The Good the Bad And the Ugly... welcome to the game of Halo

So...I’m a little late writing this review. Do I really need to explain just how awesome this game is? Of course I do!

Story:

You play as Master Chief, the last living cyborg of the Spartan Project. You have been biologically enhanced to withstand more punishment from your foes. Speed is increased as well as physical strength allowing you to run around gracefully in half-ton MJORNIR armor. Okay so there's your little history of the Master Chief. Its around the year 2500, at a time where humans no longer find themselves fighting against one another. A new alien race has been discovered known as the "Covenant." These strange creatures start a war amongst the humans for what seems in the beginning for no logical reason. The covenant possesses powerful weaponry and is much more technologically enhanced then the humans themselves.

You start out in space aboard the reliable battleship The Pillar of autumn. You are the only Spartan left, for the others have died from the long war. Covenant troops invade the ship, and its your duty to escape with Cortanna; an AI who cannot be found by the covenant. As you land on the strange alien planet, you will find that you not only have to save Cortanna...but earth as well! DUN! DUN! DUN!

Graphics:

Graphics are excellent for one of x box's oldest titles. Character models are deep and intricate, and run in fluent animation. The world is absolutely astounding as well with realistic water animation. The guns that you and the enemy behold are intricate and have strange doo dads that are almost pointless but cool. Vehicles are detailed as well, allowing you to control both alien and human. This game has plenty of eye-candy, trust me.

Gameplay:

One word. Absolutely so cool and awesome its to die for to engage in such an flawless game. Yes, thats one word. Suppose I got carried away, but nevertheless, there is still much “valuable,” information to say. You will find the AI in the game to be great, and challenging. Enemies will call for reinforcements, take cover behind objects, even rush you, and even well...jump into massive vehicles and shoot the crap out of you. Throughout missions, you will have a large area to discover and have plenty of opportunities to grab a vehicle and have the upper hand. Marines will occasionally join your side also and provide cover for you while they are with you. Several weapons will be granted for you to use each good in their own ways. You can only pick up two at a time, but it captures more realism. Plasma and frag grenades also feature in the game, each having their pro’s and cons. You will also find that you can go through just about any door, and can find many secrets.

Co-op perhaps could be just as fun or better then in single campaign. Single player campaign doesn’t change one bit, however you have to share half your television with a friend. More often then not it’s worth it to have a friend. With a fellow cyborg, the covenant seems much easier then by yourself. The game doesn’t lag one bit, and when its time for vehicle mashing, it’s always nice to have someone manning your warthog’s machine gun. If you want to call it that.

Sound

Well nothing to complain about. You can hear the bullet ricochet off random objects, the strange alien smirks and groans, and the strange English-speaking grunts. The sounds balanced, and when a hunter fires its cannon far out in the distance, it really sounds distant.

Music

Weird techno futuristic music features throughout the game. Suppose it’s the music of the year 2500.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer has it all. You can engage in large battles with up to sixteen people, with system link. The levels are long to short, filled with numerous objects to hide behind, and provide both inside and outside areas. Large maps such as Blood Gulch and Sidewinder allow you to have vehicles, which is fun. There are plenty of guns and grenades, camouflage for sneak attacks, and overshields for extra additional shielding. Every gun is balanced, and that’s what I love mostly about this game. The alien pistol for example is very weak and does minimum damage. However, it can knock down shields instantly and even overshields. It can even provide rapid fire.