In a post on his blog, Larry Hyrb a.k.a. Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson, announced Halo: Spartan Assault, a top-down action shooter exclusively for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices. It will be available this July for an estimated retail price of $6.99.
Developed by 343 Industries in conjunction with Vanguard Games, Halo: Spartan Assault is set between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4 and explores the first missions of the Spartan Ops program and dives deeper into the backstory of Human-Covenant wars. Gamers can play through the eyes of either Commander Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis stationed aboard the UNSC Infinity as they fight against Covenant forces.
According to the game’s page on Halo Waypoint, the game can be played either through a touchscreen for tablets and smartphones or with a mouse and keyboard on PC. The game will also feature Leaderboards, Weekly Challenges, and 40 in-game Achievements and Medals. Players can also purchase credits for experience boosts, unique weapons, and armor abilities.
Halo 4 players will also be able to earn experience points, achievements, and emblems for their Halo 4 Spartan career while playing Spartan Assault.
An announcement trailer has also been released on the Halo Waypoint YouTube page which you can view below: