Halo, What's So Great About It?

Just a Note. I don't have a lot of time to blog right around now but Ravi inspired me to do this one in particular (thanks Ravi.. your constant mentioning of this particular Xbox title has done some good. :))

Anyways, this isn't actually by me. I stole this from some random dude on my forum who was banned for something. Not "short", but pretty well written and explains exactly what Halo "is" (for those of you who don't know) and why it dominates all other FPSes (take that PS3 Fanboys. Hahahaha).

Just a warning, its quite long and I'm too lazy to add the pictures at the moment. If I feel up to it, I might stick them in later (bit by bit).

Thank you Redhound5, I don't really know who you are. You have written a pretty good article here. Sorry for stealing it without permission.. if you somehow catch word of this and want this removed, just let me know. :)



Halo. Everyone knows what Halo is, gamers and non-gamers alike. Second only to Mario, Halo could be considered the most well known video game series in the United States. Its popularity is undeniable, and can be seen in sales alone with each game braking records left and right: Halo CE (Combat Evolved) and Halo 2 have sold millions of copies (about 5 and 8 million, respectively), and the third and final installment of the trilogy has already broken the 5 million mark in two weeks. However, the real question is: "What makes the Halo series so great?” Obviously, high sales don’t make a videogame great, but they are certainly an indication that people love it. Why has the series done so well in its 6 year lifespan, and how has it become a series with one of the biggest installed bases in the world?

Not too surprisingly, there a great deal of gamers out there who are not only "non-Halo" fans, but they are repulsed by the mention of Halo. "It's just an average shooter," or, "Halo sux" is the most common thing I see. Of course, any one of you who are Halo fans has one simple defense of the series: "It's awesome!" Which it is, but I'm going to lay out the reasons right here for everyone, and if you have the patients to read through it, I think you will find it rewarding, and maybe even learn a thing or two.

The place it all started: Bungie Studios



First of all, I think it is important to jump back a few years before Halo CE was released and look at where Bungie Studios really hit it off: The Marathon series.



While not Bungie’s first game, I think Marathon can be considered its first groundbreaking achievement. The game was truly innovative and actually delivered brand new ideas to the FPS genre: a complete physics engine, dual-wielding, and a sophisticated and deep plot, just to name a few. If you have never played any of the Marathon games, there is one available on XBLA, and I highly recommend fans of Halo to download it (if you don’t get motion sickness that is).

So why is this relevant to Halo? The Marathon series was obviously the start of the rise of Bungie Studios, and the same innovation and motive to push the boundaries of the games the developed would continue throughout. Without the Marathon series, and the guys at Bungie Studios, the Halo series would not be half of what it is today.



Halo: CE

Bungie’s first jump to the console world was with Halo: Combat Evolved, the launch title for Microsoft’s brand new Xbox gaming system. Halo: CE was critically acclaimed, receiving well above the 90% mark from all major reviewers. The game received a total of 48 awards, including 5 “Game of the Year” awards. Halo obviously did something right to be so highly criticized, so what was it? Well, I’m glad you asked.

The first of the Halo series brought some things into the mix that you have probably never thought about- some of them new and innovative, and some of them just refinery (and possibly perfection) of the old. Let’s take a look at some of the things that made Halo CE one of the best console first-person shooters of all time, one by one:



Controller Scheme
Halo: CE simply had the most effective controller layout ever designed for a console FPS (first-person shooter) upon its release. So much so, that the controls hardly differ in almost all proceeding shooters, even today. It could be said that the control scheme alone is what saved console FPS genre. The layout made it an easy game to pick up, but, at the same time, gave the player maximum control over their movement.



Vehicles
The use of vehicles wasn't really something "new" in FPS, but Halo revolutionized the mechanics and balance of the way vehicles are used. Controlling vehicles was so easy, and it worked perfectly not only in single player, but multiplayer as well. There is no denying that other game developers took notice of this new way to incorporate vehicles; just look at UT2K4 and tell me they didn't base their vehicle scheme in a similar way of Halo's. Got that, Unreal fans? I think you have someone to thank.




