Halo Discussion

[Avenger]

ok so i know when you guyz saw this topic you probably cringed and thought this was to rant abour how much it PQWNZZZ but rest assured its completely the opposite....

I dont understand WHY it has such great reviews...i mean, i played it, i beat it, and the whole time pretty much all i was thinking was "God when will this torture end?".....it was HORRIBLE and repetative...a few of my friends think the same way as me, but for most of the population they seem to LOVE this game....and there seem to be NO bad reviews...i just dont get it....

Whenever i have a SERIOUS game question and want SERIOUS answers i always know to turn to you guys here at Digital Press.....cuz everyone here knows most other forums ppl just talk crap....and you guys actually know what your talking about...

So what do you all think about precious Halo?

[ubersaurus]

I love it. Best console FPS, if you ask me. I went over my reasons before, but to recap...
1. vehicles are useful
2. the enviroment makes you feel like you're in a scifi war movie, a level of immersion I can't say any other game has done for me.
3. Multiplayer is a ton of fun. I'd have liked more options with the weapons, but as it is, it's just too much damn fun.
4. Great balance between realistic physics and standard FPS gameplay-not too fast nor too slow

I do think the single player had it's moments of boredom, like the library, but overall it's a blast.

[briskbc]

For me, this game offered some of the best FPS moments and 1 level later, some of the worst. Overall I liked it. The outdoor levels are great, the vehicles are fantastic and the enemy are funny and dangerous. The crappy part was (say it with me now) the repetitive levels. Playing through The Library was awfull. It was, by far, the worst experience I've had in any game. Only becuase you knew something great was going to happen in later levels if you just stuck it out. It was a necessary evil. I could say ET was the worst experience but I just turned it off. You have to sit through The Library.

I liked the weapons and thought the story line was better than average. Like I said. Overall, it was a good game.

[Avenger]

that flood level was hell

[Half Japanese]

I can both agree and disagree with you. I definitely don't think it deserved all the perfect scores that magazines gave it, but then again, it's not bargain-bin dogshit either. The single player isn't that great, but the presence of co-op spices that up quite a bit. The multiplayer (especially LAN) kicks it into high gear though, and can be played for hours upon end with the right crew, as long as you don't play the wretched bastardization of CTF that they put in there. Slayer, Oddball and Team Slayer are great fun though. The vehicles are cool even though they drive like crap, and are pretty versatile. Good game, yes. Great all-powerful standard-setting console FPS? Well, sort of.

[chaoticjelly]

I hate the really long level with the canyons, me and my mate played it on legendary, spent 2 hours getting to the last generator thing uve got to destroy.

Every time we loaded the save after we died, the tank was killing the only banshee left, so we were stuck as couldnt get up the cliff to destroy the last generator had to turn the xbox off..

That has to be one of my most annoying gaming moments.... ever !

[sisko]

I agree, I didn't care for this game very much either. Its horribly repeatative, and much to slow for my likings (turbo mode anyone?)

I did like the vehicles...they were a nice addition. But when the game is so boring that you would rather spend the hour doing warthog races on the beach in 2 player mode, something isn't right.

Thouroughly unimpressed. Thouroughly overhyped. I paid $18 for my copy new, I wouldn't pay a penny more. I might get Halo 2 when it drops to $10 in 4 years. After all, MS has to ride this game until Halo 3 since its all they really have to carry them now, and it won't be dropping anytime soon.

[josekortez]

I remember EGM making a big deal over Halo when it came out mostly because it was the first console game that allowed you to system link 4 systems. They also talked about the various multiplayer modes. Unfortunately, many of us don't know 3 people with Xboxes or can't find 15 other people to play against, so those features don't do us much good. It's nice when games have those capabilities, but I'm sure the general public doesn't take advantage of them very often.

I'm an Xbox owner who owns several FPS-style games for the system, but I still don't own Halo. I don't have anything against it really. If I can find it cheap someday, I might pick it up. I don't really need an involving story in my FPS games. Sometimes, I just want to shoot things. For now, I'm sticking with Unreal Championship, which I just picked up last week..

[captain nintendo]

Everybody has different opinions of this game. What ever :P
Mine is mixed as well.... I do think it looks great and it flows well.
At times it does get repetitive and "grueling" But there are too many great things about this game. I love multi-player in story mode and in battle :evil:
The use of the vehicles rocks. I do with you could use the alien tank, but thats ok...The scorpion rocks ! I havent played in with LAN yet, but hopefully soon. I just started playing this again the other night after taking a 4 month break form it, and I must say that this game still is better than alot of crap currently be produced.

