User Reviews
| | |
 What's the fuss all about? |  3.0
0 comments |
by  Timber Wolf
from , , U.S. | Nov 14, 2004 |
So i wanted to see what all of the hype is about and i got myself Halo to see if it was "the greatest shooter ever" as so many seem to put it. I then found myself in an over-hyped, average shooter that was actually... pretty boring.
The game doesn't really do a good job of explaining where you are or what you're doing or why you're doing it. You're some important guy that was frozen and now you're being thawed out to kill some alien guys.
Ok let's go shoot some stuff.
The first thing i noticed is how SLOW master chief runs. It feels like you're running through a tub of molasses while two midgets cling to your legs. This can become very annoying when you're trying to run for cover or trying to evade an enemy up close. In addition to this it's very easy to lose your bearings as you frantically try to swing around in close quarters.
The shooting mechanics are... ok. Point and shoot works well here. Though most enemies are better dealt with a swift gun butt to the face (can be difficult with the sluggish controls at close range) or a grenade at their feet. Tossing grenades is a very strategic aspect of the game and is quite interesting. Though running around and shooting at the same time can become a bit clumsy at times.
But it's not like the enemies are geniuses. Most of them consider strategy to be running out into the open and shooting at you, then running behind cover and waiting for you to run up to them and shoot them.
Your allies aren't master minds either. Sure they talk like marines and act like marines. But they don't shoot like marines. They typically just run around like morons and get shot. At one point of the game i had 15 marines backing me up. Within 5 minutes they were all dead.
Now let's talk about the vehicles. The ability to climb into vehicles and pilot them is something people praise Halo over. However i can't find any reason why. There are only a handful of vehicles for you to use and none of them are particularly responsive or (more importantly) fun to drive. The first one you hop into is the warthog jeep thing. Despite it having large rubber tires that appear to have plenty of grip, the warthog slips and slides around as if you were driving on a lake of ice after slathering your tires with bacon fat. This makes it practically impossible to navigate around obstacles or get away quickly when in a pinch since it accelerates slowly, turns slowly, and likes to crash into things. However other marines can hop onto your warthog and help you. There's a rear mounted gattling gun and a marine can jump into the passenger seat and shoot at stuff. Sounds like a formidable machine, but it's not. The gunner is a dumbass that doesn't pay attention to what's going on around him and doesn't always see enemies in the wide open. Even when he does see them, his aim is horrid and he can't hit crap. And you can just forget about your passenger marine, he's practically useless. You're better off just trying to run over enemies for an instant kill but the controls are so unresponsive that you'll crash while trying.
There are like, 3 other vehicles in the game but they're not worth mentioning. All of their controls are as slippery and clumsy as the warthog.
Some of the environments are really big so you'll need to jump into a vehicle to get around quickly. However, most of the environments are small rooms or corridors. In fact, most of the room is the same 4 rooms and corridors over and over again. I was half way through the game when i realized something. I just walked into the same room after running down the same hallway and killing the same enemies that i did 50 times before. Hey! I'm doing the same thing over and over and over and over and over again.. only slightly different each time. This is... fun? No, it's not. I was really bored.
Even worse, Halo transitions from a tactical shooter into a run of the mill survival horror game with generic monsters leaping out of unseen areas and running at you over and over again... and over again. I can only walk into the same room and shoot the same monsters that run at me so many times before i get bored...
Don't forget the backtracking. Instead of sending you into new and interesting locales, Halo sends you to boring corridors, boring rooms, and boring areas over and over again. And they're always full of the same enemies you killed hours ago. It seems like you have to go through the same 3 areas twice, and that's the entire game. Zzzzzz.....
There are however some interesting things that go on during the game. Every enemy with a weapon will drop their weapon when you kill them, and you can pick it up and use it. But, and this is a big but, you can only carry two weapons at a time. This can be frustrating when you don't want to drop one of your weapons in case you need it later. Like say, the rocket launcher. At some points of the game there is alot going on around you and it can get a little exciting.
Well i can't think of anything else to say right now. Time to break it all down:
Gameplay: 3. I just didn't have much fun playing this game and at times i was really annoyed at either the repetition or the clunky controls. The level design is also breath-takingly horrible and bland. Sure there are large environments but that's pretty much all they are; large. Don't expect many exciting elements of scenery. Level progression is also ass-backwards. You walk into a room, you kill stuff. You run down a corridor, you walk into a room, you kill stuff. Rinse, repeat, and you've got Halo.