Health System
The regenerating health system was pretty new at the time, too (I may be wrong, but I’m fairly sure Halo was the first one to incorporate this, and if not, they were the first ones to incorporate it well). It allowed the player to avoid spending 50% of their time trying to find health-packs, which helped them focus more on strategy and game play. Halo's health system set the base for many games we play today: every time I play Gears of War, I can’t help but to think of Halo’s regenerating health…



AI and overall gameplay
At the time, Halo CE feature a physics and AI system that was unmatched by any other console game. Interaction with the environment, allies, and enemies was phenomenal. Possibly the biggest reason Halo received the "Game of the Year" and "Console Game of the Year" awards for 2002 from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science, and topped video game bestseller charts for almost two years was due simply to its amazing gameplay mechanics.



Multiplayer
Simply put, Halo was probably the best multilayer FPS on a console since Goldeneye 64. The multiplayer utilized an awesome selection of balanced weapons and maps, and was just all around fun to play with your friends. Halo’s co-op feature is also a worthy item to note- No other game really offered a co-op system that worked as well as Halo’s at the time, and I think that it is safe to say that Halo made co-op into a standard feature in future FPS games. Along with Halo’s control layout, I think it’s safe to say that the multiplayer pulled console FPS back from the brink.



Halo 2

On November 9th, 2004, Halo 2 was officially released. It was a huge hit, making more than $125 million on release day and setting a record in the entertainment industry (movies included). It was one of the most anticipated sequels in gaming history, and with good reason. Once again, one by one:

Story
Bungie already had a track record of creating deep and developing stories in their previous installments, but Halo 2 pushed that to the limit. It gave us a more in-depth look at the Halo universe, and even gave us a look at the enemies’ world through the eyes of an Elite. Halo 2 left a huge cliff hanger (to the upset of many fans), yet left a promise for a third installment. The story of Halo is one of its most unique aspects. To the naked eye, the story may seem somewhat typical of a FPS, but it really goes much more beyond the surface of what we see in the cut-scenes, and always keeps you guessing. Usually, to get a story as deep as Halo’s, you have to look into a genre outside of FPS. There is no question that Halo’s story tops everything in its class, and is one reason for its huge fan base. It’s easy to pick up, and fun to explore.



Music
Although Halo CE utilized the same type of music as 2, writer Marty O’Donnell installed a fantastic theatrical score, which was good enough to create an official soundtrack of the game. This kind of music in a FPS is rarely seen, and it contributes to a truly “epic” feel of the story.



Dual-wielding
Sure, dual-wielding was nothing new (even though Bungie probably started it with Marathon), but Halo 2, once again, set the standard. Although Bungie agrees they may have put too much focus on dual-wielding (especially in multiplayer), the actual mechanics are close to flawless.



Hijacking
Halo 2 was the first FPS to introduce this feature in campaign as well as multiplayer. This feature has almost become a standard for newer shooters that implement vehicles into gameplay.



Multiplayer
The biggest breakthrough for Halo 2 (and the reason why it is still played by over 100,000 people a day) was obviously the online multilayer. Halo, once again, saved the FPS genre in the console world. With millions on PC’s playing Unreal Tournament and Counter Strike, two games that had amazing online gameplay, online console FPS were left in the dark and couldn’t stand up to the competition. Halo 2 did.

Halo 2's matchmaking system was simply ingenious. A gamer could get online and the system would automatically find players of the same skill level and match them up. Determining skill was much more in-depth than “win you go up, lose you go down,” which provided very fair and close matches. You could also create custom games and play whatever you want with your friends. I might even dare to say that Halo 2 is the reason why XBL is the leader in console online play.



Bungie.net: Halo 2 Era
Not only did this game bring a correct sense of online gaming to the console world, but it was the start of an effort by Bungie Studios to give tons of feedback to the gaming community as well. For the first time, console gamers could view detailed statistics, letter-boards, forum discussion, and rankings among themselves and fellow gamers through a website completely dedicated to them- Bungie.net



For gaming in general, a statistics tracking web site was nothing new. But Bungie.net brought the console gaming community closer together than ever. You could view detailed statistics such as "Player Stats" which would give you a broad overview of every single match you've ever played. But not only could you view all the games you've played on XBL, but you could also view individual game statistics, which give you every piece of information you could ever ask for.



