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Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) watch online HD

Original title:Halo: Combat Evolved
Category:Video Game / Action / Adventure / Mystery / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Released:2001
Director:Joseph Staten
Actors:Jen Taylor,Pete Stacker,Tim Dadabo
Writer:Joseph Staten,Brannon Boren
Video type:Video Game

Rating 8.9: Votes 863

2001 Jen Taylor Pete Stacker Tim Dadabo Joseph Staten

Short summary

Super-soldier John-117, Master Chief of the United Nations Space Command, must battle a genocidal alien race known as the Covenant following his violent crash-landing on Halo, an ancient and mysterious ring-world.

You Play the mysterious John, known as Spartan-117 and The Master Cheif, a Master Cheif Petty Officer in the United Nations Space Corp of the 26th Century. You are the last of a genetically enhanced group of super-soldiers of the Spartan II project. As the last of these super soldiers you alone wear The Mjolnir enhanced suit that increases your physical prowess through motor assistance. You are hastily removed from a Cryogenic freezer one day to find that the ship you have been traveling through space on, the Pillar of Autumn, is under attack from the Covenant (A conglomerate of several species of extra-terrestrials who have declared war on the Human race after their first inter-galactic settlement was formed) and you have been summoned by the Captain. Upon reaching the office you accept a pistol and an AI program, and are tasked with the protection of the AI because it knows the location of Earth. After battling through the ship and leaving in an escape pod you land on a mysterious ...

Trailers "Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)"

In a top 50 poll ran by the Guinness World Records, this was listed as the greatest game of all time.

Some of the dialogue spoken by the marines, comes directly from the film Aliens - Die Rückkehr (1986)

Was introduced at Macworld Expo in 1999 by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs set for a release on the Macintosh. Then Bungie was bought out by Microsoft.

Bungie had no idea gamers would be willing to bring their TVs over to other people's homes just to play them in multiplayer over System Link. They figured that the only people who would play it were college students who already had Local Area Networks (LANs) installed in their dorm rooms. That's why, even though System Link supports 16 players, you can only network four Xbox consoles together. When System Link became Halo's most popular feature, and Bungie discovered people were willing to bring over equipment to other people's homes to have LAN parties, this was changed in Halo 2.

The storyboards for the FMVs were drawn by the same artist who did the storyboards for Das fünfte Element (1997).

The ending cutscene (every difficulty) shows the Master Chief removing his helmet, however his face is not shown. On the PC version of the game, the cutscene can be viewed in a free roam view with some minor tweaking and modifying. It shows the Master Chief removing his helmet, only there is another exact helmet underneath. This video can be viewed on YouTube.

Many people believe that Halo takes place during a one-hundred-and-thiry-nine year gap in the Marathon timeline, in which the creators wrote "This century intentionally left blank. Seriously, nothing really happened."

Much of the dialogue spoken by the Covenant Elites is in fact dialogue by the human Sergeant, reversed, with some pitch alterations.

The serial number on the Scorpion tank (030569) is actually the birthdate of Marcus Lehto, Halo's Art Director, who was born on March 5, 1969.

There are several references to the Marathon series of games, also by Bungie:

The Marathon logo can be on the hull of the Pillar of Autumn, and on the chest of Captain Keyes.
The architecture in Halo is very similar to Jjaro architecture - the Jjaro were an equally ancient race in Marathon.
Cortana claims the Master Chief has "gone rampant" if he shoots the Captain - Rampancy being a key concept in Marathon. Cortana also shows signs of Rampancy (arrogance and distain of humans) once installed into Halo's control systems. According to Marathon, installing an AI to a large computer system (as Halo's obviously must be) could cause an AI to become Rampant.
Marines will occasionally refer to you as a "Mark Five". Marathon's main character was a Mjolnir Mark IV cyborg, and the Master Chief wears Mjolnir Mark V armor.

Was originally going to be an RTS (Real Time Strategy) game, but the game was then reworked and it became a First Person Shooter.

If you look closely at the shotgun shells taken out when Master Chief reloads, you'll see there are hippo heads pictured on them.

Launch title for the Xbox.

If you highlight the "Edit Gametypes" section in the multiplayer section of this game, you come across an image of Master Chief with text that, to the reader, seems to be schematics for each of his body parts. If you look closely, some of the text aren't schematics, but text: Text on Head/Gun: "UV Protectant Sun Visor for Protection from Elements". Text on Upper Right Leg: "Sometimes I give myself the creeps, sometimes my mind plays tricks on me" (lyrics from the Green Day song "Basket Case"). Text on Lower Right Leg: "Hydraulic Suspension Thigh Pads with cool Kevlar crap". Text on Left Leg: "Directional Locks MJOLNIR cyborg dealer parts". Text on Arm: "Action/Reload see may flexible joint system". Text on Torso: "All your base are belong to us".

The level 'Assault on the Control Room' features all of the pilot-able vehicles in the game. It is also the only level to feature the Scorpion Tank.

Gregorian Monks were used as vocalists for the theme song in Halo. (This has been a staple in the Halo games ever since.)

On the mission "Assault on the Control Room" there is a secret area high up in the air on the side of a cliff on a narrow platform, reachable by Banshee, where a secret song called "Siege of Madrigal" starts playing. This is from another game by Bungie called Myth: Kreuzzug ins Ungewisse (1997). Music composer for both games, Martin O'Donnell, was so proud of this piece that he decided to throw it into secret areas in all three Halo games.

Cortana was originally written to speak with an English accent, which is why she has lines like "Sod off!". By the time Jen Taylor was cast, the English accent was dropped but the dialog was not re-written for an American accent.

Online multiplayer was not included in the Xbox version of Halo since Xbox Live had not been created yet, therefore making Halo 2 the first official Halo game to support online multiplayer.

