What is so great about Halo?

I know this is a pretty late topic, considering most of the Halo games are already out. But what's the appeal? How did Halo get so popular in the first place? I understand that multiplayer is good, but what's so great about the storyline? It just seems like a generic FPS to me, everything about it screams generic.

Now I'm not asking how everyone can like Halo, because it's pretty obvious that it's one the most popular games to ever be released. What I'm asking is how did this get so popular when the first game came out? Before there was huge trains of Halo hype everytime something Bungie related came out.

I know this is a pretty late topic, considering most of the Halo games are already out. But what's the appeal? How did Halo get so popular in the first place? I understand that multiplayer is good, but what's so great about the storyline? It just seems like a generic FPS to me, everything about it screams generic.

Now I'm not asking how everyone can like Halo, because it's pretty obvious that it's one the most popular games to ever be released. What I'm asking is how did this get so popular when the first game came out? Before there was huge trains of Halo hype everytime something Bungie related came out.

LittleHands134

Halo was a shining gem, that breathed life into xbox's crummy line up. I mean it was just the most well done FPS and raised the bar, for MP and single player

The following are all imo, except number 1.:P

1. The Arbiter owns the soul of every gaming character ever save Alucard and Sephiroth.

2. It's the greatest FPS "saga" ever.

3. It has the greatest FPS story ever, including Marathon.

4. It's the best balance of SP/MP both being good ever.

5. The gif below.

6. The scores are great, aren't they?

7. Perfected recharging shields.

8. First FPS to have grenade at the ready at all times instead of cycling to it.

9. Grenade sticks.

10. Vehicle jacking.

11. Because this is how high the volume goes.8)

Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!daftdog

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

everything

Halo:ce was EPIC

Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!daftdog

Not gonna argue about the others, but how the hell is Master Chief is a great character? He wears a motocross suit, has a monotone voice, never get to see his face nor do you ever see him make some kind of moral choices or personality.. He could be a robot under there and it wouldn't have made a difference.

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!LittleHands134

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

Like i said it raised the bar maybe not for its story but for its extremely refined at tight gameplay, and then half life 2 came and raised the bar even more

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!LittleHands134

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

You can cut down and generalize any game/movie/book plot and make it seem overly simple. Don't even try to pull that.

besides from being FUN to a HUGE number of people?

uhm... hmmm.... uhmmm... hmmm...

ill get back to you later. :D

Well the first Halo is one of the greatest games in history. The sequels? Not so much.Floppy_Jim

What's so great about Halo?

A lot of people like it.

[QUOTE="LittleHands134"]

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!Verge_6

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

You can cut down and generalize any game/movie/book plot and make it seem overly simple. Don't even try to pull that.

It's hardly generalizing, it's just the game. The backstory in Halo was very poor quality, Masterchief is the equivalent of a space age Mary Sue (Think Conan the Barbarian), story telling could have been so much better.

It reminded me of some teeny bopper action movie with exploding buildings and long haired rockstars flying through windows in motorcycles. While Halo didn't have any of those things per se, it still appealed to the same crowd for very similar reasons.

[QUOTE="Verge_6"][QUOTE="LittleHands134"]

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!LittleHands134

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

You can cut down and generalize any game/movie/book plot and make it seem overly simple. Don't even try to pull that.

It's hardly generalizing, it's just the game. The backstory in Halo was very poor quality, Masterchief is the equivalent of a space age Mary Sue (Think Conan the Barbarian), story telling could have been so much better.

It reminded me of some teeny bopper action movie with exploding buildings and long haired rockstars flying through windows in motorcycles. While Halo didn't have any of those things per se, it still appealed to the same crowd for very similar reasons.

Don't knock the game if you don't want to pay attention.

[QUOTE="LittleHands134"][QUOTE="Verge_6"][QUOTE="LittleHands134"]

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!Verge_6

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

You can cut down and generalize any game/movie/book plot and make it seem overly simple. Don't even try to pull that.

It's hardly generalizing, it's just the game. The backstory in Halo was very poor quality, Masterchief is the equivalent of a space age Mary Sue (Think Conan the Barbarian), story telling could have been so much better.

It reminded me of some teeny bopper action movie with exploding buildings and long haired rockstars flying through windows in motorcycles. While Halo didn't have any of those things per se, it still appealed to the same crowd for very similar reasons.

Don't knock the game if you don't want to pay attention.

Pay attention to what though? It's such a simple depthless plot that a four year old could understand it.

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!sSubZerOo

Not gonna argue about the others, but how the hell is Master Chief is a great character? He wears a motocross suit, has a monotone voice, never get to see his face nor do you ever see him make some kind of moral choices or personality.. He could be a robot under there and it wouldn't have made a difference.

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!Spartan070

Not gonna argue about the others, but how the hell is Master Chief is a great character? He wears a motocross suit, has a monotone voice, never get to see his face nor do you ever see him make some kind of moral choices or personality.. He could be a robot under there and it wouldn't have made a difference.

second!! his storyline was the best ever

also crap backstory??????? have a bang on this

[QUOTE="Verge_6"]

Don't knock the game if you don't want to pay attention.

LittleHands134

Pay attention to what though? It's such a simple depthless plot that a four year old could understand it.

