 hours so it is not too long but is has some replay value.

Overall it is a nice little game you can kill time with. I think 4.99 is a good price for it and for me it was worth it.

Great game but seriously Microsoft put Halo 3 on Steam it will give you teh moneys.

+ The control system is solidly designed and is intuitive in practice
+ Environmental design is escellent in a way that is characteristic of the franchise; the flow of the levels, the amount of detail, and the impressive variation all add up to a standard (good) Halo experience
+ Sound design, particularly weapon/vehicle sounds, is superb; very much sounds like a Halo game
+ Plot is nothing revolutionary, especially by the standards of the franchise, but it works very well for the length of style of the game; the cinematics that advance the story, also, are employed admirably
+ Stats and level modifiers add an extra incentive to do well, and the drive to push oneself for a better 'grade' is certainly a present factor
+ Vehicle combat is one of the game's aspects that stands out the most; intensely fun to play, and the vehicle missions are tactfully placed in a way that breaks up the pace and keeps one interested
+ Missions and their objectives offer an impressive amount of variety; this keeps the game from feeling stale
+ Soundtrack, true to Halo fashion, is spectacular
+ Works well with both a mouse & keyboard, and a controller

- Death forces level-restarts, as there are no (in-mission) auto saves or checkpoints; some may appreciate the challenge, but it often proves intensely frustrating
- Lackluster models and textures
- No multiplayer; limited replay value, overall
- Game is really very short; averages ~4 hours to finish a playthrough


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Welcome to a Halo simulation, marine! This time, you won’t be exploring with the beloved, well-renowned Master Chief, but you’ll know about Spartan Palmer, Spartan Davis, and their heroic deeds! Here you will enjoy their chronicles and you will suck it up like the good UNSC Marine that you are! Dismissed!



+A story about Spartans and not the Master Chief
+Audio and visuals are true to the Halo series
+Fast-paced (twin-stick) shooter
+A multiplatform that doesn’t suck (Console/PC/Mobile)
+Keybinds & Resolution options



-A rather short game
-Controls are a pain at times


It’s a record about Spartans kicking Covenant ass. Yes, it’s pretty self-explanatory, but it seems that if Master Chief is not in the game, then it isn’t Halo. This title will prove you wrong if you think it won't succeed without him. You take up the roles of Spartan Palmer and Spartan Davis through their heroic deeds throughout the campaign as you fight off Covenant forces on planet Draetheus V and its moon X50.

It’s a simple story, but it does indulge in the Halo lore and you can't go wrong with that. It gives a brief narrative before and after each mission detailing the events that are taking place. It does describe a bit in Palmer’s past, her missions, and the events that took place between Halo 3 and Halo 4 (timeframe around 2554). It may not be much compared to mainstream Halo games, but I enjoyed the story for what it was.


The gameplay is played out in a bird’s-eye view as you maneuver through canyons, trenches, and bases. It’s a fast-paced (twin-stick – if you’re using a controller) shooter game that fits rather nicely in this format. The action will be non-stop as you go around spraying and praying your victims into the ground. You’ll be equipped in the GEN2 Scout Armor also known as MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/S variant. One will carry two weapons, ammo, and some grenades through your ass-kickery that will be deployed against the Covenant. You’ll also be given abilities that can heal, give you a decoy, or make you invisible for a short period of time.

The game is broken down into several chapters – each having five (5) missions to complete. You’re rated on how many enemies you’ll kill, how fast you finish the objectives and how efficiently you finish the mission as a whole. You’ll also be given experience points (XP) per mission; these modifiers are given out at higher increments if you make a mission a bit difficult to complete. In this case, maybe you take away the HUD, or you can only regen your shield when you’re in melee range of an enemy. This XP can then be utilized to buy special weapons and upgrades on your next mission.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2466967045
-An example of the XP system

You’ll also be able to pick up enemy arsenal (e.g. sticky grenades, plasma weapons, gun turrets, etc.) and use their weapons against them -- just like the other Halo shooting games. You’ll also notice the arsenal of both for the UNSC and Covenant is displayed throughout all the missions; some of it at your disposal.

The missions are short in terms of completion. Some will only take a few minutes to finish and then you’re off to the next one. The game itself doesn’t take long to finish, but it does offer replayability options; especially if you’re into achievements.


The audio is true to the Halo franchise. The sound of the shield regenerating coming back on after you hear the “beep beep beep,” is heart-warming. I felt as if I was playing Halo all over again because of the sounds; the grunts, the moans of dying aliens and humans, the gunfire, and even the marines doing a lot of talking. For authenticity purposes – Spartan Assault delivered.


You’ll notice background visuals such as Banshees attacking UNSC Hawks and vice versa. You’ll also have 3D backgrounds – in terms of you looking down in the valley and watching UNSC and Covenant fight each other. The landscape of the game is beautiful, with very bright and vibrant colors in each mission. The missions themselves were detailed and nothing felt out of place. The graphics looked genuine to the Halo franchise and I was very impressed with how well it looked for being a multiplatform title.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2466966748
-Background Fighting

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2466967234
-Some cutscene action


When it comes to the controls of playing the game, it depends on what you’re using for equipment. Now, I was using Keyboard and Mouse. Some missions will give you a vehicle to drive with and trying to use a keyboard to maneuver through some of the maps can be a pain in the butt. In terms of regular movement with Palmer, it was fluid for the most part, but honestly, it could have been better. At times, I would move left and down (Keyboard: A+S) at the same time in order to move diagonally; which can be an issue if you’re trying to avoid enemy fire. For example, I would try to move diagonally and Palmer would move left or down instead.