The Covenant forces from Halo-the Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters-are names given by humans from the way the enemy acts. The real names are as followed. Grunts - Unggoy Elites - Sangheili Jackals - Kig-Yar Hunters - Lekgolo

This game does not use the Halo engine as developed for the Xbox version of the game, it uses a DirectX 9 engine written specifically for the PC version.

Much of the dialog of the "Grunt" characters is taken from the Human characters in Marathon 1: "Thank God it's you" was spoken by characters called "Exploding Bobs", which were synthetic Humans who would run at the player and explode. The line "They're Everywhere" was spoken by frightened Humans the player would come across.

Right outside the bridge of The Pillar of Autumn, there is a bulletin board with the following sheets on it (along with a control bar reading "FILE EDIT PASSWORD KEYBOARD and a pop-up keyboard): "FOR SALE PENTIUM XI (35GF?) CHICAGO OFFICE COLONY SHIP 3 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISION HYDE MARK CONGO INTEGRITY", "MARINES KEEP IT CLEAN! CLEAN YOUR AREA, TOSS YOUR FILTH, PUT AWAY YOUR TRAY" "MARINES SCOOTERS ARE FOR SQUIRTS NO SCOOTERS ON DECK", A duty roster, "LOST: CALICO CAT ANSWERS TO: JONESY" (A reference to the movie Alien (1979), "ATTENTION MARINES (some text too small to read) SOUTH PACIFIC (cut off by keyboard)", and a poster with the Earth as seen from the moon with the words "FIGHT FOR HER".

When the Elites (sangheili) say 'worp worp worp' it is actually just Sergeant Johnson saying 'go go go' reversed and slowed down in a different pitch.

The game launched before Xbox Live was implemented, so online play was not an option. However, multiplayer could achieved on Local Area Network (LANs) using the system link feature of the Xbox. This functionality almost got cut at the last minute. Bungie had to bring in a multiplayer developer who was working on Oni in order to fix the multiplayer component. In the end, Oni never had multiplayer capabilities of any kind, and System Link on Halo is one of Halo's most popular features.

The host of the popular german Videogames TV-Show ''Game One'' Simon Krätschmer is a huge fan of the entire Halo Series.

Was to be released for the PC and console and the same time but became an X-Box exclusive title after Microsoft bought out the company. The PC version was released later.

One of the original antagonists for the game was going to be Cortana herself. She was planned to go mad with power after being downloaded into Halo's control room, which is why in the scene where she's downloaded into the main control system she starts acting strangely. However, the developers decided against having Cortana betray the Chief and instead made 343 Guilty Spark the antagonist. However, the scene where Cortana is downloaded into the control room remained unchanged, and made a lot of players believe she would go crazy, although it never happened.

Much of the Halo franchise is inspired by the Alien films. From the visual similarities between the Aliens and the Elites, to the flood being an alien organism that parasitically uses human hosts to propogate their species. To Easter eggs such as a poster in the mess hall inquiring after a missing calico cat named 'Jonesy'. As well, much of the dialogue spoken by the Marines is either paraphrased or directly quoted from the first two alien films. Furthermore the final ending of both Alien and Halo: CE involve the protagonist blowing up their ship to destroy the creature(s) chasing them.

Unlike future games going from halo 2 to the last one featuring the flood, halo 3. The flood, which appear in the level "Guilty Spark", will not sie from a direct bullet to the head. They also won't die from a direct MELEE attack to the head. These were introduced to be a biological parasite which adds more of a challenge to the levels after. Their last appearance is in the final level of the game, "The Maw".

User reviews

Author: SupperDom

I'll be commenting on both the PC and the Xbox.

Xbox: As you maybe have heard, Halo is definitly the best thing that happened to the Xbox. The single player is worth every penny, and the multiplayer is good too. The best part is the cooperative mode, where you and a friend can battle out the aliens together. The only real flaw is driving the warthog. It just doesn't feel natural. Despite that, all you FPS fans will definitly want to pick this up. A perfect ***** outta *****.

PC: If you don't own an Xbox, and you want to own Halo, you're in luck. 'Cause it's on the PC too! The game looks almost the same on the PC. And the multiplayer is online this time. Only one problem. No cooperative mode! That was my favorite feature on the Xbox version, and it's gone on the PC! Oh well. All the other good things are on the PC. So I give the PC version an almost as good **** outta *****

Author: Nalmezar

With outstanding graphics, and so much more,HALO is the best game so far for Xbox. And a plot to actually follow which a lot of games don't have, also makes the gaming experience unforgettable. The immense mini worlds of HALO make you feel like your there.The designers immerse you into awesome vehicles, including the human vehicles-the small and perdect for exploring WARTHOG(like a hummer),and the powerful Scorpion Tank-and the alien vehicles GHOSTS(which hovers, not able to fly) and BANSHEES(which flys). The game also offers one of the best multiplayer games ever,you can even create your own custom multiplayer. If you own an Xbox or are going to, and are only going to get one game, GET THIS GAME!I can guarantee if any other system were able to make this game(which they won't)they wouldn't be able to handle the graphics so smoothly.The worlds are real, the fights are real, the weapons are real, and the explosions are real, which is why the tagline is just perfect for the title..."HALO:COMBAT EVOLVED" 4/5 *s

Author: Gashakar

Upon first seeing Halo I thought: "No thanks!". After playing: well, I was left begging for more! The action and adrenaline level of the game is spectacular.

Whether it be blowing up alien aircraft with an anti-vehicle rocket launcher just as it's about to dive bomb you or going man to man with a battle tank Halo delivers hardcore action on every variety of level. The most realistic thing about it though, has got to be the graphics: they are red hot with realism. Every piece of grass sways with the wind, every vehicle is destructable, every man can die: the physics are amazing in detail.

The best part has got to be commandeering an alien aircraft (unfortunately, this cannot b done until the three quarter mark) and wiping all signs of life from the air. The jeep, tank and alien reconnaisance vehicle are also very good. The game also has a vast array of weaponry ranging from assault rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, plasma rifles, pistols, sniper rifles and even grenades, making for an explosive and spectacular storyline.

