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More often than not, when a game is in development for more than three years, it does not live up to the hype. Bungie's Halo is the exception. Not only does it meet expectations, it greatly exceeds them. This sci-fi first-person shooter is a nearly perfect blend of gameplay, graphics, and sound. The story revolves around the conflict between humans and an alien race known as the Covenant. The aliens have discovered a powerful artifact--on the ring-shaped planet called Halo--that will shift the balance of power, and it's up to the player to stop them. In addition to several first-person-shooter levels, the game offers numerous opportunities to engage in vehicular combat. Both the enemy and allied artificial intelligence are extremely impressive. Enemies will use the terrain and layout to put you in tight spots. Allies will know when to cover and aid you. For instance, if you hop into a jeep, an ally will know to jump in and man the turret on the back of it. The graphics are exquisitely detailed, but only move at 30 frames per second rather than 60. The sound effects and voice acting are superb. The level design is among the best ever; most of the game is engaging and challenging without being frustrating. There's also high replay value thanks to the built-in single-player, cooperative, and deathmatch modes. Much like the outstanding GoldenEye 007 for Nintendo 64, Halo raises the bar for console first-person shooters. All console action games will be measured against Halo for years to come. --Raymond M. Padilla Pros: - Outstanding game design
- High replay value
- Impressive AI
Cons: - Several maps are used multiple times
- Save functions could have been better implemented
- Graphics move at 30 frames per second, not 60
 Customer Reviews 
It's Halo
Rating: 5
Need I say more? This game started it all! the storyline is great and the game play is awesome. I bought this game when it first came out and still play it to this day.
I do recommend to play with a friend, it adds to the experience.
Quite Possibly the Most Over-Rated Game of All Time
Rating: 2
After reading the other reviews, you may be wondering about the two-star rating. Yes, this game is beautiful to look at. The attention to detail is astounding. It's really to bad that the development team didn't put as much effort into things like gameplay or characters, or one of the other things that truly make a game great.
From start to finish, this game re-defines the term "cookie cutter". You walk along a pre-determined and shoot everything that moves. It requires no skill whatsoever. A two-year old could beat this game on "Legendary", it's hardest difficulty. That said, mowing down wave after wave of alien bad guys does offer some mindless entertainment.
As if the gameplay wasn't bad enough, the developers felt the need to add what can only be described as the worst cast of characters since the dawn of man. You have:
- Master Chief (you): Honestly, they couldn't give the guy a name? For those of you who don't know, Master Chief is short for Master Chief Petty Office, a high Non-Com rank in the Navy. You have about five lines of dilouge in the game, all of it spoken in a voice that makes you sound more like a neanderthal than a super-soldier.
- Cortana: A highly sophisticated Artificial Intelligence. She's integrated into your armour's systems, but serves no useful purpose. Throughout the game, she offers up a few vague hints as to what your objectives are, none of which are very helpful. You would think that she could at least give you a map, huh?
- Captain Keyes: Not much to say really. He's a fairly stereotypical military officer. Goes down with ship, and all that. You get to rip his brains out later in the game.
- 343 Guilty Spark: And finally, the one character that I actually like. He's evil, mischievous little floating robot who has more to his agenda than meets the eye.
All in all, this game was mediocre. Nothing about it to truly seperate it from the pack. If you see it in your local store's bargain bin, I heartily recoment picking it up. It'll give you a few hours of brain-rotting amusement. Othewise don'r bother. If you want a truly amazing game, I recommend picking up a copy of System Shock 2, Deus Ex, or even Half-Life.
One of the best
Rating: 5
All I can say is wow. I already had Halos 2&3 when I bought this, so I wasn't expecting much. However, the graphics were as good as Halo 3. Also, if you liked 2&3, this game has a jungle scene, a beach scene, a valley scene, a forest scene,... more so then even 3. the game play is great, everything exceeds expectations. It even takes less time loading than 2 or 3. If you like the other Halos, or even own both, you should still get this game. 6 OUT OF 5 STARS!!!!!!!!! I love you, Bungie Corporation.
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