Bungie.net, while not directly part of the game, is definitely worthy of being mentioned due to its catering to the hardcore, and certainly gave many people a better gaming experience

Halo 3

Halo 3- the third, and final, installment of a truly fantastic game series. On September 25, 2007, Bungie released its third record-breaking game in the series. Halo 3 holds the record for the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history, making $170 million in the first 24 hours (yes, that includes movies. Take that Spiderman 3!). Halo 3 is generally accepted as the best of game in the series, and as you are about to see, for good reason.

Saved Films
Aside from racing games, the only other game that has ever offered a feature such as this was HLTV (Half-Life TV [a separate program that ran for Half-Life, CS, etc.]), and I am certain that no other console game developer has even considered adding such an extensive feature that basically has nothing to do with game play. The new feature called “Theater” allows you to view your previous game from any prospective (also with fast forward, rewind, slow-mo, etc.), save the "film" if you wish, share it over XBL with your friends or post it for all to see, and take screenshots and upload them to Bungie.net (allowing you to do whatever you want with them). To understand this feature, you must understand that “Theater” doesn’t record video, however it records gaming data and replays it- allowing all the features to take up minimal space (simply ingenious). The feature is also not only limited to multiplayer; it can be used in campaign, co-op, offline multiplayer, matchmaking, custom games, and Forge.

The possibilities with this feature are endless. Right now, I’m using it mostly as a learning tool: “How the hell did that guy kill me? He’s really good. I’ll watch him play and see what he does.” The saved films also eliminates the tall-tells you’ll hear about on the forums. So you say you no-scoped a guy on the other side of the map while doing a barrel roll off a man-cannon in a warthog? Now you have no excuse not to prove it.



Forge
Map editors are nothing new, even to the console world. However, I don’t believe Halo 3’s map editor is really not comparable to others. It is more like an advance customization feature, and I guess you could even consider it as a gametype. Forge actually allows editing of a game in progress, and really adds to the list of customization allowed to you. Will Forge become a standard for all FPS? No, probably not, but it has most definitely added to the replay value of Halo 3.



Meta-Game
Halo has always been known for its extremely fun co-op, and Halo 3 is no exception. Now, with up to 4 player, online co-op, you really couldn’t ask for more. But, if you know Bungie, you know they have some secrets up their sleeves. The Meta-Game feature has changed the way we should look at co-op, a way that works not so cooperatively (if you want). Players can now choose to work with or against each other in Halo 3’s campaign mode by a point system based on kills, skills, and difficulty settings.


Multiplayer
Halo 3’s multiplayer is nothing short of spectacular, and this comes more so from the refinery of old features rather than the introduction of new ones. Aside from Forge, customization is practically unlimited. You can change anything from gravity, to game scoring, to individual traits. Just about every feature offered in Halo 3 is customizable.

Gameplay wise, Halo 3’s multiplayer could not be any more balanced. It is pretty much as if they took the gameplay from Halo 2 and perfected it… flawlessly. I have never experienced such balance in a multiplayer game. Everything from the weapons to the vehicles has been fined tuned to the true essence of balanced. The new introduction of equipment has (surprisingly) added to that balance instead of hindering it, making what would be a situation with an obvious conclusion into one that could go either way. This balance leads to a multiple of things that the 2 previous installments couldn’t quite live up to, and that is 1- less reliance on power-weapons and more reliance on critical thinking, and 2- more teamwork and communication is absolutely necessary. Bungie hit the nail on the head in terms of balance, it couldn’t be better.

Halo’s matchmaking system has been perfected as well. With tons of research data obtained through the multiplayer-beta testing, Bungie was able to create one of the best matchmaking systems to date. Players can now set priorities on their matchmaking search to find games the quickest, with the best connection, or with the closest skill levels.

Custom games follows suit- perfected. As mentioned above, players can pretty much customize anything and everything with the exception of map geometry. Players can now join custom games of other players that are not in their friends list.

