The first game to ever make me depressed (cause its bad, not because of the storyline).

User Rating: 3.9 | Halo: Combat Evolved PC
I finally borrowed a copy of Halo in order to find out what all of the fuss was about. i like to think that i approached it with an open mind and that any prior bias (lets just say that i own every Nintendo system, VB inclusive) was ignored. After all, i did it for Katamari, why not one of the biggest games of the generation? Surely over 10 million people can’t be wrong. Oh wait maybe they can. Usually are too.

I was astounded, therefore, to find that this massive game is possibly the worst experience I have had in any game. Ever. I’ll start with the good because that is quicker. The AI is fantastic and its nice that they throw enemies that are smarter after you in the harder difficulty, instead of increasing health (which they also do). The sound design is also great, especially all of the little phrases that the grunts throw at you. Um...the melee and grenade combat are nice additions...and there is one cool map for multiplayer...Halo itself is pretty cool...yup... Thats it...I’m out...on with the bad.

Firstly the graphics are iffy. The characters and CG look good but the frame rate is terrible unless you have a really good computer and the environments are just awful looking. All of the rooms look identical and the outdoor environments are un-inspired. This leads to the main problem of Halo: repetition. I had to run through 3 areas that were exactly the same and then run back through them again. This is common in the game. But so what as long as the game is fun right? Well, the combat has the same problem. Run... shoot... run... shoot... melee... shoot... you get the picture. Even sniping has lost its charm. Of course things should get mixed up with new toys and targets to use them on right? Nope. By the end of the 6th level you have seen most everything. All of the weapons, ships (driving is kind of fun) and enemies are completely run dry. There aren't even any boss battles to speak of. The end of a level consists of fighting a particularly large number of enemies. Not fun. Compare this to a game like Metroid where the game is played for the bosses. Its just not right.

Another serious problem is the total lack of innovation beyond the introduction of melee combat and grenades without switching weapons. Ok, so they have limited you to 2 weapons, but thats a BAD THING! When you are banking on your cool arsenal of weapons (of which there are only about 8 anyway) to sell a game, let people carry them all around for Pete’s sake. And there are even weapons that they don't allow access too, namely the plasma sword and fuel rod gun (though to be fair, the sword is in the second game and the fuel rod gun is in multiplayer) everything is extremely detailed but never is caution thrown to the winds for a new idea. DOOM was more creative than this (the levels were better too). oh yeah, why does the pistol have a zoom mode? it's just a pistol. no sniper scope, just a gun. and forget about silencers.

Oh yeah the multiplayer. That has been a huge selling point for the game and there are plenty of modes and maps to choose from. Sadly there are major flaws here too. Most of the modes are not very fun and the maps often suffer from the same problems as the single player game. There are a few good maps, but they really should be better. There are also terrible lag flaws, to the point where you can sometimes randomly jump up several meters and fall to an untimely death. They have also introduced banshees to some of the maps (including my favourite, blood gulch) which makes the game unplayable to everyone not in the air.

Oh yes, about the title of the review. After playing this game for a day (and beating it in that time) I was so utterly depressed by the constantly regurgitated level design and game play, along with the grey un-interesting environments that I couldn't pick up a controller. Not to finish Max Payne (a much better game which is still nothing but shooting), not to play super smash bros (best multiplayer ever). not even to play C&C renegade (you like Halo multiplayer try this one on for size). Lets face it. This game is running on empty in the creativity department and should have been buried a long time ago, along with all those E.T. carts (under them preferably). I think it’s sad that this will be the first generation to be remembered most fondly for such a completely un-inventive game. Maybe it should have stayed a real time strategy game. Now THAT would have been interesting. I guess Halo wars will show us right?

Games to play instead: Metroid Prime (GCN), Command and Conquer: Renegade (PC), Max Payne (PC, XBOX, PS2), Metal Gear Solid (PS1, GCN), Half-Life (PC), DOOM (PC), Wolfenstine (PC), E.T.: the extra terrestrial (Atari 2600)