A lot of knuckleheads have given this game a low review. Anyone giving this game less than a 7 is not dealing with reality...those giving it a rating in the Abysmal range probably work for Mahmood Ahmadinejad the President of Iran. I think many pulled the trigger on their reviews before moving into the mid to latter phases of the game. Frankly some of the sets are the most brilliant I have ever seen. The ambiance and feeling they convey are amazing. Tthis game is an Epic Winner. I think the basic formula works well. The action is taught and exciting..the environments are epic and often stunning. So...I give it thumbs up with game of the year potential. HUUUUUUUAH lock and load Master Chief. It is almost inevitable that a game like Halo is going to fail to live up to expectations. The hype for the game really does tend to get out of hand and ultimately the game suffers because it takes on a kind of mythic 'halo'. I think most players knew what to expect and the Halo story is really the meat of the matter. Halo has a familiar but well loved story line. It is about the basics that it does very well. Exciting combat that is fun. Quite simple really. Having said that Halo will inevitably be compared to two recent shooters that are truly extraordinary and help to define the genre. One is 'Gears of War' and the other is 'Bioshock'. These games are truly exceptional and very creative. I hesitate to compare Halo with these shooters because the Halo team saught not to innovate but to deliver the final chapter in a tried and tested trilogy. The vistas are expansive and often awesome even though the graphic presentation has not evolved that much since the Halo 2 release. Player models are nothing special. Yes..the Master Chief's model in the cut scenes is fabulous but that is about it. Player models do not make a game. For example in 'Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter' the Models are superb while in Rainbow Six Vegas they are just ok. In the end, though, Rainbow Six is a great game. I do not think this really effects the fun factor though. You are not going to see jungles with detail like in 'Far Cry' or lighting effects like in 'Black ' or flora and fauna like 'oblivion' (not a shooter anyway) but the battlescapes are awesome because of the attention to detail and the sweeping and epic feel of some of the battlements and fortifications. They have done well to present a magical world that draws you in. Bottom line Halo has a simple formula that is well implemented and is just plain fun. The game is not trying to be everything to everybody. It is not a tactical shooter, it is not a strategy game or an RTS and does not even attempt to blend these elements. I have used some tactics of my own to outwit the enemy though and I do feel a bit like I am in the Role of the Noble and ever brave Master Chief. This game is truly superb and should be a lesson to game developers to try to get too cute and clever. Do the basics well...pay attention to detail and never forget who your audence is. This game is a sparkling winner.
Positives + Loads of fun multiplayer features + Wide variety of futuristic weapons + Graphics look great + Epic soundtrack + Variety of fun to drive vechiles Negatives - Without LIVE you won't get nearly as mu... Read Full Review
Not quite as good as it was hyped up to be, but a good waste of 60 bucks. It is definitely a good game, so all you people that are calling it perfect don't get mad, but based on all the hype and CONSTANT advertisements, ... Read Full Review