Overall, there is so much that Halo 3’s multiplayer has to offer, that it will certainly last players years and years to come. Once again, I believe that Halo’s multiplayer has lead it to its great success. There really isn’t much more you could ask for.



Bungie.net: Halo 3 era
Just when you thought Halo 2 had a detailed stat tracking system, Bungie went ahead and re-did the whole site. There are so many details to discuss that I cannot mention them all hear, so be sure to check out this blog for all the Bnet info you could possibly ever want to know. In addition to multiplayer stats, campaign stats have also been added. There is no where to hide from this giant stat tracker, if you suck, people will know it with the click of a button. Not even NBA stars can hide…



File Sharing
Aside from all of the stat-tracking elements of Bungie.net, a new feature has been put into place: file sharing. For the first time, console gamers can now share, upload, and download videos, photos, forged maps, and game-types all between their console and their PC. Bnet’s file sharing system works pretty much like you’d expect it to, and you would think that it’s crazy no one has ever thought of this before. “Bungie Recommends” will show you the coolest of the cool, or you can search through millions of files to find what you’re looking for. If future games take anything from Halo 3, it will be this. File Sharing is truly an awesome feature.



The Halo Community

While not a direct part of the Halo series, the community surrounding it is definitely part of the Halo experience. This is truly something that sets Halo apart from many other games, and its something that actually pushes the gaming world in the right direction.

Bungie.net
Since I’ve already talked about Bnet plenty above, I’ll just mention it here and not go into detail. Bungie.net is the official website of the Halo trilogy and offers countless features, all of which are dedicated to the fans.

Halo.Bungie.org (HBO)
HBO is your one-stop fan-site for everything Halo. Not affiliated with Bungie or MS (although they tend to keep in touch), HBO is a great site that has everything from cut-scene databases, to interviews, to its huge forum.

Halopedia
If there is anything you want to know about Halo, it can be found here. The site is an extensive collection of articles covering anything and everything Halo. If Bnet and HBO fail to answer your questions, you will most likely find them answered here.

Books/Films/Spin-offs
Halo’s success has amounted to many official publications, including graphic novels, short films, and of course, more Halo games! The two new halo projects that are currently in production are Halo Wars and the untitled Peter Jackson project, codenamed Chronicles. All of these publications will continue to drive Halo, and video gaming in general, in the mainstream direction.



Fan Creations
Not only are there countless official publications like graphic novels, books, and comics set in the universe inspired by Halo, but Bungie urges its fans to come up with their own stories in the Halo world. Some of the most popular creations include Machinima- movies created using the in-game engine. Some of these user created movies are simple, and some very complex. Some of the most notable series include the comical Red vs Blue, and the newer, more seriousTrinity. If you watch a video from each of these series, you'll realize the time and dedication that have been put into them.



I believe the community side of Halo is definitely worth noting, and you can count on Bungie always putting its fans as its number one priority. The community is why we see constantly changing features like Bungie.net and new ones like Saved Films and Forge. The community will continue to be an important factor in the evolution of Halo, and the evolution of the gaming world.

The Halo Series in General

In conclusion, the Halo series has simply pushed the boundary of the console FPS, and I believe its greatest achievement lies in the multilayer. The Halo series has literally saved the console FPS from extinction, and excellent multiplayer quality is a must now, partly in thanks to Halo.

Of course, there will always be those who look down on the Halo series no matter what anyone says, but I hope now that I’ve explained why people love it. To many, Halo is much more than a game, it is an experience- and that experience differs from person to person. Of course there are faults; I could even name some of them right off the bat. But what game doesn’t have faults? Does a small list of problems or negativities cancel out all the great things Halo has to offer? I don’t believe that is the case. And, while Halo may not be for some, there is no denying that most of the world sees it as one of the greatest video game series of all times.

This is why Halo constantly breaks records, this is why Halo is so widely known, and this is why Halo is played online more than any other console game, ever. So, we’re back to the question “What’s so great about Halo?” Well, I think sometimes the simplest answers are the best: It’s awesome.