Halo Wars 2 story trailer showcases super villain Atriox

As you've probably already noticed from our jam-packed news feed, a wealth of trailers, announcements and fresh information surfaced during last night's Game Awards. 343's Halo Wars 2 was among those treated to some new moving pictures—the latest one story-focused and centred around ultra baddie Atriox.

Admittedly, there ain't much here in the way of systems or in-game mechanics, however the following short not only sets the scene for the incoming real-time strategy affair, but also hints at its ties to the first game and the wider Halo universe. Observe:

Leif Johnson seemed impressed when he got to grips with Halo Wars 2 back in October. Here's a wee excerpt from his hands-on:

"The true beauty of Halo Wars 2 is not how it looks but how it plays. The first Wars from 2009 was an Xbox 360 exclusive, but the sequel was designed with both the Xbox One and PC in mind from the start—and I’m thankful that it shows. Halo Wars 2 feels like a real-time strategy game made for the PC.

"It lacks some of the depth of Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War 2 or StarCraft 2's busy micromanagement, sure, but 343 Industries is careful to hammer down the idea that they're trying to 'reinvigorate' the RTS genre rather than saddle it with intimidating complications."

Halo Wars 2 is due February 21, 2017.