by Laura Tilstone

Created on: September 26, 2008   Last Updated: August 16, 2011

What the hell happened here? No, no, really. What the hell happened? I really do wonder if a lot of people have looked past it's glossy coating or even played Halo since it's very first incarnation.

Halo 1: A refreshing and varied sci-fi shooter that incorperated some of the best driving physics to grace a game. A cool modern hero that rivaled Duke Nukem and Solid Snake of the '90s. Cheesy, but wonderfully so. The single player kept strictly to the point at all times, everything stuck to the plot, and set pieces were played out with impressive AI. How many titles had aliens who hid behind rocks, pelted you with grenades and used force shields so convincingly as they confidently shot from behind their own self assured safty? Not to mention the marines and grunts screaming and shouting some witty banter.

Sure, the multiplayer wasn't as balanced as it could have been. (The pistol, anyone?) But people still play it TO THIS DAY.

Halo 2: A lot of fans had a few problems with this one, saying it wasn't as epic as the first. I disagreed at first, agreed quietly over time, and enjoyed it evermore as it aged. The plot was a little looser, and the set pieces weren't so impressive or the elements so compelling. (Sneaking in to kill snoring grunts was fun and hillarious in Halo 1, but twice over?) The pistol suddenly went from overkill to completely useless, but the multiplayer was more balanced, even if I hated the autoaim.

Halo 3: This game is a complete and utter mess. While the plot and story were never strong, they seemed to try and add philoshphical meanings and character set pieces best fitting a heavily plot-driven film. That's good, when there is actually a lot of plot. The Cortana memories are incredbly cliche' and unfitting. It's as if they're trying to make the Halo script more than it is. The weapons are hollow and seem to have their quality tuned down (probably to fit the higher res textures on the slowly defuncing laser format of the 360). The opening levels are incredibly drab, and the jungle scenes looked a lot better in Halo 2. Not because of the detail, but because of the lacking variety and design.

They also have so many enemy types they tried to give each one a tiny amount of screen time. Also, this 'battle' between the two convenient factions has all but vanished. I was expecting something similar to near the end of Halo 2, which was breathtaking. Sadly it's not; it's defend this dull base, defend this drab and depressing area, and move on to this uninspiring Flood hive.

Is it me, or was the ending heavily rushed? The final boss (no spoilers here, though you won't be too bothered) was a complete JOKE. The idea, the concept, the execution - they were pathetic. And just before that, the AI were starting to fail, a few didn't move at all and got in your way. It's not a big issue, so we can excuse that. But Boss, ast. level and ending were horridly short and boring.

The moral of the story? Don't beleive what the magazines say and don't trust the hype. Play it, you might like it. But if you love games for their gameplay, their plot or even their level of fun, this is an insult.

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