'Halo Wars 2' release date, latest news: New 'Halo' game now available for some gamers

"Halo Wars 2" will not be officially released until Feb. 21. However, for those who buy the $80 Ultimate Edition or acquire the $350 1 TB Xbox One S "Halo Wars 2" bundle, they can start playing the RTS sequel ahead of everybody else. The Ultimate Edition and the 1TB bundle gives access not just to a limited section of the video game, but to its full version.

As reported by Gamespot. "Halo Wars 2" is available for the Xbox One and the Windows PC as an Xbox Play Anywhere game title. This means that purchasing the game digitally on either platform gets gamers a copy of the game for the other platform without extra cost. In addition, achievement and saves move between both platforms.

Microsoft also confirmed that "Halo Wars 2" will not feature a ranked competitive system at launch. Instead, the system, which, according to Microsoft, is similar to that of "Halo 5," will be available sometime after the game's launch. The company is also reportedly exploring the possibility of DLC maps.

The physical PC edition of the video game has been canceled for the United States. However, this edition will still be made available for Europe.

With "Halo Wars 2" now available to some gamers, the reviews for the game have also started to come in. According to The Inquisitr, the critics are generally happy with it. The latest game title to the "Halo" franchise is reportedly easy to pick up and understand right away. It also ties nicely with the classic series since the game's time period takes place around the same time as "Halo 5."

However, the video game is also criticized for lacking originality. The plot of the video game is deemed worthwhile by some critics, but the gameplay experience is reportedly criticized for being too simple.

"Halo Wars 2" will officially be released on Feb. 21 for the Xbox One and Windows PC.