All in all Halo is the one reason for getting an X-Box. Well, it was my reason anyway. Also check out my review for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Halo is definetely a ten out of ten.

Author: watching to future

Let me preface this review by saying that when the next generation consoles (PS2, XBOX, Gamecube) arrived, I purchased my PS2 with the intention of not purchasing another console. Like many, I was skeptical about Microsoft's leap into the console fray and Nintendo's N64, while at times great, left me feeling like they just weren't trying to get anything good onto their system that wasn't a first party title (with Goldeneye and Perfect Dark being glaring exceptions to that). Halo was 75% of the reason for me to purchase an XBox. With that said, I get the feeling that some of the less friendly reviews of Halo stem more from contempt towards Microsoft, the XBox, and the idea that Bungie "sold out" when Microsoft purchased the company than any problems with the game itself.

Now, when I first saw Halo, my jaw dropped. The graphics are amazing. While I do tend to focus on graphics (especially in reference to clean animation) I don't necessarily hold it as equal to game play and it certainly isn't more important. But, one look at Halo and I thought "This is the most beautiful game I've ever seen." To this day after almost a full year of playing the game, I'm still prone to getting capped in the back of the head while enjoying the serenity of the blades of grass in Blood Gulch, or the majestic cliffs and water of Battle Creek. Lighting, shadowing, color, effects...just beautiful.

Sound...basically everything I said about graphics, you could change the context and apply it to sound. Nothing totally immerses you in the Halo experience quite like hearing a sniper's bullet whiz dangerously past your head only to hit the Warthog behind you with a loud "plink" while in "System Link" play.

The single player game play is good. It isn't the most entertaining game I've played but it holds its own. The story is good (and although I don't know first hand, I have heard talk of unoriginality...seems the Bungie guys "borrowed heavily" from another story) wherever its origin. The characters, mainly the enemies you fight against, are great. Nothing is quite as satisfying as sticking a plasma grenade to the face of an unsuspecting grunt, only to watch him flee in terror into the arms of his doomed comrades...KAPLOOIE!!! The sound, graphics, story, enemies and their AI, and control make the game a joy and had I never experienced multi-player Halo I might think more highly of the single player game.

Multi-player Halo: God's gift to the XBox gamer with friends...especially friends who also have XBoxes. I've saved this part for last because this is where the game truly shines. Multi-player Halo comes in several forms, a fact that in and of itself is impressive.

-You can play the single player game with a buddy. While this can be highly entertaining and is a great concept and much appreciated, it does suffer from serious frame rate reduction at times. If Bungie had designed this feature to be compatible with the "System Link" style (more in a minute) of play, it might have reached its apex.

-In "Split Screen" mode, as the name implies, you and up to 3 other Spartan Cyborgs can go head to head. Well, maybe head to head trivializes it. There are a myriad of game types and customizable options that leave multi-player Halo something to be tweaked and experimented with for months (but for the pending release of Halo 2, I would dare to say years) after you first play the game.

-"System Link" is the most novel feature of Halo. It is no longer just a game. It truly becomes an experience. You (with the expensive list of equipment in your inventory - 4 televisions, 4 copies of Halo, 4 XBoxes, and 16 controllers) can potentially play with up to 16 players! That's right, 16 players on a console game, with the work split up with 4 players at each XBox. While I've never played with more than six people at any one time, I still find this the most enjoyable way to play. Having an entire 27"+ screen to enjoy a multi-player console title this beautiful is a treat beyond explanation. The weapons selection and vehicles available become most appreciated in this style of play. Which brings me to another point: while the selection of weapons is varied, it isn't vast. Not that I'm complaining. Between the space marine and alien plasma weapons, there is plenty to work with. I should also note, that other than 4 grenades of each type (plasma or fragmentation) you can only carry two weapons at a time(i.e. a combo of two weapons which you can use one at a time, switching between them at your leisure). The genius of the game play becomes very apparent when you start to realize how well balanced and important the weapons you select can be.

I cannot say enough about this game. It is obvious that the people at Bungie really knew what they were doing and they really knew who they were making this game for. If you have an XBox and you don't have this game, you're missing out.

Author: Ghordana

After missing out on this game's first release, I've finally got the chance to play this game for the first time. Halo is one hell of a shooter and it reinvigorates the genre in so many ways. Firstly, the story is well told and captivating with humanity's struggle against an alien enemy hell-bent on destroying the human race. Master Chief, the hero of the story is one of the coolest looking characters in video game history along with his spunky A.I. companion, Cortana. The voice acting is first rate, giving one of the most compelling and convincing performances to date and the moment I heard this side of the virtual spectrum. But that's not all. Adding to the atmosphere of the game is the balls-to-the-wall blistering action, suspense coupled with movie-quality cut-scenes with a masterful and epic soundtrack composed by Martin O'Donnell, one the most beautiful compositions ever for a video game. And it's got great multi-player to boot and it's execution is very innovative throughout.

Speaking of action, the best parts of the game are the action sequences. Taking on groups alien soldiers with just a limited selection of weapons, to blowing a Banshee out of the sky with a rocket launcher is immensely satisfying. The action is SO GOOD I felt like I was in an Arnold Schwarzenegger film!!! The fact that you can only carry two weapons makes for some pretty interesting tactical strategic thinking. And I gotta admit, I was certainly enthralled with this aspect of the game.

My only real complaints is that it should've been a little longer and the level design more varied and some of the vehicles, namely the Warthog are hard to control. But since this is an old Xbox game, it's easy to overlook these gripes.

As someone who likes action games with a Sci-Fi setting, I currently consider myself a Halo fan. It wasn't just the story, characters, action that drawn me to this game, but the freedom of strategy and tactical decision making that won me over. After I beat it (which took me a while to do on Legendary) I felt a real sense of accomplishment. Not too many games of this type have that kind of spark that Halo has and for that, I'm glad that I bought it and since I'm new to the franchise, I'll be hunting down Halo 2 and 3.