[Drexel923]

1. vehicles are useful
2. the enviroment makes you feel like you're in a scifi war movie, a level of immersion I can't say any other game has done for me.
3. Multiplayer is a ton of fun. I'd have liked more options with the weapons, but as it is, it's just too much damn fun.
4. Great balance between realistic physics and standard FPS gameplay-not too fast nor too slow

I think thats a good summary of why I like the game...I would also like to add that I think there is a good amount of weapons and all of them are cool. When I spend most of my time using the pistol you know I like the game. I'll agree that some of the levels were boring and some I just hated (flood, last level with the stupid jeep in small spaces) but overall I wasn't dissapointed. I wouldn't say its the best FPS ever, as I still have a soft spot for Goldeneye for many reasons, but it still deserves to be up there.

[kevincure]

If you're not playing this game multiplayer, then of course you don't understand why it's so popular. This game is a well-balanced, easy-to-learn FPS with great graphics and sound. It was the first good console FPS to let you play with more than 4 people, and that makes the game (we usually play with at least 8, often 16). The singleplayer is still above average (don't expect a game like Half Life or Deus Ex which are focused on the singleplayer), but the multiplayer is the reason to own the game.

[BHvrd]

Two words:

Physics
A.I. "ok maybe that one counts as 2" :P


Halo has some of the best physics to ever grace a FPS shooter. When you die you don't clip through objects you form to them, as well as enemies. Everything is just very solid, and has great weight to it. When you shoot a jeep it goes "WHEEEE", I mean come on! Also, the landscapes are HUGE, and really engulf you.

The AI in the game is just brilliant, brilliant I say. They duck they weave, they want to kill you! :evil:


I will admit that the story is slightly boring and cliche', but everything else including the perfectly timed orchestra music is just great. Halo is a game i've experienced many times and every way you can think possible "i've even found a few glitches myself". It will always be one of my favorite FPSers of all time.

[portnoyd]

I've never understood the fascination with Halo. I own it and I have played it, both single and multiplayer, and I don't get it.

Singleplayer is a snoozefest. You have offer much more than Halo does to excite someone who has played through, several times, the awesome single on Deus Ex and System Shock 2. It didn't do anything for me at all.

Multiplayer is OK, but not great. The problem with me, of course, is that I was bred on Doom 2 multi and up. Standard multiplay like Halo has is dull. Sure, the vehicles are nice, but it's nothing new or intriging enough to make me want to follow it.

The main factor between loved it/hated it is whether or not the player has played PC FPSes or not. My one friend played Halo like a fiend and worshiped it, but had never played a PC FPS. Myself, and my friends in a MOHAA clan won't touch the damn thing.

It's the same way with Goldeneye. 90% of my friends couldn't be pulled off the fucking thing.

My response: "Ummm, what? Why can't I jump.. and why is there a radar?", after playing a ton of dorm LAN based Quake 1 freshman year.

And that's why I think it's so popular. All these people, who never touched a FPS before it, try it, and like not so much Halo, as FPSes in general. The hype machine started rolling, and it made people curious. Then those people try just Halo, and the cycle repeats.

dave

[hezeuschrist]

I've never understood the fascination with Halo. I own it and I have played it, both single and multiplayer, and I don't get it.

Singleplayer is a snoozefest. You have offer much more than Halo does to excite someone who has played through, several times, the awesome single on Deus Ex and System Shock 2. It didn't do anything for me at all.

Multiplayer is OK, but not great. The problem with me, of course, is that I was bred on Doom 2 multi and up. Standard multiplay like Halo has is dull. Sure, the vehicles are nice, but it's nothing new or intriging enough to make me want to follow it.

The main factor between loved it/hated it is whether or not the player has played PC FPSes or not. My one friend played Halo like a fiend and worshiped it, but had never played a PC FPS. Myself, and my friends in a MOHAA clan won't touch the damn thing.

It's the same way with Goldeneye. 90% of my friends couldn't be pulled off the fucking thing.

My response: "Ummm, what? Why can't I jump.. and why is there a radar?", after playing a ton of dorm LAN based Quake 1 freshman year.

