Halo 3

[Mallus]

I never played a game in the Halo series...

Thanks for starting off by telling us how informed your opinion of the Halo series is.

 

[Asmor]

I never played a game in the Halo series, because I've never heard anyone quantify its awesomeness in a way that even remotely justifies its popularity. "It does what it does very well" is the kneejerk response, which by itself is such a vague answer that it's devoid of worth.

There's an episode of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer where one of the series' minor character's, Johnathan, casts a reality-warping spell that transforms him into the hero of Sunnydale, displacing Buffy. He's normally a bland, weak, pathetic little man, but suddenly everyone thinks Johnathan's so great that sliced bread seems like a pitiful concept by comparison. Women lust for him, me want to be him. When Buffy starts to question others about what qualities make Johnathan so wonderful, the reaction is very much "are you serious?" When she presses the question, they simply can't articulate their feelings. "Johnathan is just so....well, Johnathan".

That's Halo. Each game in the series has been called a must-have, a reason to go out and buy an Xbox, and they invariably outsell every other game released the same year. Yet nobody can seem to get past the hype and get in-depth. I understand that it innovated a decent way to use a pair of thumbsticks in lieu of a mouse (though it still sucks for accuracy), but that control scheme has been co-opted into every other FPS for some time now, so it's not special anymore.

I'm much more psyched about The Orange Box, Army of Two, and Clive Barker's Jericho. They actually have readily-explained hooks that pique my interest.

Halo
Halo 2
Halo 3

There's a reason that I don't review games for a living. Well, there's many reasons, but this is one: I can't review things well. Thankfully, there's a plethora of freely available, professional reviews out there. Personally, I find I really like Gamespot's reviews, and they're always the first place I check when I want to find out about a game. YMMV.

In a nutshell, the number one reason to play Halo is this: It's fun. It's really, really fun. And that's all you can ask for in a game.

 

[Felon]

Thanks for starting off by telling us how informed your opinion of the Halo series is.

Your little bit of snipery would have been a lot more effective if you'd noticed that I was not actually attempting to express an "informed opinion" about the quality of the series, but rather have been seeking an informed, well-articulated opinion unsuccessfully.

 

[Felon]

Okay, how's this:

I've one played Halo and none of the sequels. Did you like the movie Aliens? How about action movies in general? What about games where the enemies aren't idiots? If the answer is yes to any of those, pick up the first one and go from there. For the record, I don't care much for FPS at all.

[In a nutshell, the number one reason to play Halo is this: It's fun. It's really, really fun. And that's all you can ask for in a game.

I appreciate your willingness to humor me. Let me see if I can get something more qualitative with a few questions.

There have been tons of FPS games put out for the Xbox. What makes folks regard Halo as the best of them all? Why be elated that a Halo game is here, but another game like Blacksite Area 51 or Timeshift? How is Halo more fun than other games where you get to shoot things and blow stuff up?

 

[Asmor]

I appreciate your willingness to humor me. Let me see if I can get something more qualitative with a few questions.

There have been tons of FPS games put out for the Xbox. What makes folks regard Halo as the best of them all? Why be elated that a Halo game is here, but another game like Blacksite Area 51 or Timeshift? How is Halo more fun than other games where you get to shoot things and blow stuff up?

Honestly, I don't know.

I think it's just that it appeals to such a broad base...

Consider this: A game is considered the holy grail to a small number of people, who would pay anything for it. However, only that small group of people are willing to buy it.

On the other hand, another game isn't considered the best thing since sliced bread by most, but it is really good and worth the money to pretty much everyone out there. Even though it doesn't inspire as passionate a response as the previous game, this "good enough" game will sell millions of copies, not because it's the best ever, but because almost everyone thinks it's worth buying.

However, the marketing droids out there don't care about that... All they see is that the game sold umpteen million copies, so they set up the hype machine for the next game, and hype feeds on hype in something like a marketing feedback loop.

And there you have it: My explanation both for Halo's financial success, and for its hype.

For whatever reason, Halo just appeals to almost everybody. Personally, Halo's the kind of shooter I'm usually not fond of. I tend to prefer games like Quake and Unreal Tournament, fast-paced games where you run fast, jump a lot, and don't have to worry about reloading. Halo's the sort of game I'd usually shun because it's not that fast...

