With outstanding graphics, and so much more,HALO is the best game so far for Xbox. And a plot to actually follow which a lot of games don't have, also makes the gaming experience unforgettable. The immense mini worlds of HALO make you feel like your there.The designers immerse you into awesome vehicles, including the human vehicles-the small and perdect for exploring WARTHOG(like a hummer),and the powerful Scorpion Tank-and the alien vehicles GHOSTS(which hovers, not able to fly) and BANSHEES(which flys). The game also offers one of the best multiplayer games ever,you can even create your own custom multiplayer. If you own an Xbox or are going to, and are only going to get one game, GET THIS GAME!I can guarantee if any other system were able to make this game(which they won't)they wouldn't be able to handle the graphics so smoothly.The worlds are real, the fights are real, the weapons are real, and the explosions are real, which is why the tagline is just perfect for the title..."HALO:COMBAT EVOLVED" 4/5 *s
51 Reviews
Great game!
Trashbag30 January 2004
I'll be commenting on both the PC and the Xbox.
Xbox: As you maybe have heard, Halo is definitly the best thing that happened to the Xbox. The single player is worth every penny, and the multiplayer is good too. The best part is the cooperative mode, where you and a friend can battle out the aliens together. The only real flaw is driving the warthog. It just doesn't feel natural. Despite that, all you FPS fans will definitly want to pick this up. A perfect ***** outta *****.
PC: If you don't own an Xbox, and you want to own Halo, you're in luck. 'Cause it's on the PC too! The game looks almost the same on the PC. And the multiplayer is online this time. Only one problem. No cooperative mode! That was my favorite feature on the Xbox version, and it's gone on the PC! Oh well. All the other good things are on the PC. So I give the PC version an almost as good **** outta *****
Xbox: As you maybe have heard, Halo is definitly the best thing that happened to the Xbox. The single player is worth every penny, and the multiplayer is good too. The best part is the cooperative mode, where you and a friend can battle out the aliens together. The only real flaw is driving the warthog. It just doesn't feel natural. Despite that, all you FPS fans will definitly want to pick this up. A perfect ***** outta *****.
PC: If you don't own an Xbox, and you want to own Halo, you're in luck. 'Cause it's on the PC too! The game looks almost the same on the PC. And the multiplayer is online this time. Only one problem. No cooperative mode! That was my favorite feature on the Xbox version, and it's gone on the PC! Oh well. All the other good things are on the PC. So I give the PC version an almost as good **** outta *****
Best FPS I've ever played.
johnnymacbest8 April 2009
After missing out on this game's first release, I've finally got the chance to play this game for the first time. Halo is one hell of a shooter and it reinvigorates the genre in so many ways. Firstly, the story is well told and captivating with humanity's struggle against an alien enemy hell-bent on destroying the human race. Master Chief, the hero of the story is one of the coolest looking characters in video game history along with his spunky A.I. companion, Cortana. The voice acting is first rate, giving one of the most compelling and convincing performances to date and the moment I heard this side of the virtual spectrum. But that's not all. Adding to the atmosphere of the game is the balls-to-the-wall blistering action, suspense coupled with movie-quality cut-scenes with a masterful and epic soundtrack composed by Martin O'Donnell, one the most beautiful compositions ever for a video game. And it's got great multi-player to boot and it's execution is very innovative throughout.
Speaking of action, the best parts of the game are the action sequences. Taking on groups alien soldiers with just a limited selection of weapons, to blowing a Banshee out of the sky with a rocket launcher is immensely satisfying. The action is SO GOOD I felt like I was in an Arnold Schwarzenegger film!!! The fact that you can only carry two weapons makes for some pretty interesting tactical strategic thinking. And I gotta admit, I was certainly enthralled with this aspect of the game.
My only real complaints is that it should've been a little longer and the level design more varied and some of the vehicles, namely the Warthog are hard to control. But since this is an old Xbox game, it's easy to overlook these gripes.
As someone who likes action games with a Sci-Fi setting, I currently consider myself a Halo fan. It wasn't just the story, characters, action that drawn me to this game, but the freedom of strategy and tactical decision making that won me over. After I beat it (which took me a while to do on Legendary) I felt a real sense of accomplishment. Not too many games of this type have that kind of spark that Halo has and for that, I'm glad that I bought it and since I'm new to the franchise, I'll be hunting down Halo 2 and 3.
Master Chief rocks!!!
Speaking of action, the best parts of the game are the action sequences. Taking on groups alien soldiers with just a limited selection of weapons, to blowing a Banshee out of the sky with a rocket launcher is immensely satisfying. The action is SO GOOD I felt like I was in an Arnold Schwarzenegger film!!! The fact that you can only carry two weapons makes for some pretty interesting tactical strategic thinking. And I gotta admit, I was certainly enthralled with this aspect of the game.
My only real complaints is that it should've been a little longer and the level design more varied and some of the vehicles, namely the Warthog are hard to control. But since this is an old Xbox game, it's easy to overlook these gripes.
As someone who likes action games with a Sci-Fi setting, I currently consider myself a Halo fan. It wasn't just the story, characters, action that drawn me to this game, but the freedom of strategy and tactical decision making that won me over. After I beat it (which took me a while to do on Legendary) I felt a real sense of accomplishment. Not too many games of this type have that kind of spark that Halo has and for that, I'm glad that I bought it and since I'm new to the franchise, I'll be hunting down Halo 2 and 3.
Master Chief rocks!!!
What a blast!
Phisocal1 January 2004
Upon first seeing Halo I thought: "No thanks!". After playing: well, I was left begging for more! The action and adrenaline level of the game is spectacular.
Whether it be blowing up alien aircraft with an anti-vehicle rocket launcher just as it's about to dive bomb you or going man to man with a battle tank Halo delivers hardcore action on every variety of level. The most realistic thing about it though, has got to be the graphics: they are red hot with realism. Every piece of grass sways with the wind, every vehicle is destructable, every man can die: the physics are amazing in detail.
The best part has got to be commandeering an alien aircraft (unfortunately, this cannot b done until the three quarter mark) and wiping all signs of life from the air. The jeep, tank and alien reconnaisance vehicle are also very good. The game also has a vast array of weaponry ranging from assault rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, plasma rifles, pistols, sniper rifles and even grenades, making for an explosive and spectacular storyline.
All in all Halo is the one reason for getting an X-Box. Well, it was my reason anyway. Also check out my review for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Halo is definetely a ten out of ten.
Whether it be blowing up alien aircraft with an anti-vehicle rocket launcher just as it's about to dive bomb you or going man to man with a battle tank Halo delivers hardcore action on every variety of level. The most realistic thing about it though, has got to be the graphics: they are red hot with realism. Every piece of grass sways with the wind, every vehicle is destructable, every man can die: the physics are amazing in detail.
The best part has got to be commandeering an alien aircraft (unfortunately, this cannot b done until the three quarter mark) and wiping all signs of life from the air. The jeep, tank and alien reconnaisance vehicle are also very good. The game also has a vast array of weaponry ranging from assault rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, plasma rifles, pistols, sniper rifles and even grenades, making for an explosive and spectacular storyline.
All in all Halo is the one reason for getting an X-Box. Well, it was my reason anyway. Also check out my review for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Halo is definetely a ten out of ten.
Addictive Gaming
Chris-43624 August 2002
This game is absoulutly addictive. When i first saw it showed (on game network) it looked okay but not brilliant. Then ages later i played it.....it was amazing after we completed levels it so addictive that me and my co-operative partner decided to attack each other. I haven't played the multiplayer yet but by the sounds of it it sounds like another decent Perfect dark multiplayer. From what iv'e heared you can use tanks,aircraft and the worthog (A jeep). I don't have an Xbox, i have a gamecube, because in my opinion it is better. But this game changes my mind, i think that they should bring out a sequal or for a change a prequal. All in all i give this game 9.9/10
Quite simply the best game ever. Truly awesome.
Cedric_Catsuits2 July 2006
If this were a movie, it would sweep the board on Oscar night - best score, best screen play, best special effects, best costumes, best cinematography, best actors, best directors, best artists, best writers - best everything you can think of.
Quite simply, there is no better video game on this planet. I'm not including the very disappointing sequel 'Halo 2' in this review - that game may be bigger, prettier, more graphically advanced (although I find the overall effects poor - very un-clear) and provide a better online experience, but it in no way compares to the original (rates a 4 in comparison.) I am not an avid gamer, but after a friend introduced me to Halo, I went out and bought an XBox purely so I could practice alone at home - and having now gone through the entire game - all four levels of difficulty, from start to finish - about 30 times each, I think I'm getting the hang of it.
Halo has a story you can follow, it has characters you can identify with, it has weapons that are more realistic in use than any other game could possibly hope to match. The controls and feedback through the pad, provide a truly awesome (I don't use that word often) gaming experience. It's as close to virtual reality on a video game as you can get. Yes, the graphic detail looks poor compared to the latest super-duper offerings, but there is an integrity, an honesty, and above all a completeness about Halo, that makes it the only video game that truly deserves that perfect '10' score. Remember, this game is over 5 years old as I write - a very long time in this industry. If by some freak of nature you don't have a copy - beg, borrow or 'acquire' one NOW! You won't regret it.