And that's why I think it's so popular. All these people, who never touched a FPS before it, try it, and like not so much Halo, as FPSes in general. The hype machine started rolling, and it made people curious. Then those people try just Halo, and the cycle repeats.

dave

That's a pretty good way to sum it up. And then when it was FINALLY ported to PC, it sucked. It was downright poorly coded... my machine right now can rape Far Cry, the biggest beast of PC FPS graphics right now, but Halo, a 3 year old game, rapes my system. Why? It was a crappy port, and was poorly coded. They didn't optimize a damn thing, and I was going to buy it but there's no point.

[optic_85]

...I pre-ordered my xbox in a five hundred doller pakage. Included in this pakage was HALO. The day i got it, my friend and i fired it up, and popped in halo. We then played HALO over and over again all thanksgiving break. Halo was a truely great gaming experience for me, and im already nastolgic about it. The single player in that game just plain rocks, i mean you have to admit that the first appearance of the flood was truely awesome. The movie was cool, and right after it's over your just waiting in tense silence, because you know that the shit is about to hit the fan. The multiplayer is also very good, link up 4 XBOX's, play halo, and just try to tell me your not having a great time. I've been playing PC FPS's since Wolfenstien 3D, and i can honestly say that Halo is the best console FPS ever, and better than many PC FPS's....

[StrychNiNE]

Damn Avenger - you read my mind. I don't know why everyone creamed themselves over the game. Co-op was fun simply because there was another player in the same room. Halo in itself, is a good game. It isn't great, it isn't ground-breaking, it is by no means extraordiinary. The level design is pretty standard, and the levels are extremely repetetive, which is usually a must in console FPS (limited memory...though with the XBox it shouldn't have been so bad). Anyone who plays enough FPS on the PC (the only way its really meant to be played :P with a mouse + keyboard) has seen enough that they weren't that impressed by Halo.

I admit the Co-op is fun, but again, that's because of the presence of another person playing a decent game.

[ubersaurus]

I've never understood the fascination with Halo. I own it and I have played it, both single and multiplayer, and I don't get it.

Singleplayer is a snoozefest. You have offer much more than Halo does to excite someone who has played through, several times, the awesome single on Deus Ex and System Shock 2. It didn't do anything for me at all.

Multiplayer is OK, but not great. The problem with me, of course, is that I was bred on Doom 2 multi and up. Standard multiplay like Halo has is dull. Sure, the vehicles are nice, but it's nothing new or intriging enough to make me want to follow it.

The main factor between loved it/hated it is whether or not the player has played PC FPSes or not. My one friend played Halo like a fiend and worshiped it, but had never played a PC FPS. Myself, and my friends in a MOHAA clan won't touch the damn thing.

It's the same way with Goldeneye. 90% of my friends couldn't be pulled off the fucking thing.

My response: "Ummm, what? Why can't I jump.. and why is there a radar?", after playing a ton of dorm LAN based Quake 1 freshman year.

And that's why I think it's so popular. All these people, who never touched a FPS before it, try it, and like not so much Halo, as FPSes in general. The hype machine started rolling, and it made people curious. Then those people try just Halo, and the cycle repeats.

dave

I love Halo, but when I tried playing online FPSs they sucked. I can't get used to using a keyboard, they're WAY too fast paced, and overall there's just no fun for me.

Go Halo.

[§ Gideon §]

I have never played Halo. Halo is the peewee football team for nerds. It's extremely tempting to play just in order to fit in, but I don't think I'd be interested at all.

I'm not joking. At this very moment, I can go to every guys' bathroom in my dorm complex and tear a flyer off the wall for a Halo tourney. I really want to play... But, it's plain to see that the game's not for me. In other words, I'm a man and not a peewee.

[wisekrak]

Halo = Tribes watered down for lammas

If you TRUELY want to find a strtegic multiplaying experience, Check out Tribes or Tribes 2 and soon... Tribes vengence. All the little play mechanics were well tested and established in these games before Microsoft decided to plop the little"Must have title" on us all.....

[tholly]

I love FPS and I love Halo. I don't know if it is the best game ever, but it is up there. It does get mildly redundant at some points, but other than these small problems this game is perfect. It truly shows the power of the XBox and the creative genius of the makers.

Multiplayer gaming with Halo is awesome. 4 XBoxes hooked up for 16 player fun is amazing. I recommend getting in at least I LAN game with Halo if you can, you won't be sorry. Anyone who doesn't like this game needs to strongly reconsider. I would recommend this game anyday.

[portnoyd]

I love Halo, but when I tried playing online FPSs they sucked. I can't get used to using a keyboard, they're WAY too fast paced, and overall there's just no fun for me.

Go Halo.

