Halo: Combat Evolved

"XBOX's launch title still remains its best"

By now everyone should know what Halo is. Even though it was a launch title to the XBOX, it is still probably the best title for it. Many proclaim Halo to be one of the best games ever, if not the best game ever. Unfortunately, it is not. While a great game, it is somewhat overrated.

Developed by Bungie, the makers of Oni, Halo is a first person shooter on a global scale. Instead of your usual crawling through caves, taking out guards here and there, etc., you literally watch wars between different alien races occur. This is a strong point of the game, but unfortunately we were deprived of actually being in those wars.

The graphics are good, but not as good as people proclaim it to be. I do find it annoying when people spew out crap claiming that this game had the best graphics of any game until Resident Evil: Rebirth came out, because it simply didn't. The weapons look great and the special effects are good, but the game does slow down at points, and some of the characters are a bit blocky.

You must pay respect to the level designs, however. We have some really huge outdoor environments and plenty of time to enjoy them. The scenery often changes from large hilly areas to some snow levels, to a basically any area you can think of (which unfortunately does mean some annoying space dungeons and caves). More importantly is the number of enemies they managed to have onscreen. Armies could fit onto the screen.

I would say that the story is good simply because they tried to put one in, but I really can't. For one thing they didn't bother to make the co-op mode stay consistent with the cut-scenes, so even if two people are there only one Chief exists. And while I do appreciate that they did try to have a story, its boring. Humans have now colonized other planets. Some evil aliens decide to try to destroy them (Aliens which try to kill the humans? NEVER!). Chief, a high ranking official, must be awoken out of deep sleep to try to stop the alien attack. Immediately you land on Halo, explore the planet, blah blah blah. Maybe next time, guys.

Finally we get to the gameplay. Explaining it takes a lot of patience and persistence, because while it is quite good it can be very frustrating. Ironically, it would be easier just to put an up and down arrow to explain it. But, here goes:

The gameplay is pretty much like an average console shooter. Walk around with some futuristic weapons, kill everything that moves, have a couple of mission objectives that really don't matter and are only there to screw with you, etc. Chief's weapon array consists of some regular weapons like an assault rifle, a pistol, a shotgun, a sniper rifle, etc. But, he also gets some alien weapons along the way. Such weapons include ones like the Plasma Rifle, the Needler, and Plasma grenades. Most of them have a more organic alien type feel than other games, which is a nice asset. One of the innovative things is how you can only have two weapons, but how you switch between them so often. One button differentiates them, so often you want to keep a better weapon in reserve for other spots.

The levels are for the most part non-linear, but I'm not sure if it was intentional or if it was just laziness. Some parts of it can not be helped, since the levels are so amazingly huge. But, they give you objects without really explaining where they are. So, you are left standing in the dust, and you just end up wandering around aimlessly for hours until you figure out you're in the right place because there are enemies. A little more indication of where you are supposed to go or how you are supposed to get there would've been nice.

Co-op is arguably the best part of the game. I personally enjoy it the most because the game is so huge that a lot of the areas almost need two people to be enjoyed. Half the fun of the game is two people covering each other's base as they dive straight into a battle. One of the nicer things is that you cannot die as long as your friend stays alive, so it also makes the game a bit easier. I will say that the vehicles in co op make the game ten times as fun. Riding in a vehicle alone and taking out some enemies is fun. Driving over enemies in your car while your friend is gunning them down in the backseat is amazingly fun. Watching your friend go in a suicide mission in a solo vehicle alone only to die, neglecting the fact that you were coming behind him with your tank fully loaded with AI soldiers is hilarious.

The other half of the fun is the huge wars which go on in the game. At most of the points of the game, you can literally sit atop a hill with a sniper rifle in your hand and have a front row seat to an alien battle. Unlock other games where the AI is programmed to attack you and solely you, different groups of aliens will attack each other. Once you're close enough to be spotted they will call a truce in order to kill you, but until then it is very interesting to watch. It's also a good way to get them weakened so after the fight is over you can storm in and wipe everything out.

Ironically, if you want the most fun out of multiplayer you should just play through co-op. Then you get to enjoy huge outdoor environments. That is not to say that Halo's multiplayer is bad, but it lacks any real polish. They tried to throw in a level editor, but they didn't really put much effort into it, and all you can do is make your own settings for levels (i.e. do you have infinite grenades, what vehicles at the level, etc.). You can have up to 16 people, but the setting up required really isn't worth it. My friends and just wanted to have 4 people on two different TV's so our screens wouldn't be so small, and even that took ALOT of time.

I thought that they would try to make the multiplayer balanced, since the weapons were. And, when you have some good players it can be quite fun. But otherwise, there is a rock paper scissors effect if you want to get any kills at all. Pistols and regular weapons don’t work here. But, we do have 3 basic items. The Tank beats the man with rocket launcher (and almost everything else). The camping sniper beats the guy in the Tank. And, the guy with the rocket launcher who snuck up on the camper while he was sniping the Tank beats the sniper.

One thing I won't complain about is the game's excellent soundtrack. It is simply amazing. Hell, it's probably my highest ranked part about the game. They did a really good job making sure the tracks fit the levels, but were still good on their own. In most of the levels, you simply have the soft but interesting solitary space tunes. Other ones they decided to put chanting in the background. It really adds a lot to the game, and probably would've helped the multiplayer had they decided to add it into there. I almost wish I could just find the soundtrack and buy it.

The control is another mixed category. I will say that the control for this game works really well. One joystick operates looking up and down while the other actually moves. The buttons range from firing, to pistol wiping, to reloading, to changing weapons. I would've liked it if they inversed the controls so older console shooter gamers like myself wouldn't have such an annoying time adjusting, but it's still pretty good. The only thing I have to gripe about really isn't its fault, the XBOX controller, which makes it hard as hell to reach some of the buttons. But, Controller S managed to get around that, so the control really isn't that bad.

Overall, this is still the best reason to own an XBOX. While slightly overrated, Halo combines a good amount of outdoor environments which a lot of interactivity, interesting gameplay, and a great way to play with a friend. A little polish in some areas would've really contributed to the game, but this is still great nonetheless. To sum it all up for you:

Graphics- Top notch considering this was a launch title. 9

Gameplay- Innovative, well rounded, and full of gigantic battles. 9

Replayability- Co-op is a great mode. Don't count on being blown away by the multiplayer, though.8

Enjoyment- Although frustrating at times, overall always good with a friend, or alone if you just want to get out some stress. 9

Value- Hell, I'm considering buying an XBOX for this! 10

Sound- Amazing soundtrack. Fitting, well orchestrated, and will leave you with catchy tunes you'll want to hear again and again!

10

Overall-This is an epic game not to be missed! 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/16/03