Master Chief rocks!!!

Author: Silly Dog

This game is absoulutly addictive. When i first saw it showed (on game network) it looked okay but not brilliant. Then ages later i played it.....it was amazing after we completed levels it so addictive that me and my co-operative partner decided to attack each other. I haven't played the multiplayer yet but by the sounds of it it sounds like another decent Perfect dark multiplayer. From what iv'e heared you can use tanks,aircraft and the worthog (A jeep). I don't have an Xbox, i have a gamecube, because in my opinion it is better. But this game changes my mind, i think that they should bring out a sequal or for a change a prequal. All in all i give this game 9.9/10

Author: Hrguig

If this were a movie, it would sweep the board on Oscar night - best score, best screen play, best special effects, best costumes, best cinematography, best actors, best directors, best artists, best writers - best everything you can think of.

Quite simply, there is no better video game on this planet. I'm not including the very disappointing sequel 'Halo 2' in this review - that game may be bigger, prettier, more graphically advanced (although I find the overall effects poor - very un-clear) and provide a better online experience, but it in no way compares to the original (rates a 4 in comparison.) I am not an avid gamer, but after a friend introduced me to Halo, I went out and bought an XBox purely so I could practice alone at home - and having now gone through the entire game - all four levels of difficulty, from start to finish - about 30 times each, I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Halo has a story you can follow, it has characters you can identify with, it has weapons that are more realistic in use than any other game could possibly hope to match. The controls and feedback through the pad, provide a truly awesome (I don't use that word often) gaming experience. It's as close to virtual reality on a video game as you can get. Yes, the graphic detail looks poor compared to the latest super-duper offerings, but there is an integrity, an honesty, and above all a completeness about Halo, that makes it the only video game that truly deserves that perfect '10' score. Remember, this game is over 5 years old as I write - a very long time in this industry. If by some freak of nature you don't have a copy - beg, borrow or 'acquire' one NOW! You won't regret it.

Author: Helo

Story Mode- As Master Chief (Spartan/Cyborg) you kick some serious ass. The best aspect of the game is it's cinematic appeal. Everything is downright gorgeous from the Halo ring always sticking around in the background to a plasma grenade exploding right in your face. You get into the game with non-stop action and incredible music never repeated twice thoroughout the game. In the end, Several alien races, a parasite-like lifeform, an ancient AI construct, battle against each other as you try to get the hell out of Halo. Will yo make it? Multiplayer Mode- The perfect game physics and the incredible engine that the Xbox has allows you to experience realistic combat to the max. You are going to love this. Also, check out RedvsBlue.com.

Author: Whitegrove

What a GREAT game! I got this game for Christmas, the same time I got my Xbox, and I was shocked to discover that I'd never played another game like it.Fast-paced, full of explosions, a complex and compelling storyline, and high-octane action set-pieces make this game one of the best I (and surely a lot of others')own.

Half of the actors I'd never even heard of, but they were stylish, emotional and they carried the game along nicely.

The single-player levels are detailed, atmospheric, and sometimes even spooky! They range from a swampy, dark jungle to both Covenant and UNSC ships, to snowy, arctic-style chasms.The multi-player levels are exactly the same, full of detail, every bit of care been spent on them as on the single-player levels.

The controls are simple and easy to get used to . Every level is packed with ruthless Covenant enemies, who will take every opportunity to blast you into next week.The AI is intelligent, and you will be challenged almost every second to overcome their forces.

The graphics are tremendous, a vast range of colours spread across every level, the maps sprawling, practically huge.

A brilliant game. If you enjoy this one, you'll most definitely enjoy the sequel! 10/10!

Author: Iriar

I've been a Bungie fan since forever, and have been waiting for this game since 1998. As anyone can guess from my e-mail address, I'm not very fond of Microsoft, makers of the Xbox console, which this game was first released on. So the fact that I went and bought an Xbox only to play this, even though I could have just waited for the Mac/PC version, says a lot.

There's nothing bad about this game. The graphics are amazing (if you look at the sun through the branches of a tree, it looks more real that reality itself), the AI is groundbreaking (your friends talk all the time during battle, giving orders, congratulating nice shots, shooting a little extra at enemies that have already fallen while yelling at them), the physics will knock you off your feet in astonishment (this game handles vehicle physics better than ANY other car game for the Xbox so far), and the story will keep you glued to your TV (or computer screen) through the whole game.

Normally when a game is released, people go "ooooh" and after a few months something cooler is released. This won't happen with Halo. Halo is so much ahead of other games, the next game that makes someone say "oooh" will be Halo 2.

I paid over 500 bucks only to play this game. I waited for 4 years to play this game. And I do not feel disappointed.

Author: Jieylau

I just want to say that the Halo games are by far the WORST games on the XBox. The story is very stupid and has no plot twists at all. Also, like all First Person Shooters, it has a subpar combat system, and the game's focus is only on graphics and eye candy. I have no idea how anyone could bear to play this game for more than ten minutes. So, seriously, what's with all the hype? Why is this horrid game so popular? It's just another one of those plot less, stupid, go-and-shoot-stuff games. Who wants to play a game without a good plot? It's the plot that really makes a game. If there's no good plot, there's no point of playing because your exploits won't be rewarded. You won't be showered with a thrilling, deep ending. You'll have a big explosion and lots of shooting. That's all this game is.

My Rating: .00001/1000

Author: Bedy

I just wanted to add that as great as Halo is there is a big part of the game where you keep going into very similar surroundings over and over again. As a single player experience I would guesstimate about 30% is very samey and it can be a bit boring going through these levels. However the majority of the game is great fun and some brilliant level designs but there is some padding of the levels to make the game last longer. This is not a perfect game but its still fantastic. Graphically it is wonderful. Sound is superb. Its fairly smooth with only occasional slowdown. Handling and control is very good. The story while simple is enough to keep you interested. There is a lot of variety in the gameplay generally.