But I like Halo. I don't know why. I just do. It's damn fun.

 

[Asmor]

Oh, and one more thing: Halo's fan base is another reason to support it. Even ignoring the fact that people just like being in the "winning" camp (for example, many people don't like voting for someone they don't think can win an election, for whatever silly reason), the fact that hundreds of thousands of people play it is huge... And the fact that, if you know any video gamers at all, they probably play it is even more huge. There's a lot of games out there that anyone can sit down and play with someone else. However, there's a significantly smaller number of games out there where two people can sit down and play, and they both have a fair amount of experience in the game.

If I wanted to go into a college dorm and fire up a game of Halo 3 with a few strangers, chances are many of them would have at least a foundation of experience with the game, so I wouldn't have to explain everything and I know they're going to at least put up a fight instead of running into a wall while trying to figure out which stick turns them.

And then there's the fact that, any time, day or night, week or weekend, I can get on Xbox Live and be assured of finding a game in any game type I feel like playing almost instantly. Wednesday, noon, Big Team Battle? No problem. A little Slayer action Monday at 3 am? Awesome.

There's not many games at all that can boast that kind of reliability. Pick any random Xbox Live-enabled game published more than a year ago and chances are it'll be impossible to find a game at prime time, never mind odd hours. Halo 2, on the other hand, was so popular that eventually they split the list of top Xbox Live games because it was embarassing that Halo 2 kept topping the list over all the Xbox 360 games, even years after H2 came out.

 

[Felon]

On the other hand, another game isn't considered the best thing since sliced bread by most, but it is really good and worth the money to pretty much everyone out there. Even though it doesn't inspire as passionate a response as the previous game, this "good enough" game will sell millions of copies, not because it's the best ever, but because almost everyone thinks it's worth buying.

iPhone syndrome, eh?

 

[Mallus]

Your little bit of snipery would have been a lot more effective if you'd noticed that I was not actually attempting to express an "informed opinion" about the quality of the series, but rather have been seeking an informed, well-articulated opinion unsuccessfully.

I noticed. I was just commenting on your strange method of soliciting an informed, well-articulated response...

The secret to the Halo series is pretty simple: it's been well executed. It hasn't been innovative, didn't sport catchy gimmick features, etc., all it offered a really solid FPS experience, and then later a robust online multiplayer experience.

 

[Rackhir]

There have been tons of FPS games put out for the Xbox. What makes folks regard Halo as the best of them all? Why be elated that a Halo game is here, but another game like Blacksite Area 51 or Timeshift? How is Halo more fun than other games where you get to shoot things and blow stuff up?

I can't comment about Halo, since I've never played it, but all of their other games have all been distinguished by really excellent story telling that makes you feel a part of what's going on. I've heard nothing to indicate that Halo is any different in that regard. Games with a compelling and involving story are a pretty rare thing, usually it's just an excuse to fill time with a couple of pre-rendered cut scenes. Combine that with a very solid gameplay and multiplayer and you have a hit franchise.

 

[Arnwyn]

I'm not sure if this is adequate enough for those asking, but here are some of the reasons why I enjoy Halo:

- Great control. No other console FPS has yet to match how well Halo is in terms of control. Both the X and Y movement, along with the vehicles, is just right.

- Amazing AI. This is where most FPSs, not just console FPSs, fail. Halo, OTOH, doesn't. Both the enemies and allies have a comparatively great AI that makes much of their actions - and reactions - quite impressive during the game.

- Great story. It's a FPS, with a surprisingly good story (especially for a FPS). Further, the story is told through great pacing and natural sequences in the game.

- Split-screen co-op for the entire campaign/story mode, so you can sit with your buddy in your rec-room and go through the whole game together 'squad-style' (or any style!).

- While linear, there are still large areas where you can choose how to approach and handle a situation.

- Unique areas - it's not just the usual old boring straight-line interior buildings. Massive cliffs, an entire island, rivers and streams, funky bridges, and a freaking (spoiler)

Spoiler

crash-landed capital ship where you race along it's top-side with a countdown before it goes nuclear

.

- Vehicles, which adds a bit of variation and another dynamic to the normal run 'n' gun FPS.




It's the combination of all of the above that makes the Halo series a pretty good game. While other FPSs have some of the above, none have all except Halo.