10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Halo: Best XBOX launch game.
Date of Review: Nov 18, 2001
The Bottom Line: Just buy it, Don't waiste time reading the review and just buy the damn game.
Before i get into the game, I suggest picking up a copy of the prequel called "The Fall of Reach." Even if you don't read you'll really enjoy it plus it gives even more depth to the game's story.
Halo has been anticipated as one of the greatest games ever made. While it was to be a PLaystation 2 exclusive. Microsoft snatched up the title for its own XBOX, and the results couldn't be better.
Story: You are the last of the Spartan Project (read The Fall of Reach) and are sealed in a cryo chamber aboard the Pillar of Autumn with the covenent on your tail. You are thawed out and after awhile, You make an emergancy crash landing on Halo. A ring that surprisingly has life on it. You need to find out what Halo really is and why the enemy wants you off it.
Gameplay: In Halo you can do almost anything you ever wanted to do on a battle field. Steal an enemy vehicle, use alien weapons, drive jeeps and tanks. Halo Brilliantly combines insane action, a sense of responsibility for your comrades, and the feeling of actually being there. Your pulse will pound as you empty your gun into an approaching Hunter only to have it fall by a last second melee attack. Infact the amount of those "gaming moments" are beyond numerous making the game a blast to play into the wee hours of the morning.
Control: This takes a bit getting used to. Thankfully, your not forced into battle in the first few seconds of gameplay. The Left joystick moves Forward, Backward and Strafes left to right. The right joystick moves your aiming reticle. A jumps, B melee attacks, X reloads and does actions, Y switches weapons. The White and Blue buttons trigger your flashlight and switch grenades.
Music: The music is the best i have heard in a game. SOmewhat haunting but uplifting.
Sound fx: Great sound. Enemies screem, footsteps are clear and change with the terrain you walk on. Even when a grenade tosses up some of the land and small clumps of dirt fly at you, the appropriate sound effects follow.
AI: The AI in the game is the best i have ever seen, even the weak enemies know when to duck for cover. Finally the difficulty of an enemy isn't determined by what weapons he's packing. The only problem is that sometimes a fellow marine will walk right in front of sights while you try to target an enemy, but it can be easily avoided and doesn't really add any frusteration.
Final Note: Halo is Xbox's best game so far. Everything looks and plays incredibly. If you can buy only one game for your XBOX make sure its Halo. Even if the epitaph on the xbox next year reads, "It was a great system with lots of potential, Too bad Halo was as good as it got." (WHich his highly unlikely with great games right around the corner) Halo is reason enough to buy an XBOX.
(This review can't even do the game justice as there are many other aspects that i didn't even touch on)
