Halo Magic

Well, later this year I'll be part of the Halo bandwagon again, as will many of us, but what exactly makes Halo so damn successful? I've tried to answer this question on more than one occasion but each time I hit a brick wall.

Of course, there are the obvious attributes to any good game: great gameplay, a sound online setup, graphics, weapons and longevity but a lot of these can be found on any other game, but those other games just don't have what it takes to keep up.

Call of Duty: MW 1 & 2 are both exceptional games. They are masterpieces of gaming creativity and both have provided me with bucket loads of entertainment. The same goes for GTA4 and Gears of War, but despite impressive sales, especially with GTA4, we still don't have a game that can stand out as an iconic title as much as Halo does.

I know what some of you will be saying "He's just a Halo kiss ass, a fan where nothing else will do" but that's not true. Believe me. Halo has its faults. It's far from perfect. It lacks the realism of the two Modern Warfare games, the graphics of GOW and there's not as much freedom as GTA, and the online play features the occasional glitch or bug as well – sticky grenades fail to stick or explode and despite several shotgun blasts to the face an opponent can simply walk up to you and take you out with a pink fluffy pillow. Or if you're really unlucky you'll be killed by a predatory traffic cone.

Halo, I believe, is different to all of the other games because of two main aspects: an enigmatic storyline and longevity. Bungie have managed to create a universe that is vast and mysterious beyond comprehension but at the same time keep it relevant to each individual game without overwhelming the player. You are placed into the boots of an extraordinary soldier, usually the Chief, but you're always left in awe of everything around you - a small cog in a very big machine.

No other game seems to achieve this as well as the second level of Halo: Combat Evolved. The one where you crash land on the surface of Alpha Halo and are presented with an apparently normal landscape, all except the surface of the large ring-like structure that you are standing on stretching off from the horizon and into the dark beyond of the sky above. As a character you've just gone from a genetically enhanced, battle hardened super soldier and mankind's last, best hope to something the size of an ant.

I bet there are many of you reading this who have played that very level that did the same as I – gazed in wonder at the world around you only to be rudely interrupted by a strange, and very alien looking, tuning fork shaped craft.

Then there's the matter of longevity. Its how a game continues to entertain long after the immediate battle is over. Halo 3: ODST started off so well. It had all the hallmarks of a great Halo game, only to be let down by a substandard lifespan. Firefight was a brilliant idea and was a much needed element of Halo despite the success. But as Firefight featured no sort of matchmaking facility of any kind the numbers dwindled very quickly. It simply couldn't compete with the Horde mode of GOW2. But then I've always said, just as Bungie have, that ODST is simply an add-on. It's not really a game in its own right. So I suppose I can let them off just this once. The rest of the Bungie made Halo games, however, had all the right elements for a long and healthy life. Forge, theatre and an online set up that provides endless possibilities.

I suppose in reality you can't really sum up everything that makes Halo a monumental success but at least this is a start. I hope, as many of us do, that Bungie continue to use the right ingredients and the right formula for Halo: Reach. But things are looking good so far.