Quite simply, there is no better video game on this planet. I'm not including the very disappointing sequel 'Halo 2' in this review - that game may be bigger, prettier, more graphically advanced (although I find the overall effects poor - very un-clear) and provide a better online experience, but it in no way compares to the original (rates a 4 in comparison.) I am not an avid gamer, but after a friend introduced me to Halo, I went out and bought an XBox purely so I could practice alone at home - and having now gone through the entire game - all four levels of difficulty, from start to finish - about 30 times each, I think I'm getting the hang of it.
Halo has a story you can follow, it has characters you can identify with, it has weapons that are more realistic in use than any other game could possibly hope to match. The controls and feedback through the pad, provide a truly awesome (I don't use that word often) gaming experience. It's as close to virtual reality on a video game as you can get. Yes, the graphic detail looks poor compared to the latest super-duper offerings, but there is an integrity, an honesty, and above all a completeness about Halo, that makes it the only video game that truly deserves that perfect '10' score. Remember, this game is over 5 years old as I write - a very long time in this industry. If by some freak of nature you don't have a copy - beg, borrow or 'acquire' one NOW! You won't regret it.
Best of the Series
zdflanders3 February 2019
Excellent!
alex-brooks614 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
What a GREAT game! I got this game for Christmas, the same time I got my Xbox, and I was shocked to discover that I'd never played another game like it.Fast-paced, full of explosions, a complex and compelling storyline, and high-octane action set-pieces make this game one of the best I (and surely a lot of others')own.
Half of the actors I'd never even heard of, but they were stylish, emotional and they carried the game along nicely.
The single-player levels are detailed, atmospheric, and sometimes even spooky! They range from a swampy, dark jungle to both Covenant and UNSC ships, to snowy, arctic-style chasms.The multi-player levels are exactly the same, full of detail, every bit of care been spent on them as on the single-player levels.
The controls are simple and easy to get used to . Every level is packed with ruthless Covenant enemies, who will take every opportunity to blast you into next week.The AI is intelligent, and you will be challenged almost every second to overcome their forces.
The graphics are tremendous, a vast range of colours spread across every level, the maps sprawling, practically huge.
A brilliant game. If you enjoy this one, you'll most definitely enjoy the sequel! 10/10!
Half of the actors I'd never even heard of, but they were stylish, emotional and they carried the game along nicely.
The single-player levels are detailed, atmospheric, and sometimes even spooky! They range from a swampy, dark jungle to both Covenant and UNSC ships, to snowy, arctic-style chasms.The multi-player levels are exactly the same, full of detail, every bit of care been spent on them as on the single-player levels.
The controls are simple and easy to get used to . Every level is packed with ruthless Covenant enemies, who will take every opportunity to blast you into next week.The AI is intelligent, and you will be challenged almost every second to overcome their forces.
The graphics are tremendous, a vast range of colours spread across every level, the maps sprawling, practically huge.
A brilliant game. If you enjoy this one, you'll most definitely enjoy the sequel! 10/10!
An Honest Review
generationofswine4 November 2020
My name was I was bright pink, and I was CRAZY good at this... at least I was in college, in the big city, where I could rule the night.
And then I got home, and played with the friends I grew up with and... not so good. At least nothing to write home about.
But that was the beauty of Halo. Something happened between Goldeneye and Halo that gave us hicks the ultimate advantage when we were playing with big city boys in college.
The technology advanced where, suddenly, knowing how to use a blind, knowing how to lead a target, the things that we honed growing up doing hunting squirrels and deer actually translated into the video game world.
It really was Combat Evolved like the tag line said it was. You still didn't have to think about wind and distance, but it was the first video game where actually knowing how to hunt kind of translated into a game.
That on it's own is pretty revolutionary.
And then I got home, and played with the friends I grew up with and... not so good. At least nothing to write home about.
But that was the beauty of Halo. Something happened between Goldeneye and Halo that gave us hicks the ultimate advantage when we were playing with big city boys in college.
The technology advanced where, suddenly, knowing how to use a blind, knowing how to lead a target, the things that we honed growing up doing hunting squirrels and deer actually translated into the video game world.
It really was Combat Evolved like the tag line said it was. You still didn't have to think about wind and distance, but it was the first video game where actually knowing how to hunt kind of translated into a game.
That on it's own is pretty revolutionary.
Superb game but not perfect
martin-w611 October 2006
I just wanted to add that as great as Halo is there is a big part of the game where you keep going into very similar surroundings over and over again. As a single player experience I would guesstimate about 30% is very samey and it can be a bit boring going through these levels. However the majority of the game is great fun and some brilliant level designs but there is some padding of the levels to make the game last longer. This is not a perfect game but its still fantastic. Graphically it is wonderful. Sound is superb. Its fairly smooth with only occasional slowdown. Handling and control is very good. The story while simple is enough to keep you interested. There is a lot of variety in the gameplay generally.
Space odyssey
nickenchuggets20 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
It doesn't happen much, but sometimes a video game so influential is released that it redefines an entire genre. Halo Combat Evolved not only did this, but started one of the most well known franchises in the world today. I can just refuse to elaborate further, and pull up the insane numbers: over 40 novels, 16 games, 81 million copies sold, and so on. It takes nothing less than a masterpiece to spawn a series this groundbreaking. The very first game, while over 20 years old at this point, still manages to be among the best in the series and one of the finest in the sci-fi shooter genre. While there is no doubt much more to Halo than its plot, it would help to explain what goes on in this enormous game universe which rivals the size of our own. A universe mainly concerned with the player character, an alien alliance trying to destroy humanity, and an ancient ring of unimaginable power.
Halo CE begins in September 2552 on a large spaceship called the Pillar of Autumn. While not shown in game, the ship has just fled from the planet Reach, a human colony world that was just utterly annihilated by the Covenant: a conglomerate of different alien races who are at war with humanity. Captain Jacob Keyes, commanding officer of the Autumn, orders everyone to their battlestations when he is told by Cortana (the ship's female holographic artificial intelligence) that Covenant ships have been following them all the way from Reach. The player assumes the role of John-117. Commonly known by his rank of Master Chief, John is the human race's trump card against the Covenant, being a member of a near mythical batch of supersoldiers known as Spartans. Chief is awoken from sleeping in a cryogenic pod meant to preserve his lifespan just as Covenant boarding groups begin to infiltrate the Autumn, knowing Cortana is onboard. John makes his way to the ship's bridge and is given orders by Captain Keyes to get Cortana off the ship. If the Covenant capture her, they will learn where Earth is and humanity will be doomed. John fights his way through swarms of alien attackers and makes it to a lifeboat, which jettisons from the Autumn and crash lands on a huge ring shaped world called Halo. As Chief attempts to link up with marines who survived in other lifeboats, he fights his way through more Covenant, then receives word that Keyes has been captured by the aliens. He is next tasked with infiltrating the Truth and Reconciliation, a mile long Covenant spaceship that is holding Keyes hostage. After rescuing him, Cortana analyzes Covenant records and learns that they believe Halo is some kind of weapon which controls the fate of the universe. After finding out that Halo has its own control center from which it can be activated, John and Cortana set out to find the Cartographer: a map room that will show them its location. Facing heavy Covenant resistance, they make it to the control center in order to discover Halo's true purpose, but Cortana senses something is wrong. She finds out an ancient race known as Forerunners built it in order to rid the galaxy of something horrible they had encountered, and Keyes is about to unknowingly uncover it. Cortana urges John to rush out of there and find Keyes before it's too late.
Chief arrives at a dimly lit and eerie swamp area, where all the normally staunch Covenant soldiers are fleeing in horror from some unseen enemy. After entering the Forerunner facility, John finds out that the place was made to contain a terrifying adversary: the Flood. The Flood are a highly virulent alien parasite that cause the extinction of other lifeforms by infecting them and absorbing their memories, and were responsible for almost wiping out the Forerunners millenia ago. After fighting his way out of the Flood infested area, John is confronted by 343 Guilty Spark, the Halo ring's monitor. He is a floating, robotic construct built by the Forerunners tasked with looking over Installation 04 (Halo's official name). He wants Chief's assistance with making sure the Flood does not escape the ring, so he teleports him to The Library: an ancient security facility crawling with Flood. It houses the index, which is the key to activating the ring itself. Once the index is in John's possession, he returns to Halo's control room and reunites with Cortana, but she is not happy. John is convinced activating the ring will destroy the Flood, but Cortana exposes the truth; Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food source. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them, and without any other thinking aliens or humans to parasitize, they all die. John asks the monitor if this is true, and he says yes. Spark turns on Chief and wants him to give up Cortana so the ring can be fired, but he refuses. As a result, Chief now has to deal with being caught in a 4 way war between himself, the Flood, the Covenant, and Sentinels: flying robots with lasers that are tasked with containing Flood outbreaks.
Cortana tells John they need to destroy Halo in order to prevent Spark from getting his wish and activating it. To do this, John needs to destroy 3 generators that amplify Halo's signal. After this, he is teleported to the Truth and Reconciliation in order to search for Keyes. The ship is now disabled and swarming with Flood forms, who wish to repair the ship, use it to escape Halo, and infect other worlds (possibly Earth). Another 3 way battle ensues onboard the ruined and chaotic hallways of the cruiser, and John discovers the horrible truth upon entering the bridge: Keyes has been taken over by the Flood, who need his knowledge of Earth in order to infect it. John punches through Keyes' decaying skull and retrieves his neural lace, which is required to access the Pillar of Autumn's subsystems. The Covenant sends in special operations teams to deal with the Flood, and Chief must fight them on his way out.
