Video Games : Halo

Rating: - Amazing game with some simple drawbacks
This game is a beautiful game, action packed and full of fun. Some negative reviewers say that it is a simeple killing spree and levels are quite repetitive. This is true. It is certainly a killing spree, because you are a carnage causing genetically modified supersoldier. This game is not for the 'tomb raider liking', puzzle craving people of this world. It is simply kill kill kill, on foot, in jeep, in hovercraft, in tank and in Banshee(flying thing).
Fantasic single player campaign. Too short though. Also the same structure of room was re-used again and again, that was an annoying cop out for the level designers. Also you get to play some amazing battles, really fun, but on one of the later levels (library) you are trapped inside constantly fighting through corridors of annoying bad guys, going from outside awesome battles to inside dark corridors that were sparse of detail was the dull bit of the game and i just wanted to get through it to get to the next level.

Multiplayer - 2 player co-op obvioulsy always gonna be a laugh, fantastic fun and replayability. Deathmatch and CTF and so with 2 or more people is fun but you need at least 4 preferably more with system link. As there are NO BOTS, it really does make multiplayer only for those organised enough to get enough people round their xbox. My first and second years of university are remembered by player 2 0r 3 player perfect dark on the N64 (Goldeneye with bots), and we played for hours on end. Halo had the potential, but didn't use it.

Graphics are fantastic, full of colour and lighting. What halo does better than any other game is have huge open, outdoor levels beautifully detailed but with one great difference, their during the day. So many games cop out of graphical detail and make the background black by making any outdoor levels at night. Halo does it properly, nice bright backgrounds. Seeing the land of halo stretch out into the distance and over the top of the sky was fantastic and greatly original. pity about the library level.

Sound, flawless, its won some award so must be good really, but the effects are so cool, but i give full credit to the music, its original and its brilliant, it has become as cool to hear as the soundtrack to Gladiator and the rock (which are the same, and the same as pirates of the carribean - same writer).

Generally i put this game at the top of the xbox games (with knights of the old republic and gotham racing 2, but these are 3 different types of games). Its just it didn't make use of its full potential, hopefully halo 2 won't make the same mistake, however do not be fooled into thinking that the makers must genuis's. Look at the wachowskis, everyone thought the matrix was amazing and the writers and makers were gods. I think this is very wrong, so don't put all your faith in halo 2

Great game:
graphics
sound
gameplay engine
controls
campaigns (except library level)

bad game
repetative use of some rooms designs (graphical cop out)
no bots in multiplayer (you'll need at least 4 or more to get the best out of multiplayer, if your that organised with your mates)

Potential that sequel could be the best game ever made ever, ever: pretty darn high, lets hope they don't scew it up, let them have as much time as needed to perfect it.

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Rating: - Halo. The game that likes to say yes.
There are games where there are limits to the things you can do. Can I steal that Alien cannon that has been pounding me for the last minute? Some games the answer is sometimes, no. In Halo it is usually yes. Yes you can steal that tanks and drive it off a cliff. Yes you can get survivors to jump in the passenger seat of your buggy. And yes you can drive through that gap.

Halo is a massive step forward for the first person shooter. You can only carry two guns at once. (For those of you who always wondered how Gordon Freeman fits a Rocket Launcher down his trousers this will be a huge pay off). The energy system is new, innovative; the guns themselves are just supremely brilliant and alter the game completely. Taking enemies out with a sniper rifle is so very different from going in with an assault rifle. The game gives you choice and enemies never predictable patterns.

Is this state of the art shoot-em-up truly combat evolved? The answer to that is again yes.

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Rating: - Bring on Halo 2
Halo is the best first person shooter i have ever had the pleasure of playing.

Graphics
The graphics are perfect. Every single blade of grass has benn detailed beautifully. There are no imperfections with the graphics and videos.

Sound
The sound is spot on. The explosions are vey accurate and the gun sounds and the sound of a man shouting out as he charges into battle is perfect. I cant think of any other way to describe this.

Gameplay
Trying to put the game down is very difficult. The levels where you fight enemies that are being dropped onto the ground out of alien ships and watch as the superb A.I of your fellow soldiers fight of this alien scum.

Locations
You get to fight on an alien ship on open ground and various other open locations with plenty to kill.

weapons and vehicles
There are jeeps with heavy mounted machine guns and tanks with rocket launchers as well as alien vehicles.

Overall
The game has an excellent storyline and four difficulty modes. As well as a highly satisfying two player mode. The only part of the game that i dont like is the multiplayer mode. If you had bots that you could fight in multiplayer it would be the greatest game ever.

If you own a xbox then it is your duty to buy this game

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Rating: - it is ace
people say pc version better i say no way this is amazing graphics and is nice being played while eating pies

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Rating: - Halo not as good as the hype?
When I bought this game I certainly expected it to be at least as good as Return to Castle Wolfenstein given the general hype, other reviews etc. However, I have found it to be tedious in the extreme in places - how many times do you find yourself walking through the same scenery? The answer is time and time again - its like being in a constant state of deja vue and displays a real lack of creativity and imagination on the part of the designers - if you've played Return to Castle Wolfenstein recently, the repetative nature of Halo may dissapoint you-I'm selling my copy as it doesnt interest me enough to play again, but I'm keeping Wolfenstein! Am I also the only person who thinks that when walking up slopes the character seems to be about 2 feet tall or walking on his knees???