Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)

A review by Sox

Ok ask anyone who owns an Xbox and they will tell you that Halo is one of the best games out there, and I agree with them. On my scale I would give halo a 10 for sure, but thats just me. So what is all the hype you ask? Well I dont know where to start.

Alright, first off you have the great story line that starts right after the fall of Reach Military Complex and follows the only surviving Spartan-a kind of superhuman soldier-on a journey to save mankind from a brutal race of aliens called the Covenant who has declared a so called holy war on the human race. Alright enough of that I dont want to ruin the story for you.

Graphics: Well I have just one word about the graphics SWEET! Ok so it so maybe thats over doing it, but still come on people the graphics look splendid. As you walk around the beautifully 3D rendered world with its life like textures and its great scenery, you pull out one of your weapons which are gorgeously mapped and very realistic looking and fire off a few rounds. The bullets hit the ground and the dirt actually flies in the air! The characters and worlds are rendered and animated very well. Oh and dont even get me started on the explosions. And you go out there and find people complaining how the water in Halo doesnt do any thing, well theyre wrong! If you throw a grenade in the water does the water not react to the explosion?

Sound: Come on people were talking surround sound Dolby Digital 5.1 baby! Once you get your Xbox hooked up and pop in your copy of Halo and go about killing and slaying the grunts youll be in heaven. The explosions sound extremely real almost like it just happened outside your home. Plus you have to add the antics of the grunts. You got to love it. The sound on this game is great because even as you walk along you hear the Chiefs footsteps, and they change accordingly to the surface in which he is walking. Did I mention the explosions sound great?

Control: The controls for this game are put together excellently. And I like the dual joystick idea. Ill admit that it took a little getting used to in the beginning, but after you have played a while youll get used to it. Its also nice that they give you the option to invert the right joystick if you wish.

Gameplay: The single player mode takes you from the Pillar of Autumn to the alien ring world. You can go through the single player game alone or u can go co-op and tackle the games single player missions together. Now the one thing that greatly prolongs the longevity of Halo is its multiplayer where you can take on up to 16 of your buddies via the system link cable or just 4 with out the cable. As for the gameplay its self, well you have one great game, great story, great engine, great characters and enemies and great controls. What more could a gamer ask for? The system is thrown together very well and I quote from one of the Bungie developers if you can nail that 30 seconds of fun and keep recreating that 30 seconds of fun then you have yourself a good game. The AIs intelligence is pretty good too, and improves as you move up the difficulty setting to a point where it is almost scary. To make the game a little more challenging the developers have made it so players can only carry 2 weapons and a limited amount of ammunition and grenades. There are a variety of weapons and vehicles to choose from also. So there is never a lack or variety or choice.

Learning Curve: Halo has a very easy learning curve. The controls are easy and it doesnt take long to get used to them, and the mission objectives are pretty straight forward so you dont have to spend much time trying to figure out where to go next.