After stealing a flying Covenant vehicle known as a Banshee, he makes his way to the crashed Pillar of Autumn, now infested with Flood. He uploads Cortana into the ship's command interface, and she initiates a countdown timer to destroy the ring by detonating the ship's reactor. However, Spark interrupts the process, so Chief must cause the ship's engine to blow up manually by venturing into the engine room and pulling back the exhaust couplings that lead to a fusion drive core. Once this is accomplished, Chief gets out as fast as he can since the whole place is going to blow soon. He is taken by elevator to a very long corridor that runs along the ship's spine, and drives a Warthog (an armored jeep with a gatling gun on the back) through hordes of Covenant, Flood, and Sentinels. John makes his way to a hangar bay which contains a large Longsword fighter jet. After boarding it, he pushes its engines to their limits and escapes Halo just as it explodes. When Cortana tells him they are the only two who made it off alive and that Halo is finished, John says they're just getting started and removes his helmet, though the view is obscured from the player.
This game is awesome. While the gameplay itself feels a little dated, the story is still as interesting today as it was in 2001. If you like science fiction, it should go without saying that you'll be interested in Halo. Marty O'Donnell absolutely kills it with the soundtrack, and the main theme of this game with the Gregorian choir has become rather iconic. The weapons and vehicles are all fun to use and viable options for the most part, which isn't the case in later games. Ironically, the most useful weapon is the humble pistol, as it fires huge .50 caliber rounds and can headshot enemies, killing them instantly. The alien plasma weapons are battery powered, and must be replaced when they are depleted as humans don't know how to recharge them. Halo CE's story mode is quite fair, and while it is difficult on the highest setting, it's very possible. There are many who can beat the whole game without dying once, as CE contains basically no unpredictable encounters that can kill instantly (almost). Probably the most obnoxious enemies are the handful of Flood forms that spawn with rocket launchers, a feared weapon that can eliminate anything up to a large vehicle in a single shot. All the Covenant races behave differently in combat, but the biggest threat to you are the Elites, as they have the same full body shielding system that you do. If you damage them but give their shields a chance to recharge, you basically just wasted your ammo.
Overall though, beating the campaign on legendary is a rewarding experience and you won't feel cheated if you get killed, as most of the time, it's your fault. While it's been surpassed in many ways by later games, CE still remains a fun game to play online as there are many different game modes and maps to choose from. For me, I will always enjoy how customizable the game is, and to this day people are still making their own mods, weapons and maps for it. There will never be another game like Halo.
Halo CE begins in September 2552 on a large spaceship called the Pillar of Autumn. While not shown in game, the ship has just fled from the planet Reach, a human colony world that was just utterly annihilated by the Covenant: a conglomerate of different alien races who are at war with humanity. Captain Jacob Keyes, commanding officer of the Autumn, orders everyone to their battlestations when he is told by Cortana (the ship's female holographic artificial intelligence) that Covenant ships have been following them all the way from Reach. The player assumes the role of John-117. Commonly known by his rank of Master Chief, John is the human race's trump card against the Covenant, being a member of a near mythical batch of supersoldiers known as Spartans. Chief is awoken from sleeping in a cryogenic pod meant to preserve his lifespan just as Covenant boarding groups begin to infiltrate the Autumn, knowing Cortana is onboard. John makes his way to the ship's bridge and is given orders by Captain Keyes to get Cortana off the ship. If the Covenant capture her, they will learn where Earth is and humanity will be doomed. John fights his way through swarms of alien attackers and makes it to a lifeboat, which jettisons from the Autumn and crash lands on a huge ring shaped world called Halo. As Chief attempts to link up with marines who survived in other lifeboats, he fights his way through more Covenant, then receives word that Keyes has been captured by the aliens. He is next tasked with infiltrating the Truth and Reconciliation, a mile long Covenant spaceship that is holding Keyes hostage. After rescuing him, Cortana analyzes Covenant records and learns that they believe Halo is some kind of weapon which controls the fate of the universe. After finding out that Halo has its own control center from which it can be activated, John and Cortana set out to find the Cartographer: a map room that will show them its location. Facing heavy Covenant resistance, they make it to the control center in order to discover Halo's true purpose, but Cortana senses something is wrong. She finds out an ancient race known as Forerunners built it in order to rid the galaxy of something horrible they had encountered, and Keyes is about to unknowingly uncover it. Cortana urges John to rush out of there and find Keyes before it's too late.
Chief arrives at a dimly lit and eerie swamp area, where all the normally staunch Covenant soldiers are fleeing in horror from some unseen enemy. After entering the Forerunner facility, John finds out that the place was made to contain a terrifying adversary: the Flood. The Flood are a highly virulent alien parasite that cause the extinction of other lifeforms by infecting them and absorbing their memories, and were responsible for almost wiping out the Forerunners millenia ago. After fighting his way out of the Flood infested area, John is confronted by 343 Guilty Spark, the Halo ring's monitor. He is a floating, robotic construct built by the Forerunners tasked with looking over Installation 04 (Halo's official name). He wants Chief's assistance with making sure the Flood does not escape the ring, so he teleports him to The Library: an ancient security facility crawling with Flood. It houses the index, which is the key to activating the ring itself. Once the index is in John's possession, he returns to Halo's control room and reunites with Cortana, but she is not happy. John is convinced activating the ring will destroy the Flood, but Cortana exposes the truth; Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food source. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them, and without any other thinking aliens or humans to parasitize, they all die. John asks the monitor if this is true, and he says yes. Spark turns on Chief and wants him to give up Cortana so the ring can be fired, but he refuses. As a result, Chief now has to deal with being caught in a 4 way war between himself, the Flood, the Covenant, and Sentinels: flying robots with lasers that are tasked with containing Flood outbreaks.
Cortana tells John they need to destroy Halo in order to prevent Spark from getting his wish and activating it. To do this, John needs to destroy 3 generators that amplify Halo's signal. After this, he is teleported to the Truth and Reconciliation in order to search for Keyes. The ship is now disabled and swarming with Flood forms, who wish to repair the ship, use it to escape Halo, and infect other worlds (possibly Earth). Another 3 way battle ensues onboard the ruined and chaotic hallways of the cruiser, and John discovers the horrible truth upon entering the bridge: Keyes has been taken over by the Flood, who need his knowledge of Earth in order to infect it. John punches through Keyes' decaying skull and retrieves his neural lace, which is required to access the Pillar of Autumn's subsystems. The Covenant sends in special operations teams to deal with the Flood, and Chief must fight them on his way out.
After stealing a flying Covenant vehicle known as a Banshee, he makes his way to the crashed Pillar of Autumn, now infested with Flood. He uploads Cortana into the ship's command interface, and she initiates a countdown timer to destroy the ring by detonating the ship's reactor. However, Spark interrupts the process, so Chief must cause the ship's engine to blow up manually by venturing into the engine room and pulling back the exhaust couplings that lead to a fusion drive core. Once this is accomplished, Chief gets out as fast as he can since the whole place is going to blow soon. He is taken by elevator to a very long corridor that runs along the ship's spine, and drives a Warthog (an armored jeep with a gatling gun on the back) through hordes of Covenant, Flood, and Sentinels. John makes his way to a hangar bay which contains a large Longsword fighter jet. After boarding it, he pushes its engines to their limits and escapes Halo just as it explodes. When Cortana tells him they are the only two who made it off alive and that Halo is finished, John says they're just getting started and removes his helmet, though the view is obscured from the player.
This game is awesome. While the gameplay itself feels a little dated, the story is still as interesting today as it was in 2001. If you like science fiction, it should go without saying that you'll be interested in Halo. Marty O'Donnell absolutely kills it with the soundtrack, and the main theme of this game with the Gregorian choir has become rather iconic. The weapons and vehicles are all fun to use and viable options for the most part, which isn't the case in later games. Ironically, the most useful weapon is the humble pistol, as it fires huge .50 caliber rounds and can headshot enemies, killing them instantly. The alien plasma weapons are battery powered, and must be replaced when they are depleted as humans don't know how to recharge them. Halo CE's story mode is quite fair, and while it is difficult on the highest setting, it's very possible. There are many who can beat the whole game without dying once, as CE contains basically no unpredictable encounters that can kill instantly (almost). Probably the most obnoxious enemies are the handful of Flood forms that spawn with rocket launchers, a feared weapon that can eliminate anything up to a large vehicle in a single shot. All the Covenant races behave differently in combat, but the biggest threat to you are the Elites, as they have the same full body shielding system that you do. If you damage them but give their shields a chance to recharge, you basically just wasted your ammo.
Overall though, beating the campaign on legendary is a rewarding experience and you won't feel cheated if you get killed, as most of the time, it's your fault. While it's been surpassed in many ways by later games, CE still remains a fun game to play online as there are many different game modes and maps to choose from. For me, I will always enjoy how customizable the game is, and to this day people are still making their own mods, weapons and maps for it. There will never be another game like Halo.
Probably the greatest modern video game of all time!
Jeremiahsouras26 September 2012
Halo: Combat Evolved.
