Halfway
2014 · Robotality
Has it aged?Why ↓
Halfway makes a better haunted spaceship than a tactical battlefield. In this turn-based sci-fi tactics game, you command surviving crew across the Goliath’s angled, pixel-art grid, shooting invaders from cover and rescuing squadmates. Coordinating their special skills is satisfying; deciphering why a clear-looking shot is impossible is not.
Halfway is a turn-based strategy RPG taking place a few hundred years into the future. Humanity has started colonising new worlds. Until now, they were alone ...
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play Halfway only if exploring the Goliath matters more to you than dependable tactical planning. Its detailed cabins and eerie synth soundtrack deserve the attention, and combining Josh’s shield overload with Morten’s guaranteed-hit Steady Shot gives combat a proper spark. But opaque hit chances, awkward inventory shuffling and enemies attacking immediately after cutscenes make this a qualified pleasure, not a tactics essential.
Play it if
You inspect abandoned cabins for signs of who lived there, enjoy a fixed squad rather than disposable recruits, and like coordinating character abilities: strip an enemy’s shield with Josh, then finish the job with Morten.
Skip it if
You need readable sightlines and hit chances to enjoy planning a turn, or cannot tolerate enemies getting the first attack after a cutscene leaves your squad exposed.
Common questions
- Why spend an extra action point aiming?
- Each unit gets two action points, and aiming spends an extra point to improve a shot’s chance of hitting. That makes moving and firing compete with standing still to take a more reliable shot.
- Does Retaliate work like XCOM’s Overwatch?
- No: it fires back only when that particular unit is shot at, not whenever an enemy enters view. The return shot also lacks the accuracy benefit of spending an action point to aim.
- Can I upgrade the canteen base or build relationships with the crew?
- There is no base-upgrading system. Between missions you control Morten and have brief conversations with the crew, but there are no branching dialogue trees or relationship-building mechanics.
- What does Halfway’s mod support let people change?
- The 2014 update added mod tools and Steam Workshop support, allowing changes to existing skills and additions such as characters, conversations, levels, weapons and enemies. The documented tools could not change core gameplay or add new skills or attributes.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
Too few recent reviews to stand alone, so this leans on its all-time rating.
Reviews via Steam ↗We don't have player counts for it.
Too few recent reviews to compare with its launch.
No update in the last year.