NationStates Jolt Archive

From the begining I never quite understood it. Halo, and its sequel to me just seemed like another first-person-shooter. I can, to a point, understand why people liked this game (I did too), but I can't understand why they place a game like this on a pedastal. I've played much better first-person-shooters, and yet they're marginalized.

And there are people saying that Halo 3 is the most widely anticipated game of E3 2006, when there is ABSOLUTELY no information pertaining to it. I just don't get it. Can someone explain the hype surrounding Halo to me? Because I've tried and failed.

I agree - but I think it has something to do with the AI and the story.

I agree - but I think it has something to do with the AI and the story.

The story? Starship Troopers rehash with a cliffhanger worse than The Matrix: Reloaded.

Halo has an excellent plot. When it came out, the graphics were damned good. Also, it has aliens, and stuff. And a kewl purple needle gun which shoots cool needles and stuff.
It just seems to all fit together well. Although there isn't anything groundbreakingly innovative, the gameplay, the balance etc all works very nicely with no major issues. I love Halo, but mostly because it was the first Xbox game, first console game and first FPS I ever played :eek: so I have a soft spot for it.
"Not a very original plan, but we know it'll work" -Cortana, Halo 2

oh, and by the way, I'm going to knock you out now cause you're not supposed to debate religion. :D

Halo has an excellent plot. When it came out, the graphics were damned good. Also, it has aliens, and stuff. And a kewl purple needle gun which shoots cool needles and stuff.
It just seems to all fit together well. Although there isn't anything groundbreakingly innovative, the gameplay, the balance etc all works very nicely with no major issues. I love Halo, but mostly because it was the first Xbox game, first console game and first FPS I ever played :eek: so I have a soft spot for it.
"Not a very original plan, but we know it'll work" -Cortana, Halo 2

Which is why I'm wondering why it has such a HUGE fanbase (and fanboys to put Nintendo's to shame).

It just seems to all fit together well. Although there isn't anything groundbreakingly innovative, the gameplay, the balance etc all works very nicely with no major issues.

What a sad day it is when we're satisfied by mediocrity and basic functionality.


I love Halo, but mostly because it was the first Xbox game, first console game and first FPS I ever played :eek: so I have a soft spot for it.

First console game and FPS you've played?!

Jesus' tits, you must be young!

My first console game was River Raid for Atari, and my first FPS was Wolfenstein 3D.

Is it bad to feel old when you're only 23?

My first console game was River Raid for Atari, and my first FPS was Wolfenstein 3D.

Is it bad to feel old when you're only 23?

I wouldn't call you "old"...but "veteran".

What a sad day it is when we're satisfied by mediocrity and basic functionality.

It's not like there were any console FPS games apart from Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Medal of Honour, that offered basic functionality.

It's not like there were any console FPS games apart from Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Medal of Honour, that offered basic functionality.

And that would be why. I absolutely loathe FPS games on consoles. I prefer consoles for sports game and racing games, but that's about it. PC's are much better for just about everything else, especially FPS games.

And that would be why. I absolutely loathe FPS games on consoles. I prefer consoles for sports game and racing games, but that's about it. PC's are much better for just about everything else, especially FPS games.
But that's why Halo is so good. It's one of the few decent console FPS's.
I prefer playing them on the PC too, but there's nothing wrong with Halo.
I disagree with you about the rest. The PC is only better for playing FPS and RTS. For the rest I prefer the console.

But that's why Halo is so good. It's one of the few decent console FPS's.

What about Killzone? And Red Faction, which used the first ever console Geo-Mod engine?

What about Killzone? And Red Faction, which used the first ever console Geo-Mod engine?

Killzone was overhyped mediocrity. The graphics were nothing special, the AI rubbish (Unlike Halo), and there were so few enemies at times I was playing it I wondered what the hell the backstory was about.

As for Red Faction. Godawful graphics, appalling AI, weird weapons and GeoMod that was so overhyped it's unbelievable. You could use it in like three places to do anything other than blow random pieces of mud about.

And what about Black?

Killzone was overhyped mediocrity. The graphics were nothing special, the AI rubbish (Unlike Halo), and there were so few enemies at times I was playing it I wondered what the hell the backstory was about.

As for Red Faction. Godawful graphics, appalling AI, weird weapons and GeoMod that was so overhyped it's unbelievable. You could use it in like three places to do anything other than blow random pieces of mud about.