And I can't get used to a dual stick controller. :D I like PC FPSes because they ARE too fast paced. Most console FPSes seems slow. The mouse is way more accurate than a analog stick ever could be, which is a must for sniping. I just feel a better range of control is on the PC. The online end of it is also more native. 16 people in a LAN game is standard for PC gaming.

dave

[tynstar]

I love Halo but it does have some problems. Then again what game doesn't have problems? I have played a few PC FPS but not many after Doom 2 :o To me they seem to have to many guns and are to faced paced. I used to play Quake 3 (I think) on the Dreamcast and that was a lot of fun.

I would like to play Doom 3 but I dont want to spend 2-3 grand on a PC in order to play it.

[wisekrak]

I love FPS and I love Halo. I don't know if it is the best game ever, but it is up there. It does get mildly redundant at some points, but other than these small problems this game is perfect. It truly shows the power of the XBox and the creative genius of the makers.

Multiplayer gaming with Halo is awesome. 4 XBoxes hooked up for 16 player fun is amazing. I recommend getting in at least I LAN game with Halo if you can, you won't be sorry. Anyone who doesn't like this game needs to strongly reconsider. I would recommend this game anyday.

You think thats fun??? Try 16 vs 16 in Tribes 2 32 ppl on a server causing all sorts of havoc @_@

[Avenger]

to me it seems its a pretty 50/50 game from everyones comments....what i dont get is why Halo go nothing but amazing reviews...go to gametab.com, not a single bad review...how come people like me didnt review this game? where reviewers in awe of Halo because it was the first real FPS on the Xbox? did they feel they were going to be out of place if they said anythin but positive things....whats the deal there?

[zmweasel]

to me it seems its a pretty 50/50 game from everyones comments....what i dont get is why Halo go nothing but amazing reviews...go to gametab.com, not a single bad review...how come people like me didnt review this game? where reviewers in awe of Halo because it was the first real FPS on the Xbox? did they feel they were going to be out of place if they said anythin but positive things....whats the deal there?

As you're a writer for a GameCube fansite, I doubt you're capable of looking at Halo from a neutral perspective. But even if you are, why are you so desperate for validation of your opinion? You think Halo is ehhh, most others think it's ahhh. Fair enough. Now, if you could clearly articulate WHY you think it's ehhh, other than "it was HORRIBLE and repetative [sic]," I might be inclined to give your opinion more weight.

Why did Halo get nothing but amazing reviews? Because magazine and website reviewers considered it an amazing game. I think it's amazing, too. I really enjoyed Bungie's trilogy of FPSes for the Macintosh, and Halo built upon that foundation.

-- Z.

[Jasoco]

Serious Sam is more fun. But Halo is more of a story. And more advanced of course. Yes. I just said Serious Sam was more fun. I liked the endless waves of enemies. They put the Flood level to shame.

I await Halo 2 with eager thumbs. But I also await Serious Sam 2 with more eager-er thumbs. And next week Serious Sam: Word to the Mother Ship hits the cube. I'll be getting that one. I'll be pretty busy for a while. Also, DOOM 3 is coming too, as well. And I'll be getting that.

So Halo is up there. But at this point, I don't think it's the best FPS anymore. It's 3 years old and has been surpassed many times by now. IMHO.

[Avenger]

i really dont feel as if i need to prove myself or anythin....but anyways...yes i do work for a gamecube site that much is true, but i have all 3 major consoles, GBA, and a high end PC...not to mention a ton of older systems....im not the average gamer, i find myself researching every game i am interested in as if i were to preview/review it, even if its not a gamecube game. so i dont think its fair to say "you work for a gamecube site your prejudiced towards anythin that isnt Nintendo"....that is totally not the case, and you wouldnt be saying that if i wrote fora gamecube/xbox site would u? I actually like my Xbox "almost" as much as my Gamecube, and if Halo was on Gamecube i would be just as disapointed with it. but anyways im not alone here when i say Halo was completely overhyped so please dont direct all of your comments directly at me...im not desperate to validate my opinion...i just thought this was an interesting topic to bring up, especially here where people actually know something about games

i disliked Halo becuz yes it was repetative, and i was actually completely bored the whole time i played it, the enemies just kept repeating themselves, and i guess the biggest dissapointmentwas the fact that the whole time i was expecting an amazing game, and i couldnt help but wonder why some people would die for Halo....i think the fact that i was bored playing it is a good enough excuse to say i dont like it, it would be for any other game