by Augusto Na

Created on: August 06, 2007

Halo. The game that raised the bar for all console shooters. The game that brought PC quality First-Person Shooting to the masses. So much has been said about the game that it is hard to distinguish fact from hype. Certainly, the game was a breakthrough. It is probably the best console First-Person Shooter of last generation. The best FPS ever though? That's something Halo isn't.

The game seamlessly drops you into the body of Master Chief, a genetically engineered fighting machine. You are awaken because the space ship that you are onboard is being attacked by the Covenant, a ruthless alien race that will stop at nothing to see humans eradicated from the universe. The ship crash-lands on a strange planet named Halo. There is a mysteriously strong Covenant presence there. Throughout the game, you will battle to save your fellow shipmates, uncover the secrets of Halo, and try to find a way to stop the Covenant once and for all. Bungie is known for its intriguing storylines and this one does not disappoint.

Much has been said about Halo's game play. Its health system, which has your shields recharging completely if you do not sustain damage for a few second, is genius. Many other games have copied it, because it lets the game designers ratchet up the intensity of the game, knowing that the player will be able to hide and be back to full health in seconds. This makes the combat visceral and challenging.

The AI in the game is also great. Enemies will flank, flush you out with grenades, and run away when the odds are against them. The player really feels like they are fighting real opponents.

You are always immersed into the game. Rarely do you leave the perspective of Master Chief. There is no or very little loading in between levels, so there are no breaks in the action. That way you are embroiled in your mission and connect with the world.

Halo does have its flaws. There are too many corridor levels, where the player is walking through rooms that look the same over and over again. The process of killing everyone in the room gets repetitive and boring eventually, since there are few vehicle missions to break these segments up.

The graphics in Halo were fine, but they are starting to show their age. Textures are muddy and character models are somewhat blocky. As long as you can look past a few disparities, you should be fine.

While it might not be the greatest game ever made, it was still an important game in the history of the industry. Sure, the game is over hyped, but it's still a great game that should be enjoyed by all.

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