I’m not exactly the world’s biggest Halo fan. The trailers for Halo 3 were for more interesting and epic than the game itself. However, I am a pretty big fan of the game’s soundtrack. For many people it’s as iconic as the score from Indiana Jones, Star Wars, or Back to the Future.

The soundtracks for each of the games has been available before, but now they are being bundled into a five disc set featuring one disc for Halo: Combat Evolved, one for Halo 2, two discs for Halo 3, and one disc featuring four tracks from the upcoming RTS Halo Wars. The Halo Wars disc will also include other bonus features about the recording of the tracks and the opening cinematic from the game.

The boxed set is available at retailers today, and is also available for download from Sumthing Digital.

A bunch of sites have previews up for Ensemble Studios’ upcoming RTS, Halo Wars. So far only the regular campaign has been touched on, with the story and multiplayer elements being kept under wraps for now.

Giant Bomb - Hands-On: Halo Wars

Gamespot - Halo Wars Updated Hands-On

Crispy Gamer - Halo Wars

Also out are a few rather candid interviews where the developers discuss their feeling on being shut down my Microsoft and what the future holds in store for them.

Shacknews Interview

Crispy Gamer Interview

CVG Interview

It looks like just about every game is getting a limited or collector’s edition, and Halo Wars is no exception. For $79.99 you get everything in the picture to your left.

What that all includes is the game (thankfully!), a graphic novel called Genesis, a unique in-game vehicle, six leader cards, and a “Spirit of Fire” patch.

What’s not shown, and may entice players to spring for the game when they wouldn’t otherwise do so, is the inclusion of the upcoming Mythic map pack for Halo 3. The maps are titled “Assembly,” “Orbital,” and “Sandbox.

Much like Crackdown before it, Microsoft seems willing to lure players with the promise of goodies for Halo 3 in order to get people to try something different. Crackdown of course was a pleasant surprise and a great sandbox gaming experience. Halo Wars is less of a risk because of the brand name, but it’s likely that some people are skeptical of a Halo game that doesn’t involve alien genocide from a first person perspective.

Fresh from the soon to be late, great Ensemble Studios is new footage from the upcoming Halo Wars. Microsoft hopes to do for real time strategy games what the original Halo did for first person shooters on the console. The video shows a cutscene featuring Covenent soldiers, followed by gameplay footage showing an attack on Covenant forces, and finally teases the arrival of the Flood. Not really sure how that will work since this game takes place several years before the first Halo, but I suppose anything can be ret-conned these days.

Check the video here.