Review: Halo - 18/03/2008 by Michael
First Person Shooter
What else can be said about this game? This game changed the face of first person gaming forever, and how thankful we all are for it. The incredibly simple yet responsive controls took what was already the most absorbing form of gameplay, that being fps, and made it exponentially better. The way in which shooting, throwing grenades and going for the beat down are all instantly available to the player with just one small twitch of the fingers. And if this wasn't enough what about the rechargeable shield, so you don't have to do annoying stuff like look for first aid kits or power-ups, and then the intricate and engaging story, the music and sound, the AI and on and on.
So yes, I like this game, but lets talk shop for a moment. The game starts as many do, in the middle of a crisis. You are fleeing from the Covenant, a collective of galactic races bound by a common religious belief (which may be the scariest and most dangerous enemy ever thought up), who have decided that humans are blasphemers and need a bit of cleansing. they have just glassed, or burnt from orbit, the military reasearch colony of Reach and you are on board the only surviving ship The Pillar of Autumn which has made a random slipspace jump and has emerged next to a strange ring like artifictiial world or Halo. Unfortunatly the covenant followed you and begin attacking the ship, at which point you, the cybernetically enhanced soldier Master Chief John 117, are woken from cryostasis and the party begins.
What follows is a storyline that has clearly been put together with a great deal of care. The story unfolds gradually and completely, but leaves a lot of room for the curious gamer who likes to know everything, such as who are these forerunner types, what is the story with these horrible flood things, and why is guilty spark 343 so annoying. All things that you may wish to ponder as you play the game, or maybe not.
But who needs story when you get to shoot stuff anyhow? It is the gameplay that actually makes this game groundbreaking, each person will develop his/her own style as they feel fit. As the controls are so simple it allows flexible gameplay. Whether you like the run and gun, the sneaky tap to the back of the head, sniping or grenade happy madness, everone will find their niche in just a short time. Along with this comes the obligitory sci-fi game new weapons design. Whilst in the halo universe humans can travel faster than light, you still can't beat good old fashioned guns! The human weapons are the assault rifle (like the pulse rifle from Aliens),the rocket launcher, the sniper, the shotty, and the unbelievably powerful pistol. Really one of the few faults, if you can call it that, was the fact that the pistol was best weapon in the game. It had close up stopping power, sniping ability and was a most effective anti aircraft weapon. Got to get me one. The covenant weapons are also a bit of fun but nothing too new. Plasma rifle and pistol, and the needler, which only got good later in the series.
The vehicles in Halo are also a source of endless fun, endless as they cannot be destroyed. A strange design choice but a good one for those who likes to drive. The warthog is a joy to drive it's kind of like rally driving crossed with mario kart, plus you get to run down aliens and there is a great big gun on the back that can fire for eternity. What is not to like. And if that isn't enough there is also the scorpion tank which once you get into the game becomes slightly silly as everything around you gets blowed up real good. The covenant vehicles are also plenty of fun the hovering ghost and the flying banshee add new dimesions, especially the banshee which makes the sky above combat space instead of the usual background. It should be noted that what really makes the vehicles in Halo interesting is again the controls. You seamlessly move between fps mode and vehicle without any adjustment and the driving controls feel instinctual and natural.
The enemy AI is clever in Halo, and many gamers have grown a respect for the elites you face especially on legendary. They will use suppressing fire to pen you in, along with grenades to flush you out. They know when to move in on you and when to cover and recharge their shields, all things considered they are some of the most well rounded opponents you will come across in any game. The grunts on the other hand are the opposite, mainly there for entertainment purposes. They make you feel like a god as you wade through their ranks beating them to death with just the end of your rifle as they flee in terror, screaming. Good times people, good times. Now the jackals can pose some serious annoyance if you are out of grenades or don't have the right weapon and can take way more of a beating than their skinny frames suggest, but aren't much of a problem. And of course the hapless hunters, giant armoured thing that shoot a great big green thing, or just try to squash you. They should be threatening, but all you do is take one step to the side fire one shot into its unprotected back and it goes down. Sad really, you will actually feel bad about doing this after a short time.
So Halo is great, few people doubt this, but it should be noted that it was the simplicity that made it great. The the two guns, grenades and a willingness to go the biff is what has changed fps gaming. I feel one thing gamers want more than fancy tricks and clever gadgets is an imersive experience, where one can throw themsleves into the game without interuption, Where you don't have to stop and pull up inventory or options, halting the flow of the game. Halo revolutionised this, as once the level begins there is no break in continuity, whether on foot driving or flying you are simply the Master Chief saving the galaxy and doing his thing along the way.
Another Thing that makes Halo great is the fact that it practically made xbox. Without Halo, the release of xbox would have been a much different affair, just as many people feel goldeneye forced millions to buy an N64, how many people origianlly got an xbox just to play Halo. I am certainly one.