Halo: Spartan Strike brings twin-stick Covenant shooting back to the PC

It's fair to say that Halo: Spartan Assault isn't the most popular entry in Microsoft's long-running series, but it does have the distinction of being one of the few that's actually available on the PC. It was also apparently successful enough to warrant a follow-up, Halo: Spartan Strike, which will be out in December.

Spartan Strike, according to IGN, is a "spiritual successor" to Spartan Assault rather than a straight sequel. Much like its predecessor, it will be a top-down, twin-stick shooter, but it will feature a number of improvements over Spartan Assault as well. Strike will be a slightly longer game, clocking in at an estimated four to five hours, and feature more vehicles with improved controls, including the Warthog and the Kestrel VTOL.

The game is being developed for all Windows 8 platforms and will also be released on Steam, and both platforms will offer their own separate achievements. Microtransactions, meanwhile, have been dropped completely: Items and upgrades will still be available for purchase, but only with currency earned in the game.

It's a far cry from a PC version of the Master Chief Collection, but it will hopefully at least be a step up from Spartan Assault. That's something, right? Halo: Spartan Strike—which, by the way, is going to sell for a whopping $6—comes out on December 12

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.