What else does anyone need to say, it was revolutionary video game that is still standing the test of time, even with all the unnecessary slack it is getting from Call of Duty fan boys (and those in love with other games as well).
Created by Bungie throughout the late 90's into early 00's, Halo:CE is based of two previous Bungie games; Marathon and Marathon 2. Originally it was going to be a third person video game under the command of Apple (I could be wrong, it may have been Sony). The company and game was bought out by Microsoft, and made to be the release title of their upcoming console platform; X-Box.
The game follows the story of Master Chief (also known as John-117), the last Spartan-III of his kind, battling out the opposing race; the Covenant. He crash lands on a giant structure in the shape of a ring, named "Halo", of which he finds out was created by the forerunner (an ancient civilization that was in high command years and years ago) as a weapon of mass-destruction. At first it is unclear what the purpose of what the weapon is, but it is soon to be realized it is too destroy another race; the Flood, zombie like creatures trying to take of the universe. (Please advise I have not played the game in a long time (except for Halo:CE:AE) so I don't exactly remember the exact chronological order of which these events take place, nor the specifications, I just feel like I want to write a review because I like the game)
This game not only has incredible action, drama and horror, but actually a great story, one of which is becoming difficult to find in newer breeds of video-games, especially thanks to the reign of Call of Duty. I don't really know why I love this game so much, but there is just something about it that makes it superior to a vast majority of games that are being manufactured right now. Just as long as the newly crowned 343 Studios takes it time with the newer Halo games, I'm certain they will last to be some of the greatest games of all time.
10/10 - A must for all X-Box, sci-fi, action or FPS lovers. If you aren't keen on the graphics which may now look a little outdated (although I still love the sun rays in this game) there is always Halo: Combat Evolved: Anniversary Edition, a nice high definition update of this fantastic game.
What else does anyone need to say, it was revolutionary video game that is still standing the test of time, even with all the unnecessary slack it is getting from Call of Duty fan boys (and those in love with other games as well).
Created by Bungie throughout the late 90's into early 00's, Halo:CE is based of two previous Bungie games; Marathon and Marathon 2. Originally it was going to be a third person video game under the command of Apple (I could be wrong, it may have been Sony). The company and game was bought out by Microsoft, and made to be the release title of their upcoming console platform; X-Box.
The game follows the story of Master Chief (also known as John-117), the last Spartan-III of his kind, battling out the opposing race; the Covenant. He crash lands on a giant structure in the shape of a ring, named "Halo", of which he finds out was created by the forerunner (an ancient civilization that was in high command years and years ago) as a weapon of mass-destruction. At first it is unclear what the purpose of what the weapon is, but it is soon to be realized it is too destroy another race; the Flood, zombie like creatures trying to take of the universe. (Please advise I have not played the game in a long time (except for Halo:CE:AE) so I don't exactly remember the exact chronological order of which these events take place, nor the specifications, I just feel like I want to write a review because I like the game)
This game not only has incredible action, drama and horror, but actually a great story, one of which is becoming difficult to find in newer breeds of video-games, especially thanks to the reign of Call of Duty. I don't really know why I love this game so much, but there is just something about it that makes it superior to a vast majority of games that are being manufactured right now. Just as long as the newly crowned 343 Studios takes it time with the newer Halo games, I'm certain they will last to be some of the greatest games of all time.
10/10 - A must for all X-Box, sci-fi, action or FPS lovers. If you aren't keen on the graphics which may now look a little outdated (although I still love the sun rays in this game) there is always Halo: Combat Evolved: Anniversary Edition, a nice high definition update of this fantastic game.
Interesting. Fun the first few times. Is flawed though.
runthehills-119 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is an okay game, though I how everybody is calling it the best game in the world. It's not. It's a fun shooter to play on a rainy afternoon, but nothing to die about.
Characters: Master Chief is a creative character, being the dark, mysterious, leader. Cortana is a funny and extremely snotty woman, if she even is a woman. The flood is the part I think is stupid. It is not any fun to go around every corner and shoot more and more and more creatures.
Weapons: The best part of the game. The rocket launchers, snipers, pistols, and rifles are definitely the best part of Halo because you get to go around using different weapons to kick some ass.
Overall: An okay game, but nothing to flip out about. If you have nothing to do and just want to get away from the world, Halo is for you.
Characters: Master Chief is a creative character, being the dark, mysterious, leader. Cortana is a funny and extremely snotty woman, if she even is a woman. The flood is the part I think is stupid. It is not any fun to go around every corner and shoot more and more and more creatures.
Weapons: The best part of the game. The rocket launchers, snipers, pistols, and rifles are definitely the best part of Halo because you get to go around using different weapons to kick some ass.
Overall: An okay game, but nothing to flip out about. If you have nothing to do and just want to get away from the world, Halo is for you.
Could possibly be the worst game of all time.
FromHeroesToDust17 July 2013
I'm in no way bashing the franchise. I LOVE Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, and Halo Reach. Halo CE is just such an awful game. Every single mission is so redundant and repetitive it gives me a headache just thinking about it. Also, what's up with the ridiculously high difficulty in this game? I only played through on normal difficulty and it seriously felt as it the game changed it to Legendary. The missions are also unnecessarily long. I can beat any other game's levels in about 10-15 minutes but each mission in this game is literally 40-45 minutes in length. All just to walk down the same hallways and same damn corridors over and over again. This game is just too awful and even muster the energy to think about. I already am aware this review will get 1,000 thumbs down but whatever. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I'm the kind of person that dares call a popular video game complete and utter crap.
Hands down, the best multi-player console game to date.
Draykov18 February 2003
Let me preface this review by saying that when the next generation consoles (PS2, XBOX, Gamecube) arrived, I purchased my PS2 with the intention of not purchasing another console. Like many, I was skeptical about Microsoft's leap into the console fray and Nintendo's N64, while at times great, left me feeling like they just weren't trying to get anything good onto their system that wasn't a first party title (with Goldeneye and Perfect Dark being glaring exceptions to that). Halo was 75% of the reason for me to purchase an XBox. With that said, I get the feeling that some of the less friendly reviews of Halo stem more from contempt towards Microsoft, the XBox, and the idea that Bungie "sold out" when Microsoft purchased the company than any problems with the game itself.
Now, when I first saw Halo, my jaw dropped. The graphics are amazing. While I do tend to focus on graphics (especially in reference to clean animation) I don't necessarily hold it as equal to game play and it certainly isn't more important. But, one look at Halo and I thought "This is the most beautiful game I've ever seen." To this day after almost a full year of playing the game, I'm still prone to getting capped in the back of the head while enjoying the serenity of the blades of grass in Blood Gulch, or the majestic cliffs and water of Battle Creek. Lighting, shadowing, color, effects...just beautiful.
Sound...basically everything I said about graphics, you could change the context and apply it to sound. Nothing totally immerses you in the Halo experience quite like hearing a sniper's bullet whiz dangerously past your head only to hit the Warthog behind you with a loud "plink" while in "System Link" play.
The single player game play is good. It isn't the most entertaining game I've played but it holds its own. The story is good (and although I don't know first hand, I have heard talk of unoriginality...seems the Bungie guys "borrowed heavily" from another story) wherever its origin. The characters, mainly the enemies you fight against, are great. Nothing is quite as satisfying as sticking a plasma grenade to the face of an unsuspecting grunt, only to watch him flee in terror into the arms of his doomed comrades...KAPLOOIE!!! The sound, graphics, story, enemies and their AI, and control make the game a joy and had I never experienced multi-player Halo I might think more highly of the single player game.
Multi-player Halo: God's gift to the XBox gamer with friends...especially friends who also have XBoxes. I've saved this part for last because this is where the game truly shines. Multi-player Halo comes in several forms, a fact that in and of itself is impressive.
-You can play the single player game with a buddy. While this can be highly entertaining and is a great concept and much appreciated, it does suffer from serious frame rate reduction at times. If Bungie had designed this feature to be compatible with the "System Link" style (more in a minute) of play, it might have reached its apex.
-In "Split Screen" mode, as the name implies, you and up to 3 other Spartan Cyborgs can go head to head. Well, maybe head to head trivializes it. There are a myriad of game types and customizable options that leave multi-player Halo something to be tweaked and experimented with for months (but for the pending release of Halo 2, I would dare to say years) after you first play the game.
-"System Link" is the most novel feature of Halo. It is no longer just a game. It truly becomes an experience. You (with the expensive list of equipment in your inventory - 4 televisions, 4 copies of Halo, 4 XBoxes, and 16 controllers) can potentially play with up to 16 players! That's right, 16 players on a console game, with the work split up with 4 players at each XBox. While I've never played with more than six people at any one time, I still find this the most enjoyable way to play. Having an entire 27"+ screen to enjoy a multi-player console title this beautiful is a treat beyond explanation. The weapons selection and vehicles available become most appreciated in this style of play. Which brings me to another point: while the selection of weapons is varied, it isn't vast. Not that I'm complaining. Between the space marine and alien plasma weapons, there is plenty to work with. I should also note, that other than 4 grenades of each type (plasma or fragmentation) you can only carry two weapons at a time(i.e. a combo of two weapons which you can use one at a time, switching between them at your leisure). The genius of the game play becomes very apparent when you start to realize how well balanced and important the weapons you select can be.
I cannot say enough about this game. It is obvious that the people at Bungie really knew what they were doing and they really knew who they were making this game for. If you have an XBox and you don't have this game, you're missing out.