But it was fun to play! Like Halo! -_-

But I don't know...I'm starting to get a wee bit angsty. I should just be happy that the new MGS4 trailer will be released in three days.

I love Halo, because it attracts exactly the kind of gamers who I do not ever want to have to deal with. Halo keeps them busy and out of my way :).

But it was fun to play! Like Halo! -_-

Red Faction was fun to play? It was like chewing glass. The only good bit was the end cutscene and the massive spaceship, and to get that I had to go through one of the worst endings I've ever seen. Halo had great AI, some brilliant levels (When they weren't C+P'ed corridors), some brilliant firefights, aliens, a much better story that actually involved you to more degree than Red Faction, and better graphics.

I love Halo, because it attracts exactly the kind of gamers who I do not ever want to have to deal with. Halo keeps them busy and out of my way :).
Hey!
Don't lump us all in that category. There are normal people playing Halo too.
We're not all 'OMG Halo 1s t3h PWNZ0RS!!!!!!1111!!!!111one!

Hey!
Don't lump us all in that category. There are normal people playing Halo too.
We're not all 'OMG Halo 1s t3h PWNZ0RS!!!!!!1111!!!!111one!
I never said all people playing Halo are jackasses. I simply think Halo is a game that jackasses find particularly appealing, and I'm delighted that they have something to keep them distracted so they don't ruin the games I enjoy playing.

Red Faction was fun to play? It was like chewing glass. The only good bit was the end cutscene and the massive spaceship, and to get that I had to go through one of the worst endings I've ever seen. Halo had great AI, some brilliant levels (When they weren't C+P'ed corridors), some brilliant firefights, aliens, a much better story that actually involved you to more degree than Red Faction, and better graphics.

To be honest I was pulling at straws.

Allow me to make myself clear. I don't dislike Halo, it is a fine game and I've had great fun playing with my friends online. But it gets old fast (especially when all they play is Blood Gulch/Coag CTF), and it doesn't have anything in particular that puts it outside of any other FPS. I don't see why so many think it the greatest thing since the introduction of CD technology.

To be honest I was pulling at straws.

Allow me to make myself clear. I don't dislike Halo, it is a fine game and I've had great fun playing with my friends online. But it gets old fast (especially when all they play is Blood Gulch/Coag CTF), and it doesn't have anything in particular that puts it outside of any other FPS. I don't see why so many think it the greatest thing since the introduction of CD technology.

I'm not entirely sure I can explain it m'self either. I just love the two games. There's just something...shiny about it. It's all good, there's nothing particularly wrong with it. All games have something wrong with them - Killzone had very few enemies and bad AI, Red Faction...had everything wrong with it. Black is cool but rather linear.

Halo is just...balanced I think the word is. Great AI, a good story, gooid main character, nice if not perfect graphics, fairly balanced weapons (Pistol aside), it involved you. I think thats the way to describe it. It stood out because it had no glaring faults.

I like it because of the multiplayer. The single player never really impressed me too much, but I spent many a night with six or seven buddies playing Capture the Flag in Blood Gulch.

Man, halo was crap. And im not even saying that just because of all the fanboys associated with it, it really was quite boring. After the first few levels every single room began to look the same. I just gave up out of boredom after a while. Never played it online though.

The 1st one was good, the 2nd had a terrible storyline.

I personally think Halo has such a fan base because it is relatively easy to play online with other people. It is simple to use and figure out. Most people can get in a game kill the blue or red team. I'm old and will get a few friends at the bar to play in the back on the bigscreen. We will get 4 guys on a team and will get an audience gathered behind us all drunk and screaming. It is alot of fun.

It came out around the time that idiots started playing games en mass. It’s the only game they own besides those damn sports games.

To quote Nintendo Fanboys everywhere:
PURFECT DRK PWNZ H/-\LO!

I have to agree with them though, Perfect Dark pwned Halo, so Microsoft bought Rare and crappified it.
*strikes a pose*
DAMN YOU BILL GATES!

Halo's a fairly decent game. What shocked me is that I saw two Halo books in Eason today. Books for fuck sake! Microsoft are milking the crap out of people's stupidity.

