Woo, first post in the Xbox forum!

Just recently I've found myself cracking out Halo (despite having finished it several times) for a bit of Alien killing. I must say that I was instantly shocked by how good the A.I. is.

If you stick the thing on Legendary and pay attention to what the covenant (in particular) are doing, it's quite extraordinary to watch them move about as a team. I said it when I first started playing Halo and I'll say it again - I think the A.I. really is some of the most evolved we've ever seen. It's a joy to play simply because winning is hard and requires a lot more thought than most shooting games.

If you're playing a Co-op game, you really need to work together and cover the other as you would in real combat.

I want to know what you thought of Halo back in the day and what do you think of it now?

Halo was without a doubt Microsoft flagship launch title and the game that converted most sceptics to the console. The A.I was very intelligent and a big thumbs up must be awarded to Bungie for the construction of all enemies and the way they reacted in situations to the player. It was definitely one of the best console FPS released in the last couple of years.

Saying that I can't help but relate to the word "overrated" each time I heard the game mentioned. The hype and praise surrounding the game upon release and even afterwards was massive and when I did eventually get a chance to sit down and play through the game I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed at the conclusion. This could have been due to a number of reasons, no opportunity to experience any of the widely regarded multiplayer and also the fact that I pictured a different storyline approach after following the game throughout its development cycle.

Essentially, like Metroid Prime it stands the test of time with relation to the graphical and audio content extremely well but because it was a true FPS the A.I. has been now surpassed by the recently released PC games such as Far Cry.

I still think of it as probably the most polished Xbox game to date. Since when it first came out, there doesn't seem to be a game that has as much of a shine to it.

When you look at the graphics and especially the sheen of the enemies, I can't think of a console game that has surpassed it yet. There are also very few bugs. The AI is still pretty good, even though the newer games have improved on it.

I think one particular area that it really shined was co-op. NO other game I have played yet, has done it better than Halo. It is smooth, fast, challenging, and above all - fun. Co-op in Halo, pretty much showed that the whole concept can be successful if done right.

I don't play it as much as I used to, but I still manage to play it a few times. All I can say, is that it will take a big effort from Bungie for Halo 2 to live up to expectations.

Me and my friends still play Halo multiplayer, probably our most played game after counterstrike. It does stand the test of time, although we have noticed times when the XBOX has lagged.

Unfortunately I haven't played this game yet, but I should be getting my hands on it in a couple of weeks, so if I do get my hands on it, I'll post my impressions of it. :)

Halo was the most important launch game of all time (including Mario 64).....10/10 in EDGE magazine says something :)

What I loved about Halo was the whole vibe of knowing that it was you against the covenant and eventually the flood.....Halo is a game that will stand the test of time imo

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Well said Question. Halo is a perfect example of what a launch title should be. Something which defines the character of the whole console...and which after 2 years people still talk about with high regard. How many people do that with Tekken 3 ;)

I think more highly of Halo than I did when I first played it. Now I appreciate it, when I first bought it and played it...I was a bit like 'eh...nothing really special' until I found myself absorbed in the game...and also after playing many other crappy FPS titles.

It is definitely still one of the best games on Xbox, indeed it is one of the best games of all time, but if you're talking evolution, then I believe Deus Ex: Invisible War is a step ahead. IW is far from perfect, but the dynamic nature of the gameplay really is something special. All in all, I think Halo is more fun, but I think IW is a better indication of where the future is heading.

If Halo 2 can combine the best of both games, then it'll really be something special.

You can't really compare Halo and DX: IW, as they're both different types of games. Halo is FPS, while DX: IW is more a cross of multiple genres. It's not so much of combining two games to make one better, but providing different games to provide different experiences.

I only just recently bought an Xbox, but had the chance to play Halo when it came out over at my mates place, and it was fantastic.

Suffice to say, I was more than a little dissapointed when I played the shoddy PC port, but not that I have an Xbox, i'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

'Halo' is up there in my top 10 games of all time, I simply love it. The work and attention to detail that has gone into that game is simply amazing. As Gregg pointed out the AI is beautiful. 'halo 2' is probably my most anticipated game at the moment.

I have finished 'Halo' around 20 times over the various difficulty settings, but only twice on Legendary. once in Co-Op, once by myself. Playing through 'Halo,' on Legendary with a friend is second to none. Although the extended ending isn't really anything special it is worth a chuckle. :P

I think Halo is terrific, and I think it is still just as enjoyable to play as the first day I got it, it is the only game I still play whenever I'm bored.

I didn't think much of Halo when I first played it at Bean's house....probably because I was been owned by 7 other players :P

But when I got myself an Xbox I decided to give it another chance, and I think it's great now. Now that I'm actually, multiplayer is a blast :)

Unfortunately I'm a bit of a pussy, so I'm playing the single player on easy for now :P

Once you get better and play through the levels more, you'll find that even up to Hard difficulty it isn't too bad. Legendary will still be a challenge though.

Yes Legendary becomes very hard towards the end. Doing the library is also difficult, even on Co-Op as you usually use most of the avalible ammo halfway through the level. :P With the hords of Covenant storming towards you and next to no ammo things become very hairy. :P

Seems like they're releasing the Halo editing kit for the PC version.

read here

Not much for us Xbox gamers, but then we get Halo 2 :)

I love