HALO: Combat Evolved (Xbox)
	Developer Bungie Publisher Microsoft Reviewed by Rob Amos [Feedback] [Author Bio] Review Date December 21, 2001

Rating (out of 5.0) 5.0 out of 5.0*

Judge for yourself

Strengths Multiplayer options Presentation of storyline Graphics, Sound, and Soundtrack Weaknesses Awkward controls take a bit of time to learn.

Screenshots MORE SCREENSHOTS

* Notes Gaming Voice ratings are based on the technical and/or gameplay merits of a given product as well as the developer's choice of features and delivery of same. Our rating is not an endorsement of the thematic content of a given title. Gamers and parents are cautioned to determine if such content conflicts or coincides with their values and beliefs.

I am reaching to find drawbacks in HALO.

From the game's outset, you feel like you are participating in a blockbuster sci-fi adventure that was made for the big screen -- from the stunning visuals to the unbelievably Hollywood-like soundtrack to the pulse-raising intensity that perpetually exists from one stage to the next. There won't be many of the standard PAUSE-POUND A PEPSI-PEE breaks when playing this one. Maybe I was caught up due to the fact that I had the surround sound going and was viewing this wonder on a big screen, but I would suggest that you need to try both of these options out. Go to your friend's house and use his setup, or if you don't have any friends with equipment like that, hang out near a Best Buy or Circuit City until you meet someone who does.

It's not so much that the idea of HALO is new. It is a first person shoot-em-up after all, where the aliens are the bad guys. We've heard this story a hundred times before. I won’t give the story away -– it’s too good to experience it on your own -- but what really floored me about HALO was the superb quality of the presentation. This game exemplifies that old [BASF] commercial: "We don't make the first person shooters, we make the first person shooters BETTER." It is THE Cadillac of platform shooters.

There is a learning curve, but not a tremendous one.

Now that I have told you how blown away (pun intended) I was by the game, let me tell you a couple of things (ok, maybe one) I did not like. The controls were awkward at first, especially when driving a vehicle. I'm sure all of you out there that own the game would argue that the controls are great -- well, I would agree...AFTER you get used to them. There is a learning curve, but not a tremendous one. I think the awkwardness is in large part due to the controller, but STILL… (note: if you are getting the idea that I am reaching to find drawbacks in HALO, you are correct, sir!).

The multiplayer options are tremendous, perhaps the best feature of HALO. It brought to mind the old days of four-player Goldeneye sessions on the Nintendo 64, only to the tenth power. The options are too numerous to mention them all. I liked the two-player mission mode, where you can cooperate with another gamer to achieve your objectives. You can even customize your multiplayer games in detail. For example, you can choose which weapons and vehicles are available in scenarios. There are 13 multiplayer maps with up to 16 players (yes, sixteen!), 25+ game modes and the ability to customize any of the modes to your special liking makes this the best of any multiplayer shooter out there. Bar none.

And, yes, it did keep me on the edge of my seat.

The cinematics are captivating, which is saying something because I usually find myself hammering all kinds of buttons trying to get past them for most games. You feel as if you are watching a digitally-driven movie, with graphics along the lines of Toy Story or Shrek. The movie scenes blend into the gameplay, with very little delay between chapters. Load times are tolerable and the sound is liquid smooth. The soundtrack reminded me of a tense, edge-of-your-seat type drama tune you’d hear at a horror flick. And, yes, it did keep me on the edge of my seat -- errrr… in this case, a beanbag chair.

The replay value of HALO lies in its multiplayer arenas and playing the game on different difficulty levels. The worlds are also vast and explorable. I’m still not certain exactly why it got the "M" rating. Perhaps the alien blood and the game's intensity were enough to keep it away from young gamers, but I didn’t find it particularly deserving of the rating. Maybe all of the combat has jaded me a bit.

In summary, I was extremely impressed with HALO, even with the high expectations I had in advance. The wonderful presentation makes it unfair to compare it with any other FPS that I have come across. It is also the first game I have seen that has a novel for a prequel – how’s that for story depth? HALO is far too encompassing to simply classify it as a ‘shooter’. It takes gaming to an entirely different level, much like Super Mario 64 did for N64 way back in its day. If you own an Xbox, you owe it to yourself to get this one.