Author: Taun

This is an okay game, though I how everybody is calling it the best game in the world. It's not. It's a fun shooter to play on a rainy afternoon, but nothing to die about.

Characters: Master Chief is a creative character, being the dark, mysterious, leader. Cortana is a funny and extremely snotty woman, if she even is a woman. The flood is the part I think is stupid. It is not any fun to go around every corner and shoot more and more and more creatures.

Weapons: The best part of the game. The rocket launchers, snipers, pistols, and rifles are definitely the best part of Halo because you get to go around using different weapons to kick some ass.

Overall: An okay game, but nothing to flip out about. If you have nothing to do and just want to get away from the world, Halo is for you.

Author: HeonIc

HALO(XBOX) since 1995 Bungie has been working on Halo, a video game adapted from a failed movie script that bungie got the rights too. the game was originally developed as an RTS game but as time passed, it became a first person shooter, and thank god for that. Halo is the most emmersive gaming experience i've ever had, drawing you in with eye-catching visuals and sparatic, often desperate combat. Enemies are far from stupid, a pair of Hunters (large, tank like creatures that are notoriously hard to kill, think a Rhinoserous and Robocop had a baby.) can do a lot of damage, and work together as a team to squash you to bits.

You play Spartan 119 Master Chief, a cybernetic organism who's face is constantly hidden behind a gold visor and an olive green helmet. when the game begins your ship, The Piller of Autumn is being invaded by the covenant. the Covenant are a collection of alien races with a single goal, to eradicate the human race, before we become a threat. soon enough the Autumn crash lands on a mysterious ring world called Halo, which the covenant are inexplicably fascinated with.

the strategy of the game lies in the fact that all types of enemies react all kinds of ways, while grunts charge in lazy packs, Elites are smarter, faster and craftier, keeping their distance, Jackals are frustrating with their energy shields, and Hunters are juggernaughts who employ clever strategy to kill you fast, guarding their vulnerable spots with enormous arm shields. each weapon, covenant or otherwise, has its strengths and weaknesses, this adds another element of strategy, as you are only allowed to carry two weapons at a time.

the production quality of this game is something to behold indeed. for a video game the story is smart and well done, drawing you in and never letting go until the final scenes. cut scenes are fluid and well written. probably the greatest aethetic aspect to Halo is the musical score, haunting angelic choirs and exiting electric guitar riffs create a great atmosphere to match the beautiful scenery and hardcore gunplay action. and the x-box exlusive Cooperative function, allowing you and a friend to play through the game together, makes the game that much more enjoyabe.

occasionally you are forced to man a vehicle, an innovative and organic control system involving the x-boxes dual joy-sticks make this a treat, and in co-op, the warthog is a blast to ride, as one man steers and the other makes use of the machine gun on the back of the cab.

as the plot progresses new and more challenging enemies present themselves, and the game becomes something of a survival horror game, the aptly named Flood bombard you like a bad rash, never letting up.

like every good movie, this game ends with an exiting race against the clock. and i promise you will go back to the beginning and play it through a hundred times until you're ready to face the hordes of other players over X-Box Live.

i have nothing but good things to say about Halo, this game is the Citizen Kane of video games. a perfect experience that will remain in the hearts of gamers for generations to come as a classic of not only the first person shooter genre, but video gaming as a whole.

Author: Olwado

Spoilers.

I admit, Halo is definitely one of the most impressive games in our time. Solid action, realistic vehicle driving, intense battles, and expendable marines add to the carnage AND the fun for your gaming pleasures.

However, many people tend to overlook the flaws of Halo. They continue to say it's such an awesome game when truly it's not as good as it could be.

Why do I say this? I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but I challenge everybody to play through it again. It's actually kind of boring. Yes, boring. How so? It's an extremely repetitive game. On the level "Truth and Reconciliation", you must navigate your way through endless corridors that all look alike. In "Pillar of Autumn", you must navigate through endless corridors that look different from the ones in "Truth and Reconciliation"... but all look the same to each other.

The thing I most dislike about Halo is the Flood. It's not a bad idea. Escalate the tension by throwing in a new, super-enemy. But it failed to deliver. The Flood is nothing but zombie-ish creatures thrown in by the programmers who realized that Halo was getting too repetitive. However, in using the Flood, Halo becomes even more repetitious. The Flood monsters are not strategists like the Covenant. They blindly attack and you shoot them. You need no tactics to defeat them. One shotgun blast knocks 'em down.

When it comes down to it, Halo can be summed up to this once the Flood are introduced: Run, shoot. Follow Cortana's directions. That's it. And it gets quite boring.

The final climax makes up for it a bit. Who doesn't want to rush a Warthog through the roof of the Pillar of Autumn to a final lifeboat as the ship is about to destroy Halo itself? Quite intense; quite satisfying. I loved every bit of that part. Foe Hammer's final run is very emotional, and the music helps out a great deal in that scene.

Speaking of the music, it wasn't too bad. It's nothing like Nobuo Uematsu's Liberi Fatali, but it can get quite impressive. Such as "Rock Anthem for Saving the World". The theme for the Flood is annoying, though. It's like something out of a '60's horror movie. Sometimes I thought it would make my ears bleed.

One amazing concept of Halo is the Covenant. What a great set of enemies. It's just that they were overtaken by the Flood. The game really should have focused on the Covenant instead of shifting direction.

With the Flood, there were four forces at work: Marines (and Master Chief/Cortana), Covenant, Flood, and Guilty Spark (the Monitor). This could have gone far. Instead, it's not as intense as possible and the game seems to be severely lacking something.

The multiplayer is rather boring. I've not played linked with four XBoxes, and I understand that it was meant to be played that way. However, the designers should have had something in mind for the pitiful creatures who only can have three to four players at a time. Unless linked, you'll most likely spend most of your time searching for the other characters.

