game Halo: Combat Evolved

[Midnight]

Halo: Combat Evolved

Type: FPS, Adventure, Strategy

Rating: 9 out 10 stars

Cost: $20 from online retailer (may have gone down in cost)

 

Released in 2001 by Bungie an Microsoft Game Studios, Halo: Combat Evolved or commonly known as Halo was the first game of the franchise. You begin the game as the Master Chief in the 26th century aboard a space ship with the sole mission, protect Earth from the Covenant. As you progress through the game, with help from Cortana, an AI, you discover secrets that were previously unknown, making your way through worlds and enemy hordes. Of greatest interest and what you are working towards is Halo, an artificial world shaped like a ring. Within lies the secret to the alien world, or the Covenant, and you must destroy them and Halo.

 

Depending on the difficulty at which play the game, it becomes increasingly harder and harder as you fight your way to  Halo. Aliens of all shapes and sizes will try to thwart you from reaching your goals, ranging from the comical and easy to kill Grunts to Elites with shields and invisibility.

 

Whereas most FPS games allow you to use certain technology, primarily technology related to humans, Halo allows you to use alien and human technology and weapons.

 

The story is rich with a variety of combatants and situations. There are multiple strategies and paths that a player can take to achieve the mission. None of this is laid out for the player, so in a sense this game is part adventure.

 

Halo offers a multiplayer function as well. The option of local server, LAN and dedicated server are available. There are multiple varieties of game play ranging from the typical "kill-all" or team deathmatch to King of the Hill and Capture the Flag. The great thing about the multiplayer servers and maps is that they are all moddable and allow for a greater variety in game play with limits on weapons, vehicles and the ability to set up ports and bridges. Unfortunately there is no multiplayer campaign pitting say a group of Master Chiefs against aliens. I think that if they had included this in the game, it may have achieved a higher popularity.

 

You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo:_Combat_Evolved

 

Pros:

- Great story line with lots of variety in strategy, adventure, combatants, weapons, vehicles etc.

- 3D graphics which are always nice

- Works on most operating systems and does not take up a lot of RAM

- Multiplayer allows for large numbers to play (max I believe 64)

- Through multiplayer and campaign, you can pick up temporary perks, like invisibility, speed and strength.

 

Cons:

- If you move onto a newer game, say COD, and try to go back to Halo, the movement and animation is much slower then say COD. So if you are looking for a lounge game, Halo would be best.

- The increase in combatants and especially the Flood at the end, makes the game quite unbearable but possible.

- You do not have the ability to use the light swords that the large invisible combatants, Elites, use.

- The controls on a Banshee are a little hard to control and use.

- The plasma guns are a bit op in game, but can be limited in power through multiplayer.

 

Trailer: