Of all the video games that could have created such a phenomenon, I can't think of any other game more worthy of it than "Halo." It's simply brilliant, and one of the best ever made. "Halo" is superbly executed, gorgeous to look at (even by today's standards), and it has something that many other games don't: an involving story and an assortment of likable three-dimensional characters.
Since the sole function of a video game is to have the player control much of what happens, it's understandable that the story and the characters take a backseat to the shooting and the explosions. "Halo" is no different, but it has a stronger story and better developed characters than most of the other options out there.
In the future, mankind is at war with a coalition of formidable and destructive alien races that are collectively known as the Covenant. A lone ship is carrying the last surviving supersoldier, and after a brutal attack by the Covenant, the ship crash lands on a mysterious ringworld. But little does anyone know that this structure carries a few dangerous secrets.
"Halo" has flawless gameplay. The controls are simple and effectively placed. There are no awkward camera angles, and few glitches. There is always plenty of ammo and weaponry, but that won't necessarily save you from death. The Covenant lives up to the story's explanation of them being a formidable enemy. Surviving isn't always easy, and each of the races has their own set of tactics that are frequently unpredictable.
When it came out, "Halo" was hailed for it's gorgeous graphics. Despite the evolution in technology, the original still holds up well. Rich in color and shadow, exquisitely detailed, and often jaw-droppingly beautiful, "Halo's" graphics are going to be hard to top.
All of this would be for naught if the game wasn't fun. "Halo" is immensely entertaining, and has an unlimited replay value. Part of the reason is that the voice work is terrific, and the dialogue they say is well-written. The Master Chief's AI sidekick, Cortana, has a feisty attitude that is always entertaining. There's also some visual humor as well, such as throwing a plasma grenade on one of the grunts, which will often send them fleeing and screaming lines that are pretty funny.
The story is epic in scale and never boring. Despite the fact that about 90% of the game is shooting enemies, it never loses sight of the story. What's even better is that at some points, the game turns rather frightening (at least one of the levels is best played during the day).
The multiplayer broke new ground by allowing consoles to be connected together. Additionally, it's well developed enough to suit the preferences of any player (including creating their own game types), with a variety of levels that are greatly different from each other.
"Halo" may not be flawless (one of the levels is tedious and repetitive), but it's successes vastly outnumber its drawbacks. "Halo" is one of the best games ever created.
Since the sole function of a video game is to have the player control much of what happens, it's understandable that the story and the characters take a backseat to the shooting and the explosions. "Halo" is no different, but it has a stronger story and better developed characters than most of the other options out there.
In the future, mankind is at war with a coalition of formidable and destructive alien races that are collectively known as the Covenant. A lone ship is carrying the last surviving supersoldier, and after a brutal attack by the Covenant, the ship crash lands on a mysterious ringworld. But little does anyone know that this structure carries a few dangerous secrets.
"Halo" has flawless gameplay. The controls are simple and effectively placed. There are no awkward camera angles, and few glitches. There is always plenty of ammo and weaponry, but that won't necessarily save you from death. The Covenant lives up to the story's explanation of them being a formidable enemy. Surviving isn't always easy, and each of the races has their own set of tactics that are frequently unpredictable.
When it came out, "Halo" was hailed for it's gorgeous graphics. Despite the evolution in technology, the original still holds up well. Rich in color and shadow, exquisitely detailed, and often jaw-droppingly beautiful, "Halo's" graphics are going to be hard to top.
All of this would be for naught if the game wasn't fun. "Halo" is immensely entertaining, and has an unlimited replay value. Part of the reason is that the voice work is terrific, and the dialogue they say is well-written. The Master Chief's AI sidekick, Cortana, has a feisty attitude that is always entertaining. There's also some visual humor as well, such as throwing a plasma grenade on one of the grunts, which will often send them fleeing and screaming lines that are pretty funny.
The story is epic in scale and never boring. Despite the fact that about 90% of the game is shooting enemies, it never loses sight of the story. What's even better is that at some points, the game turns rather frightening (at least one of the levels is best played during the day).
The multiplayer broke new ground by allowing consoles to be connected together. Additionally, it's well developed enough to suit the preferences of any player (including creating their own game types), with a variety of levels that are greatly different from each other.
"Halo" may not be flawless (one of the levels is tedious and repetitive), but it's successes vastly outnumber its drawbacks. "Halo" is one of the best games ever created.