All in all, I was rather disappointed with Halo. It could have done amazing things, but it somehow failed to deliver. Tell you what, though. If done correctly, it would make an excellent movie.

Author: Sennnel

I have been an off-again, on-again gamer ever since my father got me the original NES when I was in grade school for making all A's. Over the years, cinema has become my new favorite hobby, but occasionally I crave for that ability to blow something up (the perfect de-stressor to the corporate world). I must begin by saying that I am the college generation of "Goldeneye" for N64, so I place the bar pretty high when it comes to any FPS that teeter on the thought that they are "the best ever". I remember when "Halo" was released, causing a rift in the gaming world. People couldn't seem to get enough of this game, addictions ran high, and Halloween costumes of Master Chief seemed to be popular. That was back in 2001. It is currently 2006 and last night (after two months of random playtime), I beat this game and let me be the first to say this (although I am not) I was not impressed.

"Halo" begins flawlessly. With big guns ablazn' you play as Master Chief, a dutiful soldier that is taken out of hibernation to do what the rest of the military cannot, stop the Covenant. Similar to "Goldeneye", you have the unique ability to pick up weapons, use the terrain as your shield, and literally, blow everything up. The excitement of this game comes when you realize that you have the mighty grenade in one hand, with a choice of two weapons in the other. The weapons are creative, but nothing spectacular, and as the game develops further, it adds to the painful repetition due to the fact that as you progress, no new weapons become available. Thirty minutes into the game, you can pretty much count the weapons you will get to use in one hand. "Halo" attempt to keep the player's attention by changing scenery as much as possible, giving the Covenant some impressive A.I. ability, as well as slowly introduce a better arsenal of weapons used solely for the enemy. This game at times reminded me of the television show "G.I. Joe" because while Cobra definitely had the best weapons, the Joe's would always be victorious I could never quite see the math behind that. Quickly, I would like to apologize about my constant critique of the weapons of the game, but for me, a person that wants to be able to pick up anything and constantly want to upgrade the arsenal, the weapons seemed cheap and dull.

Just when a level of comfort settled in, the developers decide to throw some new enemies in which does allow for some hectic moments mainly because these new enemies, the FLOOD, fight anything that moves even Covenant. This means that grenades are flying everywhere, or you can be like me and duck for cover and watch the destruction happen from the comfort of a corner. Just like with the weapons, you have the ability to ride in vehicles for both good and evil. Let me be the first to say, I hated the Warthog. Who could control this beast? I was surprised I was even able to get to the ship at the end of the game, because I was cursing the engineers that developed this vehicle. Apparently, you needed a special driver's license to operate this machinery and my Master Chief could not properly study. I couldn't control it, and it caused me to further lessen my enjoyment of this game. Yet, and I don't mean to point fingers, but the Covenant's choice of vehicles were easy to use, well equipped with weaponry, and fun. Why couldn't our team's stuff be more like that (yet again eluding to my Cobra reference from above)? Slowly, the annoyance factor because to erupt

"Halo" did have one plus to its name, and that was the controls. Outside of driving the Warthog, I felt that the controls were relatively easy to learn and use. By the end of the first mission, I thought that I could easily evade any baddies along the trip. But, no matter how easy the controls were, where "Halo" suffered the most was in the development of the story and scenery. This game was exciting for the first two-three missions, but after that, we just fell quickly into the world of repetition. The background felt like it remained the same, the evil-doers jumped out of the most normal of places, and eventually I got to the point where I just wanted to finish the game because I was getting bored. "Halo", the game that defined the X-Box, literally bored me. My fingers were getting numb, the story was stale, and my eyes were bored. If I could use one sentence to summarize my "Halo" experience, it would be the previous one. I expected more because of the hype surrounding this game, but I never got it. Visually, it started out well, but eventually it just became old very very quickly.

Overall, I think everyone should give "Halo" at least one shot. "Halo", for me, needs to get better for me to enjoy the entire series. I am looking for a stronger story in "Halo 2", as well as more captivating bad guys, a stronger score (for those that speak highly of this watch Akira, you can find the same music there), and more weapons. I thought it was good, but not the greatest FPS ever created. I will still put "Goldeneye" on the top of the list as being the forerunner in this category. Oh, I nearly forgot, what also annoyed me about "Halo" was the ending. I thought it was rather cheap for the amount of time that I put into the game. I want strong, money spending development from beginning to end. "Halo" pulled some cheap shots, and now, six years later it feels dated.

Grade: **1/2 out of *****

Author: Mojind

I recently switched to PS4 after a decade of dedication to Xbox and the only thing I will ever miss about Xbox is this game.

Author: Gindian

Hi all Ratcat here, your 3D vision reviewer. Well as it has been out for many years and I have not played this game in as many I cannot (unfortunately) give you a proper review of how the game looks in 3D however I would be very surprised if it did not work 100% perfectly as 99% of older 3D games do. This was indeed quite a fun game to play due to the changing environments and so different from other games in the same Genre, you know - your Half-lives and your Dooms etc. For a start we get to travel in all manner of vehicles some lifted from real life some totally exotic and fantastic. One thing that was confusing is that one particular enemy appeared to be quite a cute little guy which really doesn't make you want to kill him, he even has a high voice. Its a bit like killing the Easter bunny although I have seen some quite demonic looking rabbits in my time - One particular game, 'Alice' springs to mind. This game is definitely worth playing even if just the once as it is an all time classic. Halo 2 was such a disappointment as it was virtually exactly the same thing, even the same maps? As for the rest of the franchise you would need to play them on a console as they were not brought out for the PC. 9 out of 10 Rubber chickens (not rabbits!)

Author: Zyangup

Okay when I was about 12 this was one of my favourite games, period. To the game's credit it's pretty easy to see why. Personally though over the time of discovering more games and how good they can really get I started to see this entire series as less of a "it lives up to it's reputation" and more of a "It's overrated, but I still enjoy playing some of these games." Okay the plot is that in a Human/Alien War the humans find an ancient, mysterious and powerful alien weapon that might have the ability to wipe out all life as we know it, if someone were to use it for that cause. You play a superhuman soldier trying to stop this from being used.

