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The Plot: Note to Hollywood: I want a "Halo" movie and I want it soon. While playing "Halo" recently for hours (and hours and hours), I found myself considering it almost this perfect mix of "Star Wars", "Starship Troopers" and "Aliens". I have to say that it's certainly one of the most cinematic video game experiences that I've ever had. The story is simple - the worlds you encounter are certainly not. Players take on the role of Master Chief, a soldier thawed moments before an alien race known as the Covenant takes over his ship. The aliens are quickly wiping out other planets and next on their hit list: Earth. It's up to the Master Chief and the remaining forces (some of which fight alongside you during gameplay) to wipe out the alien menace before it's to late. The aliens are headed towards te ringed planet Halo, which could hold a weapon that will turn the tide of battle. The game's environments are really the most stunning element of the game. The early moments on the ship are beautifully lit and remarkably detailed. Next, players find themselves on a stunning planet, complete with waterfalls, detailed trees and large, empty structures to hide and plan an attack in. In addition, watch out overhead, as Covenant ships often attack from above. As players work further into the game, some of the underground structures encountered are downright stunning. The huge, cavernous areas are filled with interesting electronic devices, huge halls and...a whole lot of enemies. Speaking of the enemies, I was pleasantly surprised with "Halo"'s enemy AI. Although some of the low-level creatures will flee when you shoot and come back later,some of the more bold creatures will actually try to duck and cover. Some have shields they carry, which will need to be taken down. As players advance deeper into the game, the enemies get tougher and far more sinister. Interestingly enough, although most of the game functions as first person shooter, there are actually several instances throughout where the player must jump into a vehicle - occasionally with other members of the Squad. The human craft is a Warthog - a small military vehicle with a machine gun attached. With a squad, one member will jump in the side seat and one will jump on the gun turret (and will also fire on any enemies encountered). Master Chief can jump out and take control of the turret, as well. The player must drive and, although the controls will likely cause irritation at first, they can be learned quickly. After a while, I had the Warthog screaming across the countryside rather than crashing into trees and falling off cliffs. Players can also even jump into one of the downed alien ships and mount an attack from the air. A first person shooter has to have great weaponry and thankfully, "Halo" has some of the most fun weapons I've seen. There are loads of man-made weaponry such as the pistol, shotgun, assault rifle and sniper rifle, but there's also some alien weapons available for use, such as the plasma pistol and the needler (which I won't spoil by describing). Players can only carry two weapons at a time, but they can also pick up additional ammo or drop the weapon and pick up another weapon when one is found on the ground. There's also grenades, which can be found around many of the levels. The grenades are a terrific weapon (and don't count as the two max weapons), too - while grenades in most of these kind of games have the enemy just drop, the enemies in "Halo" smoothly fly through the air after being blown up by a grenade. Although there are moments in "Halo" that are fairly quiet and subdued (providing players a chance to stop and admire the landscape around them), much of the game involves some pretty intense battles and thankfully, there are enough weapons to go around. Rating: 9.8/10 The DVD Graphics: "Halo" frequently amazed me with it's graphics. While they are not perfect (some parts of some levels seem to be used over), the amount of detail, texture and imagination that has obviously gone into them is often breathtaking. There's a high level of tension and suspense created by many of the interior levels, where the situation consists not only of having to blast the enemies, but also figure a way out of levels that can occasionally seem almost "maze-like" at times. The game's often-superb use of shadows and darkness are also often intensely creepy. Rating: 9.7/10 Sound: "Halo" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and the soundtrack is wonderfully enveloping. Even those without 5.1 for games should certainly appreciate the sonic universe that has been created for this presentation. There are the intense sounds of battle, which really are wonderfully involving, with good sound effects and there are some quieter moments, which have great ambience. Some of the Covenant forces speak English and their distance can occasionally be judged by how far off their voices are. When attacked, some of the goofier low-level soldiers will run and scream, "they're everywhere!" - or something along those lines. I certainly can't forget "Halo"'s magnificent score, which haunts even in the opening menus that offer tribal chanting in the background. Rating: 9.7/10 Gameplay: "Halo" is relatively easy to control. It's pretty easy to fire and change weapons, although part of the strategy is, of course, to check weapons before heading into a fire fight, due to the fact that having to change weapons mid-fight may waste valuable seconds that the enemy can use to their advantage. The one aspect of the control that frustrated me greatly at first was the Warthog (you must use both sticks to steer and move), but I quickly was able to figure out how to drive the vehicle easily. Same goes for the alien aircraft. Replay value is certainly high - not only can players play through on their own with different difficulty levels, but there is also multi-player capability. Rating: 9.7/10 Rating Issues: "Halo" is rated "M" (Mature). There are some scenes of graphic violence in the game. However, this certainly isn't the most disturbing "M" rated game that I've seen and I thought it was sort of low on the "M" scale. Final Thoughts: "Halo" is one of the most impressive video game offerings that I've ever seen. The game is tense, thrilling and downright creepy at times. The game's graphics may not push the XBOX completely, but they're often brilliantly crafted, with worlds and interior environments that I would love to see realized in a film. The game's soundtrack and controls are also first-rate. "Halo" is definitely a must for XBOX owners. |