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

Verge_6

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

Well...almost everything

the only problem of Halo games is that they eventualy end

[QUOTE="Verge_6"]

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

LittleHands134

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

Yeah, somehow I doubt you've read "hundreds of sci-fi novels". You said the backstory was poor and weak, and I just blew that statement out of the water like a goddamned U-boat. Even if you discount the link, you are, most likely intentionally, throwing away things like the political and social structure of an entire civilization.

[QUOTE="Verge_6"]

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

LittleHands134

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

[QUOTE="LittleHands134"][QUOTE="Verge_6"]

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

heretrix

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

He just joined today, and one of his first topics is this one. I don't think anything else needs to be said.

[QUOTE="Verge_6"]

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

LittleHands134

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

:question:

Seriously? I'm not trying to doubt you but seriously?

Also you said:

"The backstory in Halo was very poor quality...."LittleHands134

:| Sounds to me like you meant the entire backstory. Only after being one-up'd did you go and talk of what's in or not in the game.

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!LittleHands134

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

LittleHands134

[QUOTE="heretrix"][QUOTE="LittleHands134"][QUOTE="Verge_6"]

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

Verge_6

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

He just joined today, and one of his first topics is this one. I don't think anything else needs to be said.

[QUOTE="LittleHands134"]

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!xgraderx

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

Yea, he forgot to say "Toss in LOTS of alien that all are pretty much the same". there, better?

[QUOTE="xgraderx"][QUOTE="LittleHands134"]

[QUOTE="daftdog"]Unbeatable worlwide online gameplay wit great charcter and storyline!TheWampaKing

But the storyline is ridiculously generic and overdone. You just take a very masculine, seemingly unkillable heroic main character, toss in some aliens, a plot to destroy earth, and then you pretty much have Halo. It's like basic blockbuster movies 101.

Yea, he forgot to say "Toss in LOTS of alien that all are pretty much the same". there, better?

Yeah, that's why whole zoology guides have been released on these totally identical species.

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

Verge_6

Yeah, somehow I doubt you've read "hundreds of sci-fi novels". Even if you discount the link, you are, most liekly intentionally, throwing away things like the political and social structure of an entire civilization. You're just another one of those "It's soooo generic" haters that have gone through this board hundreds of times.

Oh come on, using the political and social structure in Halo as an example is like trying to tell me that some generic book you found about kids stranded on an island is equal to what you would read in Lord of the Flies. Unless they touch on this much more in the books? But even if they did, it's completely irrelevant to the actual game itself.

Yea, he forgot to say "Toss in LOTS of alien that all are pretty much the same". there, better?

TheWampaKing

[QUOTE="Verge_6"]

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

LittleHands134

Yeah, somehow I doubt you've read "hundreds of sci-fi novels". Even if you discount the link, you are, most liekly intentionally, throwing away things like the political and social structure of an entire civilization. You're just another one of those "It's soooo generic" haters that have gone through this board hundreds of times.

Oh come on, using the political and social structure in Halo as an example is like trying to tell me that some generic book you found about kids stranded on an island is equal to what you would read in Lord of the Flies. Unless they touch on this much more in the books? But even if they did, it's completely irrelevant to the actual game itself.

Messed up the quote, read the last paragraph.

For having 3 games, the enemies should have a little more variety in them.TheWampaKing

[QUOTE="Verge_6"]

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

LittleHands134

Yeah, somehow I doubt you've read "hundreds of sci-fi novels". Even if you discount the link, you are, most liekly intentionally, throwing away things like the political and social structure of an entire civilization. You're just another one of those "It's soooo generic" haters that have gone through this board hundreds of times.

Oh come on, using the political and social structure in Halo as an example is like trying to tell me that some generic book you found about kids stranded on an island is equal to what you would read in Lord of the Flies. Unless they touch on this much more in the books? But even if they did, it's completely irrelevant to the actual game itself.

So, what are you comparing Halo to then, if you're going to use that example?

Yeah, too bad those "irrelevant" asects come into play more than a few times in the game, and its predecessors.

[QUOTE="TheWampaKing"]

Yea, he forgot to say "Toss in LOTS of alien that all are pretty much the same". there, better?

musicalmac

It depends on the game. In games like CoD4, its more realistic, unlike Halo, which is aliens, and to me it should hav more variety in them.

Oh come on, using the political and social structure in Halo as an example is like trying to tell me that some generic book you found about kids stranded on an island is equal to what you would read in Lord of the Flies. Unless they touch on this much more in the books? But even if they did, it's completely irrelevant to the actual game itself. LittleHands134

But if you haven't read the books how would you know?

I'll give you a choice: The shovel or the rope. Only one can get you out of this hole you've dug for yourself.

[QUOTE="LittleHands134"][QUOTE="Verge_6"]

ZOMG, teh teeny-bopper shallowness!!!11

heretrix

Almost every single thing in that summary was taken from novels based on Halo and has nothing to do with the game itself. Even after looking through that, it read like hundreds of other sci-fi novels I've gone through.

Was any of this backstory he pointed to mentioned in the actual games? No. My point is that they're novels based on the games. Novels expanding on pointless dribble does not make the original thing any less pointless.

I'd like to see The godly arbiter fight a Big Daddy, than will see how "godly" he is.TheWampaKing

His power is over 9000...

VS.