Okay so as far as plot goes, it's thin and only serves as a way for the game-play. With that said the game-play is fun, while not the best I've seen for a shooter game and the AI isn't that far away from standard DOOM AI it still is just a lot of fun to run around, shooting stuff, blowing stuff up and use human and alien vehicles to do exactly almost everything I've just said. The best aspect of this game however is the soundtrack. I'm not kidding it is some of the best music I have heard in a video game.

So if you have never played this game, I would say it's worth a little look but nothing really beyond that. I mean it's a fun game and all but even for it's time it wasn't one of the greats that everybody is building it up to be. If you're looking for just a fun little shooter which at it's essence is really just shooting stuff, blowing stuff up and driving while doing those exact same things then this is for you.

Author: Drelahuginn

Although I am a gamer as a hobby, back in 2001 I was very much into my Nintendo, having played it since the NES came out as a child. I took a break for many years and then got back into it with the Xbox 360 but of course I had missed some games which then went on to become franchises and game-changers. One such game was Halo and, although I was there for the sequels, it never really appealed to me as the clips I saw seem to involve a lot of hits required to kill any enemy – so the game looked to me like a lot of running backwards while holding down the trigger hoping the enemy runs out of energy before you run out of bullets. As a result I gave it a pass and it was only recently when someone pushed the revamped version of this game into my hand that I gave it a try.

It took me a minute to get into the swing of the game but once I did I found that it was much more tactical than I had imagined and I was surprised that the game play (and the original graphics) stood up as well as they did for a game over a decade old. The basic plot sees you taking the battle to a race of creatures called the Covenant, but this is just the starting point as other creatures and robotic AI come into play – all of whom are each other's enemy and it makes for a nice device that you can occasionally use these various groups to help your progression, in so much as they will battle each other and you just need to saunter in and clean up whoever was left standing at the end – not every often, but it is a nice tool. The device does also work well as a plot since it constantly mixes up who are the "baddies" in the story as it is only ever black/white for a short time with any one group and it made you rejig your priorities in a narrative sense.

The game play was really good on the whole. My worries about enemies sometimes taking a lot of hits to kill did stand up but it was not an issue because I actually liked the way they had shields and energy like I did, it made me play smarter, using certain weapons for them rather than the weaker enemy. This fitted in with the general strategy of the game; I would have liked more options (similar to the "sneak or storm" options of many games now) but there were still many ways of playing here. One thing that I did really like was that ammo was always a challenge – in some games it can be tough early on but leveling up or earning money makes it go away; here I constantly faced at least one of my two weapons running empty and I enjoyed the challenge of making calls regarding which gun to us and when. Although the action can be frantic, it mostly had an intelligence to it and, as a COD player at heart, it was a very nice change of pace to see too.

The one area I did really hate was the handling of vehicles – in particular the Warthog. All through the game I struggled with it but never really was forced to get good at it since it was only an occasional use and it was always just an option. That was the case at least until the final level, when the game decides to become a driving game for the final 5 minutes, running through a timed obstacle course as the last level. It only took me 8 attempts but let me tell you that every one of them was full of swearing and cursing as that vehicle seemed to do its own thing consistently. I'm sure it is me just not getting the hang of it, but I hated it. As I had been given the remastered version of the game, I did play with the revamped graphics and audio and they were really good. Every now and again I did switch to the original setup and, although more basic, I was still impressed by how good they looked and it did make me realize why the game had been the hit it had at the time.

So, although I am a good 13 years to the party, I did really enjoy Halo. The game play may be frantic and involve lots of holding down the trigger, but it is also surprisingly tactical and open to different styles. The plot is also simple in terms of how it flows, but the different factions add a satisfying complexity to the narrative and the way the game plays out. Halo 2 is also on offer for me to borrow, and I suspect it will not be too long before I jump into that as well, since this first game in the franchise was so enjoyable and engaging.

Author: Zainn

Halo: Combat Evolved.

What else does anyone need to say, it was revolutionary video game that is still standing the test of time, even with all the unnecessary slack it is getting from Call of Duty fan boys (and those in love with other games as well).

Created by Bungie throughout the late 90's into early 00's, Halo:CE is based of two previous Bungie games; Marathon and Marathon 2. Originally it was going to be a third person video game under the command of Apple (I could be wrong, it may have been Sony). The company and game was bought out by Microsoft, and made to be the release title of their upcoming console platform; X-Box.

The game follows the story of Master Chief (also known as John-117), the last Spartan-III of his kind, battling out the opposing race; the Covenant. He crash lands on a giant structure in the shape of a ring, named "Halo", of which he finds out was created by the forerunner (an ancient civilization that was in high command years and years ago) as a weapon of mass-destruction. At first it is unclear what the purpose of what the weapon is, but it is soon to be realized it is too destroy another race; the Flood, zombie like creatures trying to take of the universe. (Please advise I have not played the game in a long time (except for Halo:CE:AE) so I don't exactly remember the exact chronological order of which these events take place, nor the specifications, I just feel like I want to write a review because I like the game)

This game not only has incredible action, drama and horror, but actually a great story, one of which is becoming difficult to find in newer breeds of video-games, especially thanks to the reign of Call of Duty. I don't really know why I love this game so much, but there is just something about it that makes it superior to a vast majority of games that are being manufactured right now. Just as long as the newly crowned 343 Studios takes it time with the newer Halo games, I'm certain they will last to be some of the greatest games of all time.

10/10 - A must for all X-Box, sci-fi, action or FPS lovers. If you aren't keen on the graphics which may now look a little outdated (although I still love the sun rays in this game) there is always Halo: Combat Evolved: Anniversary Edition, a nice high definition update of this fantastic game.

