AbstractAfter Earth's distant colonies are devastated by an alien menace called The Covenant, a group of soldiers escapes to the space station HALO. Once here, you'll have to lead a squad of troops into a battle with The Covenant in order to reveal the secret power that Halo possesses. The game utilizes both a first and third-person perspective as you fight for the survival of humanity. If you are successful, the human race goes on, but if you fail
ESRB rating
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Blood and Gore, Violence |
Full descriptionIn the most obvious sense, the "Halo" is a space station built in the shape of an enormous rotating wheel. As the wheel spins, it creates centrifugal force that mimics gravity on its inner rim. An entire world exists inside this wheel, with huge developed structures and vast, open landscapes. But something else exists in the Halo as well -- something mysterious and powerful. All that is really known is that a force of alien invaders is desperate to find it and they are leaving death and destruction in the wake of their search. This mystery of Halo must be solved and the aliens must be vanquished, before they find what they are looking for and destroy us all.
Some of the basic themes and plot points in Halo may be familiar to gamers who have played Marathon, Bungie's successful first-person shooter which was released in 1992 for the Macintosh platform. Among other elements, Marathon is known for intelligent level design and a deep, intriguing story. Though Halo should not be considered a sequel to Marathon, the two share common plot elements and have related back-stories. Initial development of Halo was done simultaneously for the Macintosh, the PC, and the Xbox.
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Editorial reviewSource:
AmazonMore 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
Show no fear as a heroic weapons master, bred for combat and built for war
Fight on foot and aboard an assortment of powerful assault vehicles
From the designers of the innovative RTS Myth and the influential FPS Marathon
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