Every now and again a game comes along and blows everybody away. A game that sets a new standard for its particular genre or for games in general. Doom did it, Goldeneye did it and Gran Tourismo did it. Now its the turn of Halo.

Setting a new standard of graphics and gameplay Halo stormed on to the scene as the flagship game for Microsofts big black box. It won awards, broke records and gained top reviews everywhere it went and became the biggest selling game worldwide. Halo became arguably one of the best games ever made.

When I first hooked up my Xbox on release day I put in a copy of Dead or Alive 3, I wanted a game that could give me a quick fix and show me what my new pride and joy was made of but it lasted no more than 5 minutes. The reason for this was Halo, it was lying next to the Xbox still in its wrapper with Master Chief staring at me, urging me to tear off the shiny cellophane and crank it up. I had been waiting for this moment for many months.

I sat there in total silence as the eerie title music flowed out of the surround sound speakers and filled the darkened room. Usually I would blast through the FMV's and opening sequences and just get right into the action but Halo was different, somehow I felt that it deserved to be treated with respect. I sat through the opening, fingers itching to get into it.

First thing I noticed was the graphics, they were solid, textured, and very smooth and this was just the inside a grey room on board "The Maw". The second thing I noticed was the sound, it was clear and the surround was done very well. It really sounded like I was in a spaceship with an engineer talking to me as he walked round. The third was the controls, they were for me very instinctive. I instantly got to grips with aiming, strafing and jumping, all the things I would need to survive.

At first it seemed like it was going to be one of those FPS's that takes a while to get going, making you walk all over the place before you get chance to shoot something. Those thoughts quickly vanished when after a couple of minutes the door of the control room exploded and "The Covenant" came flooding in, lasers blasting away defenseless scientists. I followed a scientist out into a dilapidated corridor where doors exploded blocking my escape route. I go the genuine feeling I was running for my life as I was unarmed and all around me guns were firing and grenades were exploding. I noticed the AI as groups of marines were taking on the alien invaders, they were shouting orders to each other, covering one another and losing there rag and screaming as one of their own took a blast of plasma through the chest. They reacted to me coming in to the room by saying such things like "Its good to see you sir" and "We're taking heavy losses", they would also shout to notify other marines of my presence. One of these marines shouted my name and requested that I follow him, as soon as I started following him other marines stood up from behind the makeshift defenses of debris and immediately started to cover me.

I reached the bridge of the ship and was introduced to the captain via a very nice FMV. He explained the situation, told me to escape and gave me my first weapon.

I could talk about the levels of the game in laborious detail but I won't, even though its really hard to do a review of this game without it turning into a novel as there are so many details of this game that stunned me. Such as the first time I stepped out of the escape pod and onto the surface of Halo, the amazingly realistic grass that looked so real that you could see each individual blade. I walked up to a tree trunk as I got closer there was no lack of clarity, I could see the grain of the bark, the grooves and the chips, the textures were gorgeous I had never seen anything even close to this graphically. I walking to the water fall and stepped into the shiny rippling water. My computer warned me of the imminent approach of an alien craft and the whole room hummed as the noise of the spacecraft filled my front room.

Another thing that sets Halo apart from other FPS's is the vehicles. You get to drive jeeps, tanks, hover bikes and alien space ships at various time throughout the game. Not just on your own as fellow marines accompany you in some. In the jeep one marine would man the huge machine gun mounted in the back and another will climb in the passenger seat and pick off anything that had miraculously managed to escape the machine gun. In the tank up to four marines can sit on the side, usually with sniper rifles to take down distant enemies. The marines AI is great and you really feel like part of a team as they react accordingly depending on the situation and what you are doing. You can't control them directly but the do a good enough job on there own.

Unlike most FPS's you can only carry two weapons at a time, not including grenades. This adds a whole new edge to the gameplay as you really need to think about what weapons to take and what to drop depending on the situation.

I could talk about this game forever, there are so many things about it I loved but the best thing is for you to find out for yourself. It would be a crime for any serious gamer not to play this game if they get the chance. Even if the Xbox cost £500 I would still buy one just to play Halo.

The only criticism I have apart from the fact that it had to end is that some of the parts of levels that take place inside can be a bit samey and confusing but this minor problem pales in comparison to the genius of the rest of the game. I am absolutely drooling at the prospect of Halo to at the end of 2003.


Just like the reviewers from "Edge" magazine it is very rare for me to give a game a ten. But "Edge" did it and I can't do anything but follow suit.

Graphics: 10

Sound: 8

Gameplay: 8

Longevity: 9

Overall: 10