The AI has some positive quirks to it that posed a challenge at times. The enemies will jump out of the way from your grenades and gunfire, hide behind walls, retreat, and even maneuver around you. Sometimes they even surprise you by shooting ahead of you and nailing you pretty good. Even the UNSC marines that you get from time to time will melee someone to death, throw grenades, and are useful unlike those of other titles out there.

The game also provides keybindings and resolution options! I know!! This isn’t a feature or an option that should be celebrated, but compared to how many games that are either console or mobile or both never have these options available for the PC version. If they do provide said options, then it is either one or the other, or completely half-assed in terms of providing these options to the PC gamer. Now, the only thing with the keybindings (the keyboard is fine in this regard) is that I was not able to use the mouse keybindings for grenade throws or melee actions.

The game was released when Windows 8 was still (not) trying to convenient. Now, being on Steam, there is one hiccup. The resolution will shrink down in size, mess up your browser size (if you have that open), and you’ll have to CTRL+Enter to bring it up to full screen if you decided to ALT+Tab out of the game for any reason.

The game, however, runs very well and I didn’t experience any hiccups, lag, video glitches, or crashes. I was running the game at a consistent 144 FPS and I didn’t notice any screen tearing either. No sound-related issues such as loops, communication being cut off prematurely, or anything of that nature. All in all, a very well-built Win8/iOS/XBOX title.


OS: Windows 7
CPU: i7-4790k
GPU: GeForce GTX 1080
Ram: 16GB


Though it is a short game, I enjoyed the atmosphere that is provided as I ventured through Draetheus V and its moon. Everything felt genuine and true to any other Halo game, even from a top-down perspective. The game is perceived complete with configurable keybindings, AI that can hold its weight, beautiful scenery, and sounds that molded it to be great with its older brother (Halo: CE, 2, 3, etc.). I would purchase the game at full price, and it’s a steal. Enjoy!


Ʀival’s Ʀeflection яʀ

I'd say that this was a good run. It really made me spend some hours into this game, especially as a Halo fan.

Halo: Spartan Assault is a Top-Down Shooter that is a "prequel?" to Halo: Spartan Strike, and as noticed by the gameplay, it is significantly different from all the other Halo First Person Shooters you all know in love. But it is still considered a Halo game in my standards and it definitely deserves some recognition.

As with the story, you play as the characters that are seen in Halo 4, Spartan Palmer and Spartan Davis. As it takes place before the events of Halo 4, you're met with a series of missions in each specific Operation. There are 5 missions in each Operation and there are a total of 6 Operations altogether. Depending on your pacing of the game, it may take you less than a day up to a couple of days at the most to complete this game, depending if you're getting the achievements or not.

Lots of things return from the previous Halo games along with other stuff that are non-existant in Halo: Spartan Assault. One of the most famous things to return is the Armor Abilities. Along with the previous ones returning such as the Active Camoflage, the Autosentry, and Sprint also returns as an Armor Ability. Besides the old ones, there are new Armor Abilities that can be very effective and sometimes overpowered. The Overshield is one of the most overpowered Armor Abilites you can have in the game.

Some of the beloved vehicles return from Halo Wars as well. The Grizzly is the only vehicle from Halo Wars that is drivable, the others like the Hawk, Wolverine, and even the Elephant are just there for asthetics.

No Battle Rifle or some other fan loved weapons don't exist. :(

In my opinion, Halo: Spartan Assault had more replayablility than it did on Halo: Spartan Strike. Even after you finish the game, you still had to do some of the Spartan Ops that are available in every mission, but the only difference is that the Spartan Ops in Spartan Assault made you do more work than in Spartan Strike, sometimes having you to replay that mission more than once and making it tedious just to complete that specific Spartan Op. But after completing them all and earning all the achievements, it really does make you feel like you've achieved something after all that hours you put into (That is, if you're planning to do that).

Probably the only bad parts of this game are the sometimes tedious Spartan Ops and no multiplayer for this version. Since only the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions have multiplayer, it should be fair that the PC version should get multiplayer as well in my opinion.

$5 is worth it in my opinion and it's $1 cheaper than Halo: Spartan Strike, so you're basically geting more bang for your buck for this game. I know the gameplay isn't everybody's cup of tea, but you should still try this, Halo fan or not. If you're not convinced, then this game contains trading cards and Halo theme backgrounds and emoticons that some or most Halo fans want (Including myself).

In conclusion, Halo: Spartan Assault is a very decent Top-Down Shooter as it stands for most Halo fans and everyone else to try.

As a Halo fan, you should! Looking for some decent games or getting into Halo? Give both Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike a try. Or you could just wait for this game to go on sale if that suits your tastes.
9.5/10

Halo: Spartan Strike Review if that's what you're looking for:

If you liked this review, feel free to join my Steam Curator Group, Spartan Crew (Noble).