Now, when I first saw Halo, my jaw dropped. The graphics are amazing. While I do tend to focus on graphics (especially in reference to clean animation) I don't necessarily hold it as equal to game play and it certainly isn't more important. But, one look at Halo and I thought "This is the most beautiful game I've ever seen." To this day after almost a full year of playing the game, I'm still prone to getting capped in the back of the head while enjoying the serenity of the blades of grass in Blood Gulch, or the majestic cliffs and water of Battle Creek. Lighting, shadowing, color, effects...just beautiful.
Sound...basically everything I said about graphics, you could change the context and apply it to sound. Nothing totally immerses you in the Halo experience quite like hearing a sniper's bullet whiz dangerously past your head only to hit the Warthog behind you with a loud "plink" while in "System Link" play.
The single player game play is good. It isn't the most entertaining game I've played but it holds its own. The story is good (and although I don't know first hand, I have heard talk of unoriginality...seems the Bungie guys "borrowed heavily" from another story) wherever its origin. The characters, mainly the enemies you fight against, are great. Nothing is quite as satisfying as sticking a plasma grenade to the face of an unsuspecting grunt, only to watch him flee in terror into the arms of his doomed comrades...KAPLOOIE!!! The sound, graphics, story, enemies and their AI, and control make the game a joy and had I never experienced multi-player Halo I might think more highly of the single player game.
Multi-player Halo: God's gift to the XBox gamer with friends...especially friends who also have XBoxes. I've saved this part for last because this is where the game truly shines. Multi-player Halo comes in several forms, a fact that in and of itself is impressive.
-You can play the single player game with a buddy. While this can be highly entertaining and is a great concept and much appreciated, it does suffer from serious frame rate reduction at times. If Bungie had designed this feature to be compatible with the "System Link" style (more in a minute) of play, it might have reached its apex.
-In "Split Screen" mode, as the name implies, you and up to 3 other Spartan Cyborgs can go head to head. Well, maybe head to head trivializes it. There are a myriad of game types and customizable options that leave multi-player Halo something to be tweaked and experimented with for months (but for the pending release of Halo 2, I would dare to say years) after you first play the game.
-"System Link" is the most novel feature of Halo. It is no longer just a game. It truly becomes an experience. You (with the expensive list of equipment in your inventory - 4 televisions, 4 copies of Halo, 4 XBoxes, and 16 controllers) can potentially play with up to 16 players! That's right, 16 players on a console game, with the work split up with 4 players at each XBox. While I've never played with more than six people at any one time, I still find this the most enjoyable way to play. Having an entire 27"+ screen to enjoy a multi-player console title this beautiful is a treat beyond explanation. The weapons selection and vehicles available become most appreciated in this style of play. Which brings me to another point: while the selection of weapons is varied, it isn't vast. Not that I'm complaining. Between the space marine and alien plasma weapons, there is plenty to work with. I should also note, that other than 4 grenades of each type (plasma or fragmentation) you can only carry two weapons at a time(i.e. a combo of two weapons which you can use one at a time, switching between them at your leisure). The genius of the game play becomes very apparent when you start to realize how well balanced and important the weapons you select can be.
I cannot say enough about this game. It is obvious that the people at Bungie really knew what they were doing and they really knew who they were making this game for. If you have an XBox and you don't have this game, you're missing out.
Halo the start of a successful franchise
BigSexy7723 June 2006
Halo Combat evolved was the Xbox exclusive title to help Microsoft sell the system and it was highly successful as it got game of the year and also was the start of one of the most successful franchises in gaming history. Halo had sold over 5 million and was on different platforms. Halo also had LAN parties across the country and started what is known as the Halo Phenomenon. Halo to me had a great story, fun game play and one of the most greatest main character in gaming the Master Chief. Bungie the Creator of this game had already made an FPS called Marathon as Halo is very similar to this game and also this experience with First Person shooters helped Bungie make a classic like Halo which had some of the Best textures in a game. This game is easily a Xbox classic and I say anyone with an interest in FPS's then Hlao has everything you will want in a game.
Story=10 Gameplay=10 Multiplayer=10 sound=10 Lasting appeal=10
Story=10 Gameplay=10 Multiplayer=10 sound=10 Lasting appeal=10
A New Halo Player Reviews Halo CE - A Well Aged and Excellently Designed Game - With One Flaw Holding it Back
legobuilder-2135321 June 2022
I'm fairly new to the gaming scene. Growing up, games didn't interest me very much. It wasn't until my teens that I began to grow a fascination with gaming, and the unique experience interactive storytelling can provide. However, my introduction to the gaming world was mostly on PC, so in December of 2020 when I purchased 343's Master Chief Collection, I went into the world of Halo almost completely blind, with few preconceived notions, and no knowledge of the universe it contained. My unusual introduction to the games have given me some unique takes that I hope may be valuable for first time players, and offer a slightly fresher perspective.
NOTE: This review will not be covering multiplayer. I suck at it and therefore cannot give it an unbiased review.
**************************************************
I decided going into Halo that I would play the series in release order. I figured doing so would give me the most "pure" experience, as I would be playing the games in the order they evolved technologically, stylistically and thematically. I knew in doing this though, that I'd be playing the older, and harder-to-get-into games first, but I was determined not to let my 2010s gamer brain interfere with my experience too much. Nonetheless, Halo: Combat Evolved was a bit of a rocky start for first-time-player-me. I knew going in that the game was an older style, and that it was slower-paced than the style of action shooter games I was more familiar with. After all, this is partially what makes Halo such an important milestone in gaming: it made combat function fluidly and enjoyably on consoles, and a large part of doing this was making slower-paced gunplay and movement attuned to a controller's sensitivity. In Early missions though, I found that I had trouble learning the exact way the game wanted me to handle situations. The enemy design in Halo is very good, and there are clear strategies to evading, and taking out the various aliens you'll fight, but I couldn't seem to figure them out. The problem was that I had not learned the game's intended way of playing. If I had, I would have probably had a much better introduction to the Halo series.
This brings to the biggest issue I have with Halo: CE: The game doesn't give you very much info about how to play it. The decision of how much information is given to the player is somewhat of a stylistic choice in the game industry, and I don't think it's always bad to choose less over more. Little info on weapon stats can push you to experiment with the game's arsenal more, and it's perfectly acceptable to teach a player the tactics the enemies use by showing their behavior instead of telling you about it. However, Halo I believe suffers from the lack of insight it gives you, because the ideal method to playing Halo clashes with the little bit of insight the game DOES give you. The first mission heavily emphasizes the importance of your shield, utilizing cover around halls and arenas, and knowing which enemies to let your allies pick off for you. Combine this with the game's slower movement speed, and I gained a false impression that Halo was a slow, strategic game with methodical, midrange combat. I ended up approaching the game too much like Half Life, and used too many hit and run tactics around tanky enemies, only melee attacked things from behind to avoid taking fire, and several times, tried to kill everything ONLY as a last resort. I realize now Halo is NOT meant to be played this way, so much so to a degree that a lot of Halo fans don't even like to refer to the game as a "cover shooter" (although the series did pioneer a lot of mechanics for this particular fps genre). I now know most fights in the campaign are best fought by charging right into them. You should locate a few spots to take cover in if your shields get low IN ADVANCE, and seek out and direct your fire at the higher health enemies. You should swap out weapons frequently so you don't get stuck reloading at a bad time. If grunts and jackals become too numerous for your squad-mates to handle, then use melee attacks to kill them to conserve ammo.
Once I figured out how to fight like the one-man army Master Chief is supposed to be in the games' canon, I began to have a lot more fun with the combat. Only then I could properly appreciate the enemy design, and how things I had previously found awkward like the long jump distance and crouching were really useful for dodging attacks. I still find the movement in Halo: CE to be on the dated side, (to this day, I wish there a roll-dodge mechanic seeing as the NPC marines all have one, and it is very helpful for keeping them alive) but when you know how to attack and hold your ground properly, the combat feels very natural, and you start to have a lot of fun thinking of ways to adapt and finish off what you're fighting while you're engaged in the heat of battle, instead of frantically dodging fire, trying to chip away at some magenta Elite's shield, and then scrambling to the nearest medkit or container you jumped out from behind.
Halo CE's campaign is hands-down fantastic. There are some great AI scripted moments which I won't spoil, and the level and arena design is very good. All the corridors, tunnels, bridges and rooms you traverse are designed to match the combat system, but are not without challenge, and are satisfying to overcome. Another great thing about Halo CE, is how open a lot of combat is to the player. The amount of weapons and vehicles the game has throughout its campaign alone is stunning, but what CE deserves a lot of credit for even today is how everything is balanced and has a purpose. There are advantages and disadvantages to every vehicle, human and Covenant alike, but there are still methods and opportunities to use all of them several times. Similarly, there are no extraneous feeling items. While you need to know how to play Halo's combat system to enjoy it, once you have the system down, you have a lot of freedom to experiment with guns you prefer, strategize with the vehicles the game gives you, and have a very personalized experience. This is a defining element of Halo and among the reasons the games are so beloved. I think CE actually achieves this element to the best extent in the series, for future games would introduce new weapons and vehicles that were cool, but more suited for specific in-game sequences. Halo CE is also very good at storytelling. Although it has the most basic plot in the entire franchise, the way the game presents you with several questions and answers few, while making you traverse beautifully mysterious set pieces accompanied by Martin O'Donnell's haunting ambient pieces will certainly invest you in the world you are taking part in.