Control: 3. Master chief's jumping mechanics are really floaty and it makes it difficult to jump onto things. This, and the game just felt really slow. I suppose this pace is fitting for the console, but on the PC, this just doesn't live up to the tight control of Unreal Tournament or Half-Life.
Story: 3. Kind of interesting but not very developed. It doesn't really tell you what's happening during gameplay so you have to wait for the cutscenes.
Sound: 3. There are some nice sound effects and the music at times can be lively. However the environments severly lack atmosphere and the elite covenant guards sound and act just like the slegs from Turok Evolution.
Graphics: 3-5. If you have a really high-performance video card, Halo will look excellent. However if you're not so fortunate, Halo will have to look a little... worse. But it's still playable even on the absolute minimum settings.
Fun Factor: 2.5. As i've already mentioned many times above, this game just isn't that fun...
Overall, Halo is a very over-hyped game. If you enjoy repetition, then this is the game for you!
3 out of 5. Completely average. |
| 11 out of 19 people found this review helpful. | Did you find this review helpful? YES NO |
|
| | |
| Great kick ass stuff |  4.7
0 comments |
by  Dark Elite
from , , Australia | Aug 20, 2004 |
THE GOOD:
~Being a kick ass cyborg dude
~Can kick ass along side your marines
~Can kick ass on some exotic places and other places
~Can kick ass in vehicles
~Can kick ass through 10 massive levels
~Can kick ass by really cool weapons
~Can kick ass through multiplayer
~Can kick ass in space
~Can kick ass in over 4 different covenant and other things
~The music makes you want to kick more ass when your fightingTHE BAD:
~Only 10 levels
~No bots in mutiplayer
~The library (a level)
SUMMARY:
Well after reading "The Good" you can safely that this is a kick ass game. This is such a great game and it has kept its complexity down by having the most simple of things. This simple game play means it is easy to pick up on and you don't have to resort to opening up command bars to do stuff. I only expect that in RPG games but not FPS or action. Some action games are like that with all that complex stuff which ruins the atmosphere in which the player really wants. So well done to Bungie for making this masterpiece.
The game starts you off in a good situation as it is already into the action. The reason being is that
quoteyou are a one man cyborg sent to save mankind from the covenant
As you are the last hope for mankind, you are fully respected through out your marines, and the best feeling is when they come up to you and say "how is it going chief" etc. They really look up to you.
The marines in the game really caught my attention.
As I was saying about the marines, they are an important asset to the game as solo mode isn't fun all the time. Marines add more atmosphere to this already atmospherically created world called Halo. The marines say the funniest thing along with the grunts as all the crap they have to go through. The marine AI is excellent and are much a good team member. They will ride in vehicles (if possible) and can lay down a lot of needed heavy fire.
The music is classic and who ever composed the music should really be awarded as it really makes the game come to life. In some areas where nothing is happening there usually is no music but you can hear maybe a humming noise from the lights or the wind faintly blowing in the distance. All those details as said before adds to the atmosphere of the game. The sounds that are in the game are excellent and nothing more should be said about it.
The simplicity of the game pays off, especially when it comes down to weapons. As the Master Chief you can only hold 2 weapons, which makes it more realistic. This simplifies things, as you don't need to bring up a menu just to look at your weapons and change them. All you have to do is press a button to go to the next weapon. This is exceptionally useful when in battle and all you want to do is swap weapons. The weapons that you get or find in the game are also very simple eg. The main weapons in the game for the Humans are the Assault rifle and the Pistol. In other games they would be called eg. 305 TR or a GT29M and your thinking what the hell does these weapons do. Well this is very simple in the game. The following weapons can be used in the game: Human: Assault rifle, Pistol, Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, sniper rifle. Covenant: Needler, Plasma rifle, Plasma pistol.
The reason that the covenant don't have as many weapons is that some of the weapons are connected to them and explode when they die. You can also collect grenades which are also very simple: Human: Frag grenade. Covenant: Plasma grenade.
The levels in the game are quite unique and you sometimes stop just to marvel at the sit of them. The ring World called Halo is set somewhere in space light years away from Earth and where the covenant are nearby. The world has many locations where it is snowing, has sunshine, where you need to go in and neutralize any enemies you may come across and finish your objectives. There is on level which really irritates me and that is the Library, it is cold, life less (and I mean it.....)and very repetitive. Over all for the level design it was a good job.