Ugh, I don't get it either. The only two good things in the game were the needle gun, and the alien jet thingies (Which you could fly in the original, but you had to play co-op on a map with some lying around. it was still fun to dogfight eachother.). Anyone who says the story was good is smoking something that i'm not, and I want some.

Let's have a look at how to make a typical FPS plotline:

(Aliens/Demons/Mutants/Nazis) from (Space/Another Dimension/Hell) have placed the very existence of humanity under threat. They are motivated by (a desire to conquer and enslave/a fanatical religious doctrine/an unknown and insidious shady master). They have attacked the (Earth/An Obscure Research Facility/An obscure planet/A lone spaceship) and it is ultimately up to one (Scientist/Space Marine/Genetically Engineered Super-Soldier/Guy with amnesia) to stop them seizing the (death star/virus of doom/crystal of armaggedon) and save humanity blah blah blah. Get the idea? Halo's plot wasn't really that clever - and the aliens were lame.

I guess it was okay in multiplayer even if the same thing was done with Starseige: Tribes a several years beforehand.


My first console game was River Raid for Atari, and my first FPS was Wolfenstein 3D.

Is it bad to feel old when you're only 23?

I hear ya, brother. 20, and my first two were Asteroids for Atari, and Wolf 3D. :p

Halo's a fairly decent game. What shocked me is that I saw two Halo books in Eason today. Books for fuck sake! Microsoft are milking the crap out of people's stupidity.

I don't believe Microsoft makes any money on those books.

I don't believe Microsoft makes any money on those books.
I only saw the spine, but the X-box logo was very clear. Even if Microsoft isn't making money directly, they're getting free advertising. But I don't see how they wouldn't be making money, I dare say someone had to pay for the right to write those books, if Microsoft didn't commission them themselves.

I only saw the spine, but the X-box logo was very clear. Even if Microsoft isn't making money directly, they're getting free advertising. But I don't see how they wouldn't be making money, I dare say someone had to pay for the right to write those books, if Microsoft didn't commission them themselves.
As library TA, I have strange and mysterious powers at our school.
Unfourtunatly, we have two of those books, and they are NEVER on the shelf for more than a day.
The sad thing is, the Warcraft books and Manga's are just as popular.
Urgh.
I try to redirect people to Terry Pratchett, I understand that most other high school kids dont want to read Orwell, but seriously...somethig with some CONTENT would be good people.

As library TA, I have strange and mysterious powers at our school.
Unfourtunatly, we have two of those books, and they are NEVER on the shelf for more than a day.
The sad thing is, the Warcraft books and Manga's are just as popular.
Urgh.
I try to redirect people to Terry Pratchett, I understand that most other high school kids dont want to read Orwell, but seriously...somethig with some CONTENT would be good people.

Hey, at least they can read.

...or maybe they just like the pictures.

Hmm.

I hear ya, brother. 20, and my first two were Asteroids for Atari, and Wolf 3D. :p

HA! 16 years old and I got my start playing QBasic Nibbles when I was 4-5ish. Gamer to the core!

But anyway, I don't own any game consoles (strictly PC gamer here) and I've only played the demo for the first Halo... I wasn't impressed, never bought it.

It's not like there were any console FPS games apart from Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Medal of Honour, that offered basic functionality.
Hey, the Megadrive had a functional FPS! Corporation, I think it was called. You had to go up through an office block... For some reason. Hey, I've not played it for ten years or more, you can't expect me to remember it...

Halo was pretty good. I enjoyed it more second time 'round on the PC than on the X-Box. Deride the plot as much as you like, it beats most FPS games; certainly recent ones such as Doom 3 (which was quite fun, at least) and Half-Life 2 (which was dull). Probably on a par with FEAR for plot and possibly even beating it for fun, despite the prefab rooms, identikit corridors and (the bane of the modern FPS) having too few different guns and baddies.

As library TA, I have strange and mysterious powers at our school.
Unfourtunatly, we have two of those books, and they are NEVER on the shelf for more than a day.
The sad thing is, the Warcraft books and Manga's are just as popular.
Urgh.
I try to redirect people to Terry Pratchett, I understand that most other high school kids dont want to read Orwell, but seriously...somethig with some CONTENT would be good people.

Have you actually read the Halo books? They're actually very good. Well, the first and third. The second is awful, as it's written by another person, butr the others really are quality reading.