Halo – the games, the books, the movie
3 July 2007
Halo: Combat Evolved (PC)
Halo, quite frankly, is the reason why I live. It was the first shooter I picked, it was the first shooter I totally kicked ass in. I’m not bragging. Borrowing some words from Trowa of Gundam Wing, those who have laid on eyes on me with a pistol will not live to tell about it. It took half a year at least before I got my mother to buy it for me. It’s kind of said but I played the trial version for months. I was pretty decent in trial, but it was in the full version that I discovered my true calling, the pistol. The pistol is the best weapon, ever. It has range and it packs power. The pistol in the first game dealt so much damage and it was a secondary weapon! It wasn’t even a primary weapon. It carried more ammo than a sniper, but it could be just as effective. It was small, less bulky and if you were skilled enough, can pwn every other weapon.
Aside from being an excellent multiplayer game, campaign mode of the original Halo was also worth every penny and every minute. When I first started, being a noob, I got totally freaked out when I hit the flood and just refused to play. The flood, the flood scared the crap out of me. You’re totally alone, none of the AI managed to make it alive that far, you have limited ammo for a shottie and an assault rifle, you have a floating robot shit for brains as a guide and suddenly from nowhere this ‘thing’ just jumps out at you. Then you see your sensor and there’s a giant red mass moving towards you, from all direction. God, it was so scary. Later, when I beat the game I tried it again on Heroic and Legendary, I was traumatized. Anyways, aside from being scared half to death, I managed to beat it. My computer crashed later and I lost all of my saved games. I was so close to finishing the last level on legendary, I regret not doing so.
Halo 2 (360)
Well, after a good year I finally got my hands on a lovely, sleek, beautiful Xbox 360. The design is killer, you have no idea. Compared to the original Xbox, it’s a knock out. Finally, someone over at Microsoft took a hit and designed something good looking. I bought a subscription to Xbox Live to play Halo 2 Multiplayer and I have to say, I’m not that impressed. Well, basically they killed the pistol. It has no scope, it doesn’t do anything and I’m expected to make do with the semi automatic battle rifle, which sucks. But the addition of the energy sword and dual wield function made up for a lot. Energy swords are the new noob weapons but God, they pwn. They are just so damn fun. It’s almost moronic, but when you go on a spree slicing up people in a 64 people LAN party, it’s heaven. I came in second in that game, my friend beat me by like…12 kills. Bastard.
As for the campaign, I played most of it at my friend’s house before I got my own and I basically know everything that happened. Once again, I stopped at the flood level. It’s a little less than halfway through and I’m too lazy, even on normal, to pull through the flood level. Fact: Flood > Covenant Weapons. Needlers, plasma rifles, carbines, every plasma weapon sucks against flood. I need a shotgun, or an assault rifle. Though lacking completely in range and accuracy, the primary human weapon is complete automatic and is perfect for spraying flood. The shotgun is, close range, takes down every kind of flood possible. Plasma weapons can’t do either, so I gave up there.
Halo 3
Just the idea, the mere idea of Halo 3 keeps me alive. If it weren’t for Halo 3, I probably would’ve given up on life a while ago. The trailer was beautiful, I hope to hell Bungie and Microsoft delivers. Halo 2 was a bit disappointing in plot and game play, but it sufficed. Halo 3, the end of this video game masterpiece better match up every bit to its reputation. The trailer was a total knockout, it was mesmerizing. I’m even going as far as to pre-order (something I NEVER do,) so that when it comes out, I along with the four million other people that pre-ordered the thing, will able to play. And, I missed the beta because I was too lazy to go and buy Crackdown. I thought about it, but I’d rather wait, builds up the anticipation. I rarely look forward so much to something.
Halo Wars and Untitled Halo Project
I have no real interest in either. Halo Wars is a real time strategy game and Untitled Halo Project is exactly what the name says, an untitled Halo project. Not much news from the latter, until further announcement, I really can’t give you my two cents on that. However, if possible, I will purchase Halo Wars when it comes out.
The Books
I’ve read all four books. They say there are two more coming out, I’m looking forward to them. I read a lot of things, in varying genres, on varying subjects, basically anything I’m interested in. It’s quite alright for me to scoff when they see me with a Halo novel, but to disregard the novels simply because they’re game based is just idiotic. They were, surprisingly, good. Eric Nylund is a pretty sci-fi author. He knows his techno jargon well enough to get away with the crazy futuristic technology and is good enough as a writer to handle his characters and plot.
The latest one, Ghost of Onyx really struck a nerve with me. If you want the plot, go to Wiki, which has a pretty in depth summary. But, the spoiler, what really killed me was that Kurt sacrificed himself. After riding with him through the entire book, it really killed me that he died. God, and they say Spartans never die. I think this was the first game based book I cried over. There are three books I honestly wept over at the end. Two of them, curiously enough, are by Steinbeck. Tortilla Flat, Of Mice and Men and All Quiet on the Western Front. Ghost of Onyx didn’t stir my emotions quite as much as the aforementioned had, but it’s going down in my memories as one of the more mermorable spin offs from the Halo series.
The Movie
Honestly, I’m really not sure what to make of this. I’m interested, but also scared that they went and screwed up one of the only pleasures in life. I mean, Peter Jackson is backing it. I’m not a particular fan of Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings was alright. I enjoyed like half an hour’s worth of footage from a six hour long trilogy. ‘Nuff said. For some reason or another, the funding was pulled from it and production was delayed and it’s coming out even later. I don’t even know who’s directing in or who’s starring in it. I’m just praying they turn out something good.