Halo Wars 2 will feature a robust, story-driven campaign and plenty of multiplayer action. While we’re not talking about the game’s story (or where it takes place in the Halo timeline) just yet, we are very excited about the way it contributes to the expanding Halo universe, and we look forward to sharing more in the future.

The last time we saw the crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire in Halo Wars, they were settling in for a long cryosleep on their way home, knowing that with a little luck, they’d make it back to civilized space in one piece. Nearly 30 years later, they’re awakened to a new threat to the Halo universe and find themselves as the one thing standing between hope and annihilation. Halo Wars 2 will take you back to the Ark, introduce new heroes and villains, and deliver a new multiplayer mode that has the potential to push the real-time strategy genre forward.

Beyond the terrain and the world in which Halo Wars 2 takes place, its compliment of heroes and villains helps broaden the world. And because the UNSC Spirit of Fire and its crew are essentially in a place out of time, having been asleep for 28 years, they’ve missed all of the recent events that the Master Chief was a part of. This creates a unique setting for new players to the series, as they will be learning about the state of the universe alongside the crew of the Fire.

Last month Microsoft released a Halo Wars 2 demo on Xbox One, and today PC fans can now try the game as well.

The Halo Wars 2 demo (16.7 GB) features the opening mission from the thrilling campaign and an exciting new game mode, Blitz Firefight. In the campaign, players will strategically command overwhelming firepower in large-scale battles against a terrifying threat facing the UNSC and all of humanity. Blitz Firefight is a fast-paced mode where players use decks of cards to summon vehicles and troops to fight against waves of AI-controlled enemies.

Try before you buy with the Halo Wars 2 demo.