The vehicles in the game are also very simple but affective. They are: The tank (Scorpion), The modern warfare jeep thing (Warthog). Covenant: The hover bike (Ghost), The flying thingy (Banshee) (it's pink). Any way these four useable vehicles are much needed in the game when there are massive groups of enemies that need riding of. These vehicles must have a driver but only you may drive them no the marines, though the marines fill in the extra spots.
The Scorpion can have a driver and four passengers on the sides, (though it is really unsafe but fun). The weapons found on the Scorpion are the turret and the machine gun. The Warthog can have a driver, a passenger and a gunner. The Gunner has infinite ammo and has a very powerful chain gun. These 2 vehicles drive differently on certain types of environments. For instance the Warthog will be slipping all over the place when on ice but when on dry surface it will drive normally.
The Ghost is the one-man hover bike with one weapon. The weapon is 2 plasma cannons, which can paralyse any enemies that you shoot. The marines can not use this. This is a very effective vehicle that can run over enemies, and can get some good air for stunts. The Banshee is a flying vehicle (one man, only you can drive and the covenant) where it can get you to many different locations. The weapons are the same as the ghost but have an extra weapon. The weapon is a plasma rocket.
There are other vehicles in the game but you cannot control them eg. The drop ship that gets you to your levels (Echo419, E419). Another is the covenant tank where it shoots out plasma energy balls at you. There are also turrets that you can find through out the levels and the weapons on them are 2 plasma cannons.
The multiplayer in the game is pretty good but the unfortunate thing is that there are no bots, which is a real drag. There are different modes to Halo's multiplayer and they are: Death match, Team Death match, Capture the Flag (CTF), Race, Oddball and King of the hill. All of these modes can be altered to whatever your gaming multiplayer needs are. Oddball can be changed in different ways eg. Hold the skull for the longest, this can be altered, Invisibility, juggernaut and others, which can all be altered.
Multiplayer is now online on the PC version and now there are banshees. The online play is great but it can get a bit jerky now and then when there is a lot of movement on screen.
The Replay Value of the game is to be questioned but I can say that yes I have played enough Halo but you have to consider it that I've had this game since 2002.
There are many detailed parts in the world that you might not even notice at first but if you go through the game you'll notice such things as Coded atmosphere. This is the first game ever to actually have coded atmosphere. For instance when you get this game go up to a tree and look up so the tree is in line with the sun. You'll notice when you move about looking through the tree that the sun is weaving in and out of every gap of the tree.
Another great detail is that when you fire your rounds and the shells hit the ground, if your on a slope you'll notice them rolling down. Another thing is that when you bring out the sniper rifle, zoom in on the shells you'll notice that there are the little details on the shells. There are many tother thing but this review will just drag on.
Since Halo came to the PC it has a couple of new weapons. The weapons aren't that great but at least they are there. One of them is the flame thrower. It is crap and can only go a couple of metres.
Results:
Graphics: (back in 2002 10/10) now 8 /10
Game play: 9.5 /10
Sound: 9.5 /10
Replay Value: 8.5 /10 (with multiplayer)
Over all: 9.5 /10 (considering the age of the game)
Overall this is a must game and I recommend this game to all.
"I don't care if it's some giant hoola hoop or God's own anti son of a bitch machine, you will get this game!!!!!!!"
*You reply* Sir, yes Sir!!!!!!!!!! *Shouting*
*Mumble that I am right* Damn right I you will.
|
| 5 out of 10 people found this review helpful. | Did you find this review helpful? YES NO |
|
| | |
| Everything and More |  5.0
0 comments |
by  redhotbaconcheese
from , , | Apr 4, 2004 |
THE GOOD:
This game is everything and more than the Xbox version, the online play finally allowed for Halo to truly be revealed as the best game of all time.THE BAD:
Lag in online play due to those on a dail-up line SUMMARY:
When I first played the Xbox version of this game, I was floored. I hadn't seen a first-person shooter like this since Doom, my game had finally arrived.
Nothing has changed, unless you count the massive graphical imrovements and truly stellar online play. This game as most PC fans already know was meant originally for the PC. Unfortunaltely though a little company we all know as Microsoft decided to play a hand in the matter. Finally those that have been waiting for what has seemed like ages are getting what they deserved.
