The year is 2552, you are the Master Chief, the last of the SPARTAN-II, a human created Cyborg, created with only one mission, protect humanity from it's enemies, the Covenant. The plot in Halo is a marvel, it will get you hooked onto it, dieing to keep playing.Its many twists and turns only add onto this extraordinary experience. When you start playing, you'll think that this is just going to be running through levels, wreaking vengance on Mankinds fanatical enemies, the Covenant. You couldn't be more wrong. By the end of the last level, you will have witnessed huge, battles between two of the four main races. This is undoubtably one of the best plots that is ever to come out of a game yet, though a bit predictable in places.
The moment you first see the Pillar of Autumn thudering it's way across the screen, you can tell that this isn't going to be a messy affair. When I started playing apon the first level, I was amazed at how much detail Bungie have put into every single Marine, Alien and Environment. I am yet to find a single Graphical fault in Halo, though saying this, you will often find yourself running past the same Marines over and over, as well as the level environments being often repeated. The sound is a masterpiece though with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, you'll be fully plunged into a fantastic score of sound, the music is fitting for every level, tense war anthems beat as you are escaping from the final level while calm scores play as you land apon a beatiful tropical island in a search for the silent cartographer. The Marines all have individual accents which add real character to them.
Ok, so having a nice plot is all
well and good, and the Graphics are a nice touch, but how does it play? Well
from the moment you step out of the Stasis Chamber you'll realise that this
isn't Generic Shooter 4000, this is something special. The way Aliens will dive
out of the way at the sight of an incoming grenade, the way the Marines will
cheer when they see you sniping out an Elite. Ok, so there are large parts of
nothingness, but the action nearly makes up for that. Unlike most shooters, you
can't just stand there as wave after wave of Henchmen throw their lives at you,
you have to think on your feet, and being only able to carry two weapons, you're
going to have to think about what could happen aswell as what is
happening.
Multiplayer is truely awsome. Weather playing seriously, or seeing how many
tanks you can stack up, it is alot of fun. Some of the more powerful weapons
have been toned down for a slightly more equal match, but it is still extremely
fun. You will be yelling at your friends to come and rescue you from enemy
tanks, you will be laughing at your foes as you fill their screen with the
shining blue of a grenade stuck to their face. You will cry as your warthog with
2 mates gets hit by an enemy rocket.
Total Score: 8/10
A Great game, though not perfection due to a few minor niggles
