Got an X-Box? Get Halo!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Astounding graphics, an interesting storyline, addictive!

Cons: Absolutely none.

The Bottom Line: 
Absolutely a Triple-A game, hard to put down. Keeps you thinking, and is thoroughly enjoyable to play.

Author's Review
Sharing everyone else's viewpoint who have revied Halo here before, most would agree that Halo is "THE" game to own for 2001, and might possibly hold that title through 2002.

Nothing short of top-notch, Halo is the game that is helping X-Box top sales records of the competition, and it's no surprise - this is one awesome game, and deserves every single positive thing being said about it.

Without ruining the story for others (And there is a real story to the game!), the game is a classic Good Guys versus Bad Guys theme - the twist being the bad guys are aliens (The Covenant). You, the player, are part of the Good Guy's, and are part human, part machine - a cyborg.

Gameplay is confusing at first, while you get used to using both of the thumbsticks at the same time to control your direction of movement, and also your direction of sight. In the beginning, you will probably find yourself walking into walls a great deal, while at the same time staring at the sky or the ground. With a little time it all starts to become second-nature, and the more you play the more you will begin to appreciate the ability that dual-controls like this offer.

Virtually all of the controlers buttons are used for one function or another, and again, it does take some getting used to untill you figure out exactly what button does what, especially in a firefight situation where you are trying to reload or switch weapons in a hurry. Don't worry - again, it becomes second nature quickly. In the beginning, however, it can be overwhelming as you try to remember what button does exactly what, and then trying to push said button usually without looking at the controller. All the more reason to play the game in "Easy" mode at the beginning, as you won't get immediately killed while you fumble with the controls.

Halo is one game that I would refuse to use an aftermarket controller with if you have played for a period of time with the original X-Box controller. For some strange reason, the manufacturers of most aftermarket joysticks that I have seen have insisted on moving the locations or orientations of the buttons on the joystick. In a game like Halo, where split-second timing of button presses is needed to stay alive, the difference is "life or death", so to speak.

Anyhow, back to the game itself - To not ruin it, I won't review much of the actual storyline of the game, but suffice to say that it is intriguing. This is one game that is hard to put down not only because it's just absolutely wonderful to play, but because you're always wondering "What's next" in the story. Few games I've ever played have held my attention like Halo does.

Several surprise plot twists along the way will add to the gripping nature of the game, and change your goals accordingly.

Gameplay consists of a variety of interior and exterior zones, the outside areas being the most notable for the excellent graphics - the programmers really did their homework with this one, no doubt.

Throughout the game you proceed to a variety of different areas, some reapeating through the game (unfortunately) and others being completely original. It's very rare that you get bored, as just as soon as you get complacent about something, there's a covenant (or a member of "the flood") just around the next corner, or behind the next wall or rock.

Carry-able weapons range from handguns to bazooka launchers, and a variety in between, including alien weapons which you can pickup enroute. In addition to weapons that you can carry, you can also use alien stationary and mobile weapons such as gun turrent, or ride-on vehicles well armed themselves.

To avoid being able to just blow-away everything, you are limited to carrying two weapons at once, which can be discarded and switched with another weapon at will - as soon as you come across them. Ammo for said weapons is also limited, as is your quota of grenades, although supplies of both are able to be found throughout the game, or recovered from a dead alien you just fragged.

At several points in the game you get the privledge of driving the Warthog, or even more fun yet, the Scorpion! Several other alien ride-on or fly-on vehicles are also available at certain points in the game. Get the game and find out what I'm talking about.. :-)

As you progress through the difficulty levels, things do change drastically.

In the easier levels, health-packs (Which are needed to restore your health, obviously) are common, usually easilly found at key points in the game where injury is most likely, such as key firefight locations. Ammo and weapon variety is also plentiful.

In the more difficult levels, things begin to change - health packs become hard to find, weapons and amunition become more scarce, and probably the most noticable thing is that your enemies become signifigantly harder to kill, and are also much more able to kill *you* - very quickly.

The higher levels are not for the faint at heart. A beginner with an apt for first-person shooters can get away with starting the game at "Normal" level instead of easy, but don't even consider starting at Heroic or Legendary.

Replayability is assured, with an offering of several different difficulty levels, the hardest levels offering a surprise alternate ending sequence, but much more difficult gameplay, and slower advance through the game.

Although not truly a real "con", my only minor gripe about the game is that some levels repeat through the game, and several rooms become all too common, with only minor changes being made. Thankfully, as you progress through the game, the 'repeats' seem to get left behind.

If you don't own your own X-Box and want to rent the system and game to try it out, don't bother renting Halo for anything less then 3+ days, as you won't finish this game. Besides, as soon as you return it, you'll miss it.

If this isn't the title that will get renters to go out and actually drop a huge sum of money on an X-Box of their own, nothing is. I rented a machine for 3 days with Halo and Gotham racing, and promptly went out and bought the same after returning the rental - it's just that good.

I could go on forever about this game - it's simply the best game first-person shooter that I have ever played, and probably rates amongst my favourite game of all time next to the legendary Myst.

Here's two words for anyone thinking about it:

"Get It!"