Not only has it re-defined the FPS it has re-defined gaming and is still un-surpassed!
User Rating: 10 | Halo (Xbox Collection) XBOX
November 14 2001 was the release date of the most incredible game to ever be released. No one would of ever guessed that in 2005 it is still the best game on the market. With it's extraordinary gameplay stunning visuals and incredible musical score if you aren't deeply in love with this title, you truly aren't human. It was said that it would be the 007:Goldeneye of the next-generation well it was. I have never played a game that has lived up to this much hype, is it any wonder people are still buying this game with Halo 2 ot there. When Halo 2 was announced everyone said it would surpass Halo in every way well it didn't even come close to it. Graphics: In case you have been living in a cave, you might want to take a look at the screenshots from this game. There really isn’t much dispute over Halo’s beautiful graphics. Anyone who knocks the graphical splendor of Halo should be given a brisk slap upside the face. The world of ‘Halo’ is so gorgeous it almost reaches the point where you probably won’t even notice the minute details of the environments around you. Everything from weather effects and lighting is wonderfully done, and you might feel the urge to stop and smell the roses, but not for too long or you might end up buried 6 feet under them instead. Even such subtle things as your flashlight will make you go ‘wow.’ Advanced particle systems enable effects like snow and rain, as well as dirt and debris to be tossed up here and there. The cut-scenes are real-time and seemless with the game’s progression. Models are crisp with textures so detailed you can see skin irregularities during close up views. You’ll be sure to notice some nice graphical features when you fire off your weapons as well. Each weapon has a distinct visual effect, complete with color, lighting, enough intensity that it will make attacking your enemies both visually and egotistically pleasing. Just watching your player reload each weapon is entertaining. I could go on and on about Halo’s graphics and give you all kinds of technical babble, but it all leads to the same conclusion…Halo’s graphics owns us all. Gameplay: The controls of the game are quickly picked up and before you know it, you won’t even think about what buttons to hit. After a while, you will just react to the game and the controls become very natural-- surprisingly natural for an FPS game on a console. Plus, you will have the ability to tweak the controls to your own personal liking, so if you have any complaints about button use, there is probably a reasonable solution if you try to change the default settings. For example, I prefer the inverted control so that looking up is down and looking down is up. Since I have become so accustomed to this control setting for flight combat games, it seems natural to do so with Halo. One directional pad will control your aim (like a mouse), while the other controls your movement (like a keyboard). This will allow for complex tactics that give you the ability to zig and zag while keeping your sights locked on a fixed position-- a particularly nice feature when you are trying to avoid enemy fire. Depending on whether or not you are left or right handed, you can switch the controls of the directional pads, so once again you decide the control setup. Your triggers will act as your weapon firing buttons. One is for your gun while the other will toss a grenade at unsuspecting foes. It felt good using my index fingers for weapons control. Other controls will enable you to jump, reload, switch weapons, discard and pickup weapons as you make your way through Halo. It should only take you a couple minutes to get the hang of the controls. Another plus of using the controller is the vibration function, which is pulled off just right during the game. The Xbox control pad enhanced with vibration features gives you an added amount of subtle detail that boosts the overall experience of Halo. Sound: Right up there with the graphics, is the superb audio of Halo. If you have access to a 5.1 surround sound system complete with a decent subwoofer, you will feel each gun blast, explosion, and impact as the room shudders. You will also hear the action of the game around you in complete 3D audio. As you move throughout the game’s environments, the directional sounds will help guide you along, and sometimes startle the bejeezus out of you if you aren’t paying attention to your targeting system. Gun shots and laser blasts will move throughout the room from one side to the other, providing some spatial depth while playing the game. The most notable audio element of the game is the communication between your allies as well as your foes. Your fellow Marines will rally together during a skirmish shouting out phrases like ‘let’s kick some ass!’ If you happen to show up while a group of Marines are under attack, they will let you know just how relieved they are that you showed up just in time, since you are, ofcourse, the Master Chief (a cyborg). Your enemies will also engage in some verbal expressions during combat. The smaller, bug-like members of the Covenant often turn coward and run away from you, squealing out phrases like ‘wake up, they’re here!’ or ‘we’re gonna die!’ It’s a nice feeling you get when you know just the sight of you instills such fear in those you wish to conquer. Aside from the communication of the game, each level has a distinct environment. The swamp level is particularly impressive in the audio department. Not only will you hear individual droplets of rain splashing in the shallow waters below you, you will hear crickets, wind, and whatever other strange creatures might inhabit this strange land. The clarity of the game’s audio is like no game you have ever played before, and the power of the Xbox is truly showcased through a kick butt surround system features: Right up there with the graphics, is the superb audio of Halo. If you have access to a 5.1 surround sound system complete with a decent subwoofer, you will feel each gun blast, explosion, and impact as the room shudders. You will also hear the action of the game around you in complete 3D audio. As you move throughout the game’s environments, the directional sounds will help guide you along, and sometimes startle the bejeezus out of you if you aren’t paying attention to your targeting system. Gun shots and laser blasts will move throughout the room from one side to the other, providing some spatial depth while playing the game. The most notable audio element of the game is the communication between your allies as well as your foes. Your fellow Marines will rally together during a skirmish shouting out phrases like ‘let’s kick some ass!’ If you happen to show up while a group of Marines are under attack, they will let you know just how relieved they are that you showed up just in time, since you are, ofcourse, the Master Chief (a cyborg). Your enemies will also engage in some verbal expressions during combat. The smaller, bug-like members of the Covenant often turn coward and run away from you, squealing out phrases like ‘wake up, they’re here!’ or ‘we’re gonna die!’ It’s a nice feeling you get when you know just the sight of you instills such fear in those you wish to conquer. Aside from the communication of the game, each level has a distinct environment. The swamp level is particularly impressive in the audio department. Not only will you hear individual droplets of rain splashing in the shallow waters below you, you will hear crickets, wind, and whatever other strange creatures might inhabit this strange land. The clarity of the game’s audio is like no game you have ever played before, and the power of the Xbox is truly showcased through a kick butt surround system 
