Review

The time has come for the world to learn the truth about Halo. Bungie have pulled the wool over the eyes of gamers for far too long now. No more can I sit silent. Surely I can’t be the only person to feel the way I do about it? As the release of the mega-hyped sequel draws ever closer, it is time I set the record straight.

It all begins rather horribly. The list of games ruined by terrible opening levels stretches further than the naked eye can see, and Halo sits among them. Corridors. Guns. Aliens. Explosions. All very hum-drum and predictable. See hundreds of times before and since. The only good thing to say about it is that at least it’s short, but it isn’t long before you reach great moment number one.

The first time you emerge from the escape pop at the start of level two you can’t help but take a moment to admire the lush scenery. Graphically, this is spectacular and it’s easy to see how people fell for its charms, which, for an XBOX launch title, was surely the aim of the day.

There are also many more great moments as you make your way through the levels. You first time driving / flying in one of the many vehicles; the first use of the sniper rifle (every FPS should have one); the many twists and turns of the plot. All cunningly designed by the developers to trick us into believing the game is better than it actually is.

The trouble is, it all starts to get very samey very quickly. You make your way from one location to the next, shooting what appears to be the same group of enemies over and over. Perhaps the biggest problem, however, is that very few of the weapons are any fun to use, with some even sounding no more powerful than a pea-shooter.

Apparantly, the “revolutionary” enemy A.I. gave the aliens an intelligence level never before seen in a game. So how come they still look like they’re running around aimlessly like the cannon fodder in countless other games? They way they jump out of the way looks no more revolutionary than the panic-stricken pedestrians leaping for safety in the Driver games on PSone!

Perhaps I am being overly harsh, after all Halo looks and plays better than the vast majority of FPS titles out there, but it’s far from being the best. If Halo were a film, it would be the perfect summer blockbuster: lots of great moments but very little substance. You could make a playable “trailer” of all the best bits and it would look like the “best game ever” everyone claims it is. Halo is dull, over-hyped and, dare I say it, boring. There a many more, better, FPS game available on any format you choose. Don’t be swayed!

About the Review

Platform

Microsoft Xbox

Developer

Bungie

Publisher

Microsoft Game Studios

Released

14th March 2002