I can't praise this game enough, Gearbox did a masterful job of bringing it to the PC. Thats why I feel this game deserves a 5 out of 5. |
| 5 out of 11 people found this review helpful. | Did you find this review helpful? YES NO |
|
| | |
| awsome |  4.5
0 comments |
by  The Slayer
from Jackson, MS, USA | Jan 12, 2004 |
THE GOOD:
excelnt online play, wepons, hogs, ghosts the works, and lots and lots of maps. theres the same maps from the first halo in halo pc, plus more-- 6 more (even tho for some reason it seams like more...)THE BAD:
theres not much bad about this, except a little lag every now and then. I recomend a 128mb video card, and at lest 300+ram. SUMMARY:
I love this game, and if you liked the halo on xbox, and you can't wait for halo 2, and you want online play, get this game! its fun online, the banshee wars, hog battels, ghosts going everywhere, bodies fling! you can have up to 4 of all the veicles-- warthog, rockethog, banshee, ghosts, tanks, and turet gun (like the covies use) |
| 6 out of 12 people found this review helpful. | Did you find this review helpful? YES NO |
|
| | |
| Best XBOX shooter comes to PC. | 5.0
0 comments |
by  DragoniteBallZ
| Nov 18, 2003 |
THE GOOD:
The shooting and aiming are awesome. Easy to control aim. Good graphicsTHE BAD:
Nothing much SUMMARY:
Never have I ever been so into any space set games with aliens in it as I have with Halo. Halo is such a great game with very interesting creativity with that Halo world.
The shooting and the violence in this game make it one of the best. You can drive vehicles and shoot and pretty much do whatever to kill the enemy. This feels more of an alien version of Goldeneye.
The graphics in the game are excellent. one of the first games to display XBOX's true power.
The sound is also excellent. The game has an awesome soundtrack.
The fun lasts for awhile. One game that turely should not be missed by anyone. |
| 6 out of 11 people found this review helpful. | Did you find this review helpful? YES NO |
|
| | |
| Halo For the Personal Computer.... Ahhh | 5.0
0 comments |
by  MasterCheat
from Montoursville, PA, USA | Nov 12, 2003 |
THE GOOD:
--------------------
--------------------THE BAD:
--------------------
-------------------- SUMMARY:
This is the game that started it all, and now it's on the PC. I know more about this game than I do about myself! You can't help it! Even though its two years old, it is still a stale in anybody's Xbox collection. It has plenty of missions, plot twists, and a really, really interesting storyline. It has the futuristic weapons, vehicles and the most bad-ass enemy you will ever encounter in any game: The Covenant. Kill them with your weapons: Rockets, Pistols, Assault Rifles, Snipers, Tanks, Three-Barrelled mini-guns, frags, their own Plasma weapons: Plasma Rifles, Plasma Pistols, Needlers, Flying Banshees, lighting fast Ghosts, and sticky grenades. And if all else fails use your empty weapon to beat them to death. I can't say that the AI is hard on its own, its the fact that where there is one Covenant commando, there are at least 10 more. There are 4 covenant species you must deal with: Grunts (small, cowardly, dog-like creatures), Jackals (birdlike creatures that carry a large shield), Elites (5 different colors, the smartest and most difficult to kill, some carry giant swords and some are invisible), and finally Hunters (large, stupid animals covered from head to toe in armor, with an oversized shield on one arm and a cannon on the other. They always travel in pairs.). This game has it all, and it's really sad to think that it was rushed. Oh, how much better it could have been. Well you play as the last super-soldier, the Master Chief (MasterCheat, Master Chief, get it?) who was kidnapped at the age of 6, surgically and biochemically altered and trained in the art of war to become the most advanced piece of militrary hardware the universe has ever known. What that means is that you're reflexes are 300x faster, can lift 2+ Tons, can run at 30+ kph, and can throw a grenade farther than the eye can see.
IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE XBOX VERSION:
The improvements are all in the multiplayer. The biggest of which (hell, they're all big!) is the new maps. There are 2 that I know of, but I didn't bother checking for the rest, I couldn't help playing it. One is an outdoor level that is a combination of the Inside catacombs of Sidewinder, the Grassy Plains of Blood Gultch, and the meandering catwalks of Wizard. It also supports all vehicles. Yes, BANSHEES!!! WOOHOO! Another level is an island almost identical to The Silent Cartographer, but with Shade turrents. The final inclusion is a Fuel Rod cannon. This was the green blob weapon on the Banshee, on the arms of Hunters, and in the later levels some Grunts have them (but they explode when you kill the grunt wielding them) |
| 5 out of 10 people found this review helpful. | Did you find this review helpful? YES NO |
|
|
|
forums
4.53/5.0