Author: Golkree

Back in 2001 when Microsoft Released the Xbox, This was the launch title and rightfully so. Despite being a launch title, this is the only Launch title outside of Super Mario Bros that has garnered a Huge Following for it's franchise in the near decade of it's existence. In my opinion, Halo was an innovative game, but its one of those games that takes a long time to get where it is now.

The Game begins in 2552, Many, many years from now. There are 2 races, the Humans, and the Covenant, an alien race that have been battling the humans for years. There is one human ship, the Pillar of autumn, that holds 2 things. First, it holds an AI Program so important, if the covenant got their hands on it, the whole human race could cease to exist. Second, there is a special soldier on the ship, the last of his kind. a Spartan II, a Warrior with the strength of a 1000 men, and the size of a monster. He is Spartan-117, Also known as, The Master Chief.

You are the Master Chief. It's your job to take on the covenant and discover the secrets of Halo, A Giant ring capable of housing life within its confines.

One cool tip for you - You can still download the Demo of this game for free from Microsoft's Website. You will only be able to play the mission "The Silent Cartographer" but you will also be able to play online on the "Blood Gulch" Map in either Slayer, Capture the Flag, or Oddball. the only problem is most of the servers suffer from Lag, and some of the gamers are losers who have nothing better to do than Betray teammates on CTF.

You can still buy it for both the PC (I saw a copy at Future shop recently) and on Xbox 360 (it's available as a download, for about 20 bucks) So if you haven't played this game, Do it.

Author: Rocky Basilisk

Overall, Halo (Combat Evolved) is a very enjoyable game, and in my opinion the best ever played.

It takes place in 2552 after people have overpopulated Earth and spread across a portion of the Milky Way to other planets. A typically religious alien empire known as the Covenant have rapidly traveled to many of these planets destroying as much of the human race as they can. The characters of Halo escape one of these planets in a massive space vessel called the Pillar of Autumn, which you begin to get familiar with. This is where the game begins.

From the first cinematic in Halo the player is introduced to various character and engaged by what they say concerning the storyline, and if the player decides to pay enough attention to the plot they get a very satisfying story. Throughout the entire game the player is learning about the mysterious Dyson-sphere-based structure called Halo and its secrets. There are also a couple of twists and turns involved.

The game-play is exciting and generally enjoyable and like all good games allows the player's 'skill' to increase as they play. Some people complain about the repetition of environments, however like any good movie, the environments and locations in Halo revolve around the story, not the other way around. As well as the exiting campaign (story mode)experience that comes with the game, Halo has a great Mulitplayer mode,and thanks to its lack of online capabilities and inclusion of system link it can become quite social and is still always great to bring out and play with friends.

If you were ever thinking of buying this game, and have not yet bought it BUY IT NOW. If you don't have any Xbox consoles don't worry there are versions for PC and Mac computers, so BUY IT NOW. If you don't have it, but don't think you need it because you have one of its sequels (or prequel) BUY IT NOW. And if you were never considering it, still BUY IT NOW.

Author: Shaktiktilar

Upon it's release Halo was recognized as the the best game for the Xbox mainly because it offers good graphics, great gunplay, good story, and a great protagonist. The first thing that I really like about this game is the music and sound especially when you're in the games menu listening to this attractive music that sounds like it was sung by a church choir. When your amidst a battle, the music will get wilder and louder but that's one of the reasons why you will enjoy the game more. I didn't play Halo on the Xbox and I didn't really catch the real experience but it was more than exceptional on the PC. There are hardly any dull moments in Halo because there are battles fought around you and when there are no battles, there is the story. That reminds me to tell you about the world of Halo but first I am going to talk about Masterchief. He is a Spartan who maintains peace and protects planet earth from enemies such as the Grunts, Jackles, Elites, and Hunters. He hardly talks and you can never see his face in the game, not even a one second glimpse. His body is covered in armor which has defense shields that recharge every time it is fired upon.

After being marooned one the ancient ring world called Halo, you lead an uprising against the Covenant, an alien species bent on exterminating mankind, and then you fall into something bigger than the Covenant. You have to rely on yourself and your A.I. friend, Cortana, and escape from Halo.

The graphics are pretty impressive for a game that was made 8 years ago and you will find yourself awing as you look behind you and see the ring Halo. One of the main points in this game is the story and it affects the game a lot because without story whats the point in playing. The gunplay is unique and very different from games such as Deus Ex, Half-Life, and Farcry. The enemies are smart and will kill you by any means. Some of the enemies are easy while some, like the Hunters or Elites, are very difficult and you have to find your way around it without blowing yourself up. Overall the game is pretty impressive and if you have time go play it and enjoy!

Author: Dori

This is one of the best games that has ever come out, and will ever come out, the entire franchise is amazing.

You play the Master Chief, you are the last Spartan II. After being chased by a religious combination of aliens that are trying to wipe out the human race. You crash land onto a strange ring like structure in space. Now you and the rest of the humans have to fight the covenant armada and uncover the dark secret of halo.

This is one of the best games. It is easy to learn how to play, it doesn't get you bored, and the storyline is excellent. This is a must play for any video game fan. This will be one of the top 100 games for as long video games exist.

Cast overview:
	Jen Taylor	-	Cortana (voice)
	Pete Stacker	-	Captain Keyes (voice)
	Tim Dadabo	-	343 Guilty Spark (voice)
	Steve Downes	-	The Master Chief (voice)
	Tawnya Pettiford-Wates	-	Foe Hammer (voice)
	David Scully	-	Sgt. Johnson (voice)
	Mike Madeoy	-	Pvt. Bisenti (voice)
	Mark Dias	-	Pvt. Mendoza (voice)
	Chris Wicklund	-	Pvt. Jenkins (voice)
	Andrew McKaige	-	Pvt. Chips Dubbo (voice)
	Ken Boynton	-	Additional Voices (voice)
	Todd Licea	-	Additional Voices (voice)
	Jeff Steitzer	-	Additional Voices (voice)
	Brian Morden	-	Additional Voices (voice)

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