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Ok, theres no good way to start this review. Basically, I could write just a few words: This game is incredible! Just get it!! I would like to reduce this review to just that, because putting Halo into words is very hard. This game is incredible in every aspect (of course, only if you like first person shooters).
Where to start? There are just so many good things to say about this game. Well, I guess Ill talk about the game as I played through it. Halo was of course my first game for the Xbox.
I popped in the CD, not really knowing what to expect. I had taken the word of a few of my friends and my ex that the game was just incredible. I wanted an Xbox too for some future games, but the current title I wanted was Halo. So I popped in the game. It had a typical CG intro that most videogame companies have, just like on any other console, and then I got the main Halo screen. The first thing that hit me was the music. I LOVE new age / gothic / church type music. I was awed by the clear crystal sound. I wanted to play right away, but at the same time, I just wanted to stay at the main start screen and relax to the sound, but being a gamer, the first option won me over.
So I create a new character, name him, chose my controller configuration and start the game. You start off in a space ship, youre being attacked by an alien race and everyone is scrambling to defend the ship. You, the Master, are being awakened from cryogenic sleep. Now, a good thing that happens next is the explanation of the controls. When you get a new console, you need to get used to the controls, figure out where all the buttons are and such. So Halo makes you go through a little training before you start the game, which was very helpful to get me used to the Xboxs controls. Once that starts (youre not yet given a gun), you start going around the ship. At first, I thought the graphics were very unoriginal. The same pattern was repeated on all the walls of the ship; I had problems figuring out where I was.
Finally, some soldier leads you to the bridge to talk with the Captain. Hell give you more information plot-wise and hell let you know that we need to get the alien race off the ship and to evacuate. Thats when you get your first weapon and manage to get a piece of the action!
The first mission was, well a bit awkward. Like I mentioned above, the wall panels were the same everywhere, I had no clue where I was going and I was more than sure that I was turning round and round not really going anywhere. But I still persevered. I noticed the different alien types and I really liked the fact that you had allies everywhere that helped you fend off the enemies.
Eventually, you find yourself, you get much more used to the controls, and you find better guns. The guns are very violent, which is just what we need in a first person shooter! The Assault Riffle was very fun to play with, its the gun Ive used the most in the game. It fires very rapidly and makes a drastic sound. There are other types of guns such as the shotgun, the sniper riffle, and the rocket launcher; typical first person shooter weapons. There are also a few alien weapons that are more original, but a bit hard to describe. I havent used them much in the game.
One thing thats very original about Halo is the vehicles. There have been other first person shooters that use vehicles, like Red Faction, but Halo takes it a bit further in my opinion. In the same level you might be driving in the off-road car (Warthog) jump off, and jump in the heavy tank (Scorpion) and then get to either a Ghost or Banshee (enemy vehicles) and use them; always in the same level and without losing the original gameplay feel of a first person shooter.
Eventually I finished the first level and crash landed on the Planet. This is where the game gets incredible. The graphics were just spectacular. I was sitting there on my couch, mouth wide open looking at the endless flow of water with a beautifully colored planet on the horizon and a gigantic ring going completely overhead in the far distance, there was no limit to what I could see! I actually was staring for so long that I got killed by the Crusade (aliens). I re-started the level and this time played through it without dying and I had so much fun!
The levels are just incredibly huge and full of detail, the first level of the game does not do justice to Halo. You really have to wait till you experience the outdoor levels. The graphics are just mind-blowing. The textures, the detail, the different lighting, the animation, there was no noticeable flaws at all. Everything looked good and smooth.
The music and the sound were just perfect. At key points in the game, either soft melody or a heavier music will start playing depending on the mood, but the music fits the mood just perfectly. The music is never stressful or awkward. The game designers did their jobs very well!
The story is intriguing and has many plot twists. At one point, youll notice that some of your friends might be enemies and youll learn that some enemies are actually trying to achieve the same goal as you, but theres no way you can stop the war between the races. Its not just a simple story of: Theyre the bad guys, weve got to kill them. Theres a few realtime movies that explain what Halo is, what it does and all that. Everything was well executed.
If youre into first person shooters and you have an Xbox, you need this game. The graphics are just mind blowing, the sound was perfect, the music very mood fitting, and the story was incredibly intriguing. Of course, just like other first person shooters, Halo features a 4-player deathmatch mode with multiple levels. You can also play the game with a friend in a 2-player co-op mode.
The only down side I had about Halo was the fact that you can only carry 2 guns with you at a time. But theres always more guns lying around as you kill the aliens, so you dont run out of ammo. Its not that much of a big deal.
Halo
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: First Person Shooter
Released: November 15th 2001
MRSP: $49.99
Final Score: 9.5/10 |