Although I had a rough first playthrough of Halo CE, it is by all means a great game that I give an unenthusiastic 8.5/10 to. However, my gripe with the game's disconnect between the tutorial levels and the actual combat-loop still concerns me enough that I actually do NOT recommend this game to first-time Halo players. It nearly messed up my impression of Halo, I don't want it to mess up other new players'. I ultimately did not regret my decision to play the Halo saga in release order, but I think that if you want to have the best blind introduction to the franchise, you should play Halo 2 or Halo Reach first. They do a better job teaching you the Halo combat system better than CE, and because of this, you can play them knowing nothing going in and have a pretty good time. If you do want to play the Halo saga in its entirety like I did, playing Halo CE first will pay off, but I DO NOT RECOMMEND going into it blind like I did. Watch some playthroughs of the missions, read some articles about how to face the different enemies, and learn how the various weapons work. See how long-time players play and get the most enjoyment out of the game. You'll have a lot more fun and the more dated qualities of the game will become less detracting.
NOTE: This review will not be covering multiplayer. I suck at it and therefore cannot give it an unbiased review.
**************************************************
I decided going into Halo that I would play the series in release order. I figured doing so would give me the most "pure" experience, as I would be playing the games in the order they evolved technologically, stylistically and thematically. I knew in doing this though, that I'd be playing the older, and harder-to-get-into games first, but I was determined not to let my 2010s gamer brain interfere with my experience too much. Nonetheless, Halo: Combat Evolved was a bit of a rocky start for first-time-player-me. I knew going in that the game was an older style, and that it was slower-paced than the style of action shooter games I was more familiar with. After all, this is partially what makes Halo such an important milestone in gaming: it made combat function fluidly and enjoyably on consoles, and a large part of doing this was making slower-paced gunplay and movement attuned to a controller's sensitivity. In Early missions though, I found that I had trouble learning the exact way the game wanted me to handle situations. The enemy design in Halo is very good, and there are clear strategies to evading, and taking out the various aliens you'll fight, but I couldn't seem to figure them out. The problem was that I had not learned the game's intended way of playing. If I had, I would have probably had a much better introduction to the Halo series.
This brings to the biggest issue I have with Halo: CE: The game doesn't give you very much info about how to play it. The decision of how much information is given to the player is somewhat of a stylistic choice in the game industry, and I don't think it's always bad to choose less over more. Little info on weapon stats can push you to experiment with the game's arsenal more, and it's perfectly acceptable to teach a player the tactics the enemies use by showing their behavior instead of telling you about it. However, Halo I believe suffers from the lack of insight it gives you, because the ideal method to playing Halo clashes with the little bit of insight the game DOES give you. The first mission heavily emphasizes the importance of your shield, utilizing cover around halls and arenas, and knowing which enemies to let your allies pick off for you. Combine this with the game's slower movement speed, and I gained a false impression that Halo was a slow, strategic game with methodical, midrange combat. I ended up approaching the game too much like Half Life, and used too many hit and run tactics around tanky enemies, only melee attacked things from behind to avoid taking fire, and several times, tried to kill everything ONLY as a last resort. I realize now Halo is NOT meant to be played this way, so much so to a degree that a lot of Halo fans don't even like to refer to the game as a "cover shooter" (although the series did pioneer a lot of mechanics for this particular fps genre). I now know most fights in the campaign are best fought by charging right into them. You should locate a few spots to take cover in if your shields get low IN ADVANCE, and seek out and direct your fire at the higher health enemies. You should swap out weapons frequently so you don't get stuck reloading at a bad time. If grunts and jackals become too numerous for your squad-mates to handle, then use melee attacks to kill them to conserve ammo.
Once I figured out how to fight like the one-man army Master Chief is supposed to be in the games' canon, I began to have a lot more fun with the combat. Only then I could properly appreciate the enemy design, and how things I had previously found awkward like the long jump distance and crouching were really useful for dodging attacks. I still find the movement in Halo: CE to be on the dated side, (to this day, I wish there a roll-dodge mechanic seeing as the NPC marines all have one, and it is very helpful for keeping them alive) but when you know how to attack and hold your ground properly, the combat feels very natural, and you start to have a lot of fun thinking of ways to adapt and finish off what you're fighting while you're engaged in the heat of battle, instead of frantically dodging fire, trying to chip away at some magenta Elite's shield, and then scrambling to the nearest medkit or container you jumped out from behind.
Halo CE's campaign is hands-down fantastic. There are some great AI scripted moments which I won't spoil, and the level and arena design is very good. All the corridors, tunnels, bridges and rooms you traverse are designed to match the combat system, but are not without challenge, and are satisfying to overcome. Another great thing about Halo CE, is how open a lot of combat is to the player. The amount of weapons and vehicles the game has throughout its campaign alone is stunning, but what CE deserves a lot of credit for even today is how everything is balanced and has a purpose. There are advantages and disadvantages to every vehicle, human and Covenant alike, but there are still methods and opportunities to use all of them several times. Similarly, there are no extraneous feeling items. While you need to know how to play Halo's combat system to enjoy it, once you have the system down, you have a lot of freedom to experiment with guns you prefer, strategize with the vehicles the game gives you, and have a very personalized experience. This is a defining element of Halo and among the reasons the games are so beloved. I think CE actually achieves this element to the best extent in the series, for future games would introduce new weapons and vehicles that were cool, but more suited for specific in-game sequences. Halo CE is also very good at storytelling. Although it has the most basic plot in the entire franchise, the way the game presents you with several questions and answers few, while making you traverse beautifully mysterious set pieces accompanied by Martin O'Donnell's haunting ambient pieces will certainly invest you in the world you are taking part in.
Although I had a rough first playthrough of Halo CE, it is by all means a great game that I give an unenthusiastic 8.5/10 to. However, my gripe with the game's disconnect between the tutorial levels and the actual combat-loop still concerns me enough that I actually do NOT recommend this game to first-time Halo players. It nearly messed up my impression of Halo, I don't want it to mess up other new players'. I ultimately did not regret my decision to play the Halo saga in release order, but I think that if you want to have the best blind introduction to the franchise, you should play Halo 2 or Halo Reach first. They do a better job teaching you the Halo combat system better than CE, and because of this, you can play them knowing nothing going in and have a pretty good time. If you do want to play the Halo saga in its entirety like I did, playing Halo CE first will pay off, but I DO NOT RECOMMEND going into it blind like I did. Watch some playthroughs of the missions, read some articles about how to face the different enemies, and learn how the various weapons work. See how long-time players play and get the most enjoyment out of the game. You'll have a lot more fun and the more dated qualities of the game will become less detracting.
Bad game :(
Ryanshuemaker1 October 2008
I'll be commenting on both the PC and the Xbox.
Xbox: As you maybe have heard, Halo is definitely the best thing that happened to the Xbox. The single player is worth every penny, and the multiplayer is good too. The best part is the cooperative mode, where you and a friend can battle out the aliens together. The only real flaw is driving the warthog. It just doesn't feel natural. Despite that, all you FPS fans will definitely want to pick this up. A perfect ***** outta *****.
PC: If you don't own an Xbox, and you want to own Halo, you're in luck. 'Cause it's on the PC too! The game looks almost the same on the PC. And the multiplayer is online this time. Only one problem. No cooperative mode! That was my favorite feature on the Xbox version, and it's gone on the PC! Oh well. All the other good things are on the PC. So I give the PC version an almost as good **** outta *****
Xbox: As you maybe have heard, Halo is definitely the best thing that happened to the Xbox. The single player is worth every penny, and the multiplayer is good too. The best part is the cooperative mode, where you and a friend can battle out the aliens together. The only real flaw is driving the warthog. It just doesn't feel natural. Despite that, all you FPS fans will definitely want to pick this up. A perfect ***** outta *****.
PC: If you don't own an Xbox, and you want to own Halo, you're in luck. 'Cause it's on the PC too! The game looks almost the same on the PC. And the multiplayer is online this time. Only one problem. No cooperative mode! That was my favorite feature on the Xbox version, and it's gone on the PC! Oh well. All the other good things are on the PC. So I give the PC version an almost as good **** outta *****
I stood up and clapped when I beat the game.
The_Light_Triton18 February 2011
Back in 2001 when Microsoft Released the Xbox, This was the launch title and rightfully so. Despite being a launch title, this is the only Launch title outside of Super Mario Bros that has garnered a Huge Following for it's franchise in the near decade of it's existence. In my opinion, Halo was an innovative game, but its one of those games that takes a long time to get where it is now.
The Game begins in 2552, Many, many years from now. There are 2 races, the Humans, and the Covenant, an alien race that have been battling the humans for years. There is one human ship, the Pillar of autumn, that holds 2 things. First, it holds an AI Program so important, if the covenant got their hands on it, the whole human race could cease to exist. Second, there is a special soldier on the ship, the last of his kind. a Spartan II, a Warrior with the strength of a 1000 men, and the size of a monster. He is Spartan-117, Also known as, The Master Chief.
You are the Master Chief. It's your job to take on the covenant and discover the secrets of Halo, A Giant ring capable of housing life within its confines.
