Halo (Xbox)

by Crom & D4V

D4V: We finally got our dirty fingers on a super crazy all black big hype X-Box during the holidays. Thusly it seems fit that we review the main title available for this M$ console… Halo.

Crom: Much hype has surrounded Halo, since Bungie announced the game almost 2 and a half years ago. The idea of another first person shooter no doubt soured the stomachs of die hard gamers, but Bungie promised a new level to the 1st person genre. Sadly, tacking on a bunch of cool shit to a shooter, does not a new game make.

D4V: The first thing I thought of when we started playing this game, was “Tribes” for the PC. Shoot everything in sight, and jump into some wacky type of vehicle. I found myself just wanting to always find a vehicle to either run aliens over with, or zoom across and do a drive by.

Crom: The vehicles were without a doubt a massive innovation. Jumping into the Flying machine and ripping over the heads of the enemy while blasting them is fun, but the actual amount of times you can do that, can be counted on one hand. The lack of vehicles around the map prompted D4V and I to stuff the 4×4 truck into places it wasn’t supposed to go (tip: hit the truck with a rocket launcher, it WILL move). All in all the transportation factor can’t save you from running your ass off all over the place.

D4V: The game play took a little while to get used to as well. I remember when I first started playing I really wanted to have my keyboard+mouse combo, but after about 30mins with the extremely massive X-box controller I got the hang of it. The game most definitely warms you up with the controller as well, cause near the end of the game you have to shoot hundreds of tiny freaking aliens (I wish we had a bigger TV).

Crom: The control of your character is excellent, once you get the hang of it. Plus the corollary placement of secondary functions (flashlight, grenades etc.) made it easier to naturally begin to multitask while fighting the enemy. Plus the HUD was optimized to provide you with all the information you needed, without obscuring your vision at the peripherals.

D4V: All in all, I think Bungie scored a pretty cool game. However, if it wasn’t for the co-op play the game would be completely un-original and extremely tedious let alone boring. I give it a 4 outta 5 on the “R4NT gong show meter” ©

Crom: I really liked Halo, despite it being from a genre of games I’ve played to death. The story was interesting, and the gameplay was great. The visuals and seamless map changes make for long stretches without load times and the intelligent AI gives you smart comrades and even smarter enemies. I think Bungie did good, and micro$oft even better in swallowing them. So if you found enough gold under your house to actually buy an Xbox, pick up this title.

  • Halo (Xbox)
  • by Crom & D4V
  • Published on January 1st, 2002
Game:
Halo
Publisher:
Bungie/Microsoft
When:
November 2001

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