One cool tip for you - You can still download the Demo of this game for free from Microsoft's Website. You will only be able to play the mission "The Silent Cartographer" but you will also be able to play online on the "Blood Gulch" Map in either Slayer, Capture the Flag, or Oddball. the only problem is most of the servers suffer from Lag, and some of the gamers are losers who have nothing better to do than Betray teammates on CTF.
You can still buy it for both the PC (I saw a copy at Future shop recently) and on Xbox 360 (it's available as a download, for about 20 bucks) So if you haven't played this game, Do it.
The Game begins in 2552, Many, many years from now. There are 2 races, the Humans, and the Covenant, an alien race that have been battling the humans for years. There is one human ship, the Pillar of autumn, that holds 2 things. First, it holds an AI Program so important, if the covenant got their hands on it, the whole human race could cease to exist. Second, there is a special soldier on the ship, the last of his kind. a Spartan II, a Warrior with the strength of a 1000 men, and the size of a monster. He is Spartan-117, Also known as, The Master Chief.
You are the Master Chief. It's your job to take on the covenant and discover the secrets of Halo, A Giant ring capable of housing life within its confines.
One cool tip for you - You can still download the Demo of this game for free from Microsoft's Website. You will only be able to play the mission "The Silent Cartographer" but you will also be able to play online on the "Blood Gulch" Map in either Slayer, Capture the Flag, or Oddball. the only problem is most of the servers suffer from Lag, and some of the gamers are losers who have nothing better to do than Betray teammates on CTF.
You can still buy it for both the PC (I saw a copy at Future shop recently) and on Xbox 360 (it's available as a download, for about 20 bucks) So if you haven't played this game, Do it.
A quick review of why Halo: Combat Evolved is FANTASTIC!
alylover2216 August 2002
With fantastic graphics, gameplay, voice acting, weapons, vehicles, and AI, Halo is the best game out. I was skeptical before I played Halo, but after I bought an Xbox, I needed a game. Well, My friend to me that Halo was the best so, I bought it off him and dove in to the game. I've never jumped back out.
Halo is THE best game for Xbox and maybe the best FPS (first person shooter) ever. It has awesome graphics, wonderful gameplay with four levels to play on (Easy, Normal, Hero, Legendary), really cool weapons, and VERY VERY cool vehicles. The vehicles are:
The Warthog (a jeep with independent four wheel suspension, and rear turning),
The Scorpion ( a massive Tank),
the Ghost(an Alien(Covenent- the alien race you fight against) hovercraft),
and the ever elusive Banshee ( a covenent plane that is SO awesome).
The Alien race, the Covenent, is very well done and is very hard to beat at first(on easy that is, they are hard on the other difficulties too)
The above is all about the Single Player version. Now we talk about the Multiplayer part. All I have to say is that for all the people that have been longing for another Goldeneye, YOU'VE FOUND IT!!!!!! In other words, the multiplayer is WONDERFUL. There is a CO-OP mode for two player, and a 2-4 player(possible 16 with LAN connection cables).
Overall, the game is wonderful, if you don't have it buy it, and if you can't buy it, make a friend that has it.
*****- Five Stars!
Halo is THE best game for Xbox and maybe the best FPS (first person shooter) ever. It has awesome graphics, wonderful gameplay with four levels to play on (Easy, Normal, Hero, Legendary), really cool weapons, and VERY VERY cool vehicles. The vehicles are:
The Warthog (a jeep with independent four wheel suspension, and rear turning),
The Scorpion ( a massive Tank),
the Ghost(an Alien(Covenent- the alien race you fight against) hovercraft),
and the ever elusive Banshee ( a covenent plane that is SO awesome).
The Alien race, the Covenent, is very well done and is very hard to beat at first(on easy that is, they are hard on the other difficulties too)
The above is all about the Single Player version. Now we talk about the Multiplayer part. All I have to say is that for all the people that have been longing for another Goldeneye, YOU'VE FOUND IT!!!!!! In other words, the multiplayer is WONDERFUL. There is a CO-OP mode for two player, and a 2-4 player(possible 16 with LAN connection cables).
Overall, the game is wonderful, if you don't have it buy it, and if you can't buy it, make a friend that has it.
*****- Five Stars!
One of the best!
moviesleuth213 October 2008
Of all the video games that could have created such a phenomenon, I can't think of any other game more worthy of it than "Halo." It's simply brilliant, and one of the best ever made. "Halo" is superbly executed, gorgeous to look at (even by today's standards), and it has something that many other games don't: an involving story and an assortment of likable three-dimensional characters.
Since the sole function of a video game is to have the player control much of what happens, it's understandable that the story and the characters take a backseat to the shooting and the explosions. "Halo" is no different, but it has a stronger story and better developed characters than most of the other options out there.
In the future, mankind is at war with a coalition of formidable and destructive alien races that are collectively known as the Covenant. A lone ship is carrying the last surviving supersoldier, and after a brutal attack by the Covenant, the ship crash lands on a mysterious ringworld. But little does anyone know that this structure carries a few dangerous secrets.
"Halo" has flawless gameplay. The controls are simple and effectively placed. There are no awkward camera angles, and few glitches. There is always plenty of ammo and weaponry, but that won't necessarily save you from death. The Covenant lives up to the story's explanation of them being a formidable enemy. Surviving isn't always easy, and each of the races has their own set of tactics that are frequently unpredictable.
When it came out, "Halo" was hailed for it's gorgeous graphics. Despite the evolution in technology, the original still holds up well. Rich in color and shadow, exquisitely detailed, and often jaw-droppingly beautiful, "Halo's" graphics are going to be hard to top.
All of this would be for naught if the game wasn't fun. "Halo" is immensely entertaining, and has an unlimited replay value. Part of the reason is that the voice work is terrific, and the dialogue they say is well-written. The Master Chief's AI sidekick, Cortana, has a feisty attitude that is always entertaining. There's also some visual humor as well, such as throwing a plasma grenade on one of the grunts, which will often send them fleeing and screaming lines that are pretty funny.
The story is epic in scale and never boring. Despite the fact that about 90% of the game is shooting enemies, it never loses sight of the story. What's even better is that at some points, the game turns rather frightening (at least one of the levels is best played during the day).
The multiplayer broke new ground by allowing consoles to be connected together. Additionally, it's well developed enough to suit the preferences of any player (including creating their own game types), with a variety of levels that are greatly different from each other.
"Halo" may not be flawless (one of the levels is tedious and repetitive), but it's successes vastly outnumber its drawbacks. "Halo" is one of the best games ever created.
Since the sole function of a video game is to have the player control much of what happens, it's understandable that the story and the characters take a backseat to the shooting and the explosions. "Halo" is no different, but it has a stronger story and better developed characters than most of the other options out there.
In the future, mankind is at war with a coalition of formidable and destructive alien races that are collectively known as the Covenant. A lone ship is carrying the last surviving supersoldier, and after a brutal attack by the Covenant, the ship crash lands on a mysterious ringworld. But little does anyone know that this structure carries a few dangerous secrets.
"Halo" has flawless gameplay. The controls are simple and effectively placed. There are no awkward camera angles, and few glitches. There is always plenty of ammo and weaponry, but that won't necessarily save you from death. The Covenant lives up to the story's explanation of them being a formidable enemy. Surviving isn't always easy, and each of the races has their own set of tactics that are frequently unpredictable.
When it came out, "Halo" was hailed for it's gorgeous graphics. Despite the evolution in technology, the original still holds up well. Rich in color and shadow, exquisitely detailed, and often jaw-droppingly beautiful, "Halo's" graphics are going to be hard to top.
All of this would be for naught if the game wasn't fun. "Halo" is immensely entertaining, and has an unlimited replay value. Part of the reason is that the voice work is terrific, and the dialogue they say is well-written. The Master Chief's AI sidekick, Cortana, has a feisty attitude that is always entertaining. There's also some visual humor as well, such as throwing a plasma grenade on one of the grunts, which will often send them fleeing and screaming lines that are pretty funny.
The story is epic in scale and never boring. Despite the fact that about 90% of the game is shooting enemies, it never loses sight of the story. What's even better is that at some points, the game turns rather frightening (at least one of the levels is best played during the day).
The multiplayer broke new ground by allowing consoles to be connected together. Additionally, it's well developed enough to suit the preferences of any player (including creating their own game types), with a variety of levels that are greatly different from each other.
"Halo" may not be flawless (one of the levels is tedious and repetitive), but it's successes vastly outnumber its drawbacks. "Halo" is one of the best games ever created.
2nd best game ever
jmmixon31 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
one of the best games ever. the only other game that can compare is halo 2 the game makes you want to play if you put down the controller in five minutes you'll have it back in your hand ready to kill some alien scum. the only thing that i didn't like was the first stage when you get of the pillar of Autumn it get a little confusing the first time you play through it but other than that no flaws. the co-op mode is great kill with a buddy on legendary difficulty makes a great challenge. it goes great with the halo books you can read a couple of chapters then turn on the game and play out what you just read great game. one of the best levels is the last one when you have to escape the pillar of Autumn wreckage in a warthog just wish there was more time to kill all the aliens.
god damn i love this game
stanleythereviewer5 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I actually dont know how to articulate my thoughts about this game. Ive been gaming in it since the early 2000s both story mode and multiplayer. Thank god pirate servers are still up so that i am able enjoy every little detail of this games baffling multiplayer to this day. The story mode is astonishing as well. I literally cannot explain how you can make such a great story without actually thinking over it. Its probably the same whatnot that half lifes got. I kid you not this will be the first game my kids are gonna play when they get old enough i guarantee you this reader.
Most Over-Rated Game EVER!!!
setolovesmoney32116 April 2008
I can't believe how over-rated this game is! Sure, It's not bad, But a 10/10??? Give me a F**king Break! I hated Single Player, The Graphics were pretty amazing for its time, But one of the only good parts of the game is its' Multiplayer! The story is pretty good, But kind of cheap in a way, and It has no Online!!! Yet it still gets better Scores than its Sequills, WHICH ARE STILL OVER-RATED, BUT AT LEAST THEIR BETTER!!! Other Than That, It's an Average, Over-Rated, First-Person Shooter, And your better Off Playing Metal Gear Solid!
Over all, I think This game Deserves a 6, and Not a 9.5/10 or 10/10!!!
Now, I think that was Enough For Now, If you wanna see some Video Reviews, and a whole Lit more, Check Out my Youtube Channle at: http://www.youtube.com/seto007
Over all, I think This game Deserves a 6, and Not a 9.5/10 or 10/10!!!
Now, I think that was Enough For Now, If you wanna see some Video Reviews, and a whole Lit more, Check Out my Youtube Channle at: http://www.youtube.com/seto007
My fingers were getting numb, the story was stale, and my eyes were bored.
film-critic20 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I have been an off-again, on-again gamer ever since my father got me the original NES when I was in grade school for making all A's. Over the years, cinema has become my new favorite hobby, but occasionally I crave for that ability to blow something up (the perfect de-stressor to the corporate world). I must begin by saying that I am the college generation of "Goldeneye" for N64, so I place the bar pretty high when it comes to any FPS that teeter on the thought that they are "the best ever". I remember when "Halo" was released, causing a rift in the gaming world. People couldn't seem to get enough of this game, addictions ran high, and Halloween costumes of Master Chief seemed to be popular. That was back in 2001. It is currently 2006 and last night (after two months of random playtime), I beat this game and let me be the first to say this (although I am not) I was not impressed.
"Halo" begins flawlessly. With big guns ablazn' you play as Master Chief, a dutiful soldier that is taken out of hibernation to do what the rest of the military cannot, stop the Covenant. Similar to "Goldeneye", you have the unique ability to pick up weapons, use the terrain as your shield, and literally, blow everything up. The excitement of this game comes when you realize that you have the mighty grenade in one hand, with a choice of two weapons in the other. The weapons are creative, but nothing spectacular, and as the game develops further, it adds to the painful repetition due to the fact that as you progress, no new weapons become available. Thirty minutes into the game, you can pretty much count the weapons you will get to use in one hand. "Halo" attempt to keep the player's attention by changing scenery as much as possible, giving the Covenant some impressive A.I. ability, as well as slowly introduce a better arsenal of weapons used solely for the enemy. This game at times reminded me of the television show "G.I. Joe" because while Cobra definitely had the best weapons, the Joe's would always be victorious I could never quite see the math behind that. Quickly, I would like to apologize about my constant critique of the weapons of the game, but for me, a person that wants to be able to pick up anything and constantly want to upgrade the arsenal, the weapons seemed cheap and dull.
Just when a level of comfort settled in, the developers decide to throw some new enemies in which does allow for some hectic moments mainly because these new enemies, the FLOOD, fight anything that moves even Covenant. This means that grenades are flying everywhere, or you can be like me and duck for cover and watch the destruction happen from the comfort of a corner. Just like with the weapons, you have the ability to ride in vehicles for both good and evil. Let me be the first to say, I hated the Warthog. Who could control this beast? I was surprised I was even able to get to the ship at the end of the game, because I was cursing the engineers that developed this vehicle. Apparently, you needed a special driver's license to operate this machinery and my Master Chief could not properly study. I couldn't control it, and it caused me to further lessen my enjoyment of this game. Yet, and I don't mean to point fingers, but the Covenant's choice of vehicles were easy to use, well equipped with weaponry, and fun. Why couldn't our team's stuff be more like that (yet again eluding to my Cobra reference from above)? Slowly, the annoyance factor because to erupt
"Halo" did have one plus to its name, and that was the controls. Outside of driving the Warthog, I felt that the controls were relatively easy to learn and use. By the end of the first mission, I thought that I could easily evade any baddies along the trip. But, no matter how easy the controls were, where "Halo" suffered the most was in the development of the story and scenery. This game was exciting for the first two-three missions, but after that, we just fell quickly into the world of repetition. The background felt like it remained the same, the evil-doers jumped out of the most normal of places, and eventually I got to the point where I just wanted to finish the game because I was getting bored. "Halo", the game that defined the X-Box, literally bored me. My fingers were getting numb, the story was stale, and my eyes were bored. If I could use one sentence to summarize my "Halo" experience, it would be the previous one. I expected more because of the hype surrounding this game, but I never got it. Visually, it started out well, but eventually it just became old very very quickly.
Overall, I think everyone should give "Halo" at least one shot. "Halo", for me, needs to get better for me to enjoy the entire series. I am looking for a stronger story in "Halo 2", as well as more captivating bad guys, a stronger score (for those that speak highly of this watch Akira, you can find the same music there), and more weapons. I thought it was good, but not the greatest FPS ever created. I will still put "Goldeneye" on the top of the list as being the forerunner in this category. Oh, I nearly forgot, what also annoyed me about "Halo" was the ending. I thought it was rather cheap for the amount of time that I put into the game. I want strong, money spending development from beginning to end. "Halo" pulled some cheap shots, and now, six years later it feels dated.
Grade: **1/2 out of *****
"Halo" begins flawlessly. With big guns ablazn' you play as Master Chief, a dutiful soldier that is taken out of hibernation to do what the rest of the military cannot, stop the Covenant. Similar to "Goldeneye", you have the unique ability to pick up weapons, use the terrain as your shield, and literally, blow everything up. The excitement of this game comes when you realize that you have the mighty grenade in one hand, with a choice of two weapons in the other. The weapons are creative, but nothing spectacular, and as the game develops further, it adds to the painful repetition due to the fact that as you progress, no new weapons become available. Thirty minutes into the game, you can pretty much count the weapons you will get to use in one hand. "Halo" attempt to keep the player's attention by changing scenery as much as possible, giving the Covenant some impressive A.I. ability, as well as slowly introduce a better arsenal of weapons used solely for the enemy. This game at times reminded me of the television show "G.I. Joe" because while Cobra definitely had the best weapons, the Joe's would always be victorious I could never quite see the math behind that. Quickly, I would like to apologize about my constant critique of the weapons of the game, but for me, a person that wants to be able to pick up anything and constantly want to upgrade the arsenal, the weapons seemed cheap and dull.
Just when a level of comfort settled in, the developers decide to throw some new enemies in which does allow for some hectic moments mainly because these new enemies, the FLOOD, fight anything that moves even Covenant. This means that grenades are flying everywhere, or you can be like me and duck for cover and watch the destruction happen from the comfort of a corner. Just like with the weapons, you have the ability to ride in vehicles for both good and evil. Let me be the first to say, I hated the Warthog. Who could control this beast? I was surprised I was even able to get to the ship at the end of the game, because I was cursing the engineers that developed this vehicle. Apparently, you needed a special driver's license to operate this machinery and my Master Chief could not properly study. I couldn't control it, and it caused me to further lessen my enjoyment of this game. Yet, and I don't mean to point fingers, but the Covenant's choice of vehicles were easy to use, well equipped with weaponry, and fun. Why couldn't our team's stuff be more like that (yet again eluding to my Cobra reference from above)? Slowly, the annoyance factor because to erupt
"Halo" did have one plus to its name, and that was the controls. Outside of driving the Warthog, I felt that the controls were relatively easy to learn and use. By the end of the first mission, I thought that I could easily evade any baddies along the trip. But, no matter how easy the controls were, where "Halo" suffered the most was in the development of the story and scenery. This game was exciting for the first two-three missions, but after that, we just fell quickly into the world of repetition. The background felt like it remained the same, the evil-doers jumped out of the most normal of places, and eventually I got to the point where I just wanted to finish the game because I was getting bored. "Halo", the game that defined the X-Box, literally bored me. My fingers were getting numb, the story was stale, and my eyes were bored. If I could use one sentence to summarize my "Halo" experience, it would be the previous one. I expected more because of the hype surrounding this game, but I never got it. Visually, it started out well, but eventually it just became old very very quickly.
Overall, I think everyone should give "Halo" at least one shot. "Halo", for me, needs to get better for me to enjoy the entire series. I am looking for a stronger story in "Halo 2", as well as more captivating bad guys, a stronger score (for those that speak highly of this watch Akira, you can find the same music there), and more weapons. I thought it was good, but not the greatest FPS ever created. I will still put "Goldeneye" on the top of the list as being the forerunner in this category. Oh, I nearly forgot, what also annoyed me about "Halo" was the ending. I thought it was rather cheap for the amount of time that I put into the game. I want strong, money spending development from beginning to end. "Halo" pulled some cheap shots, and now, six years later it feels dated.
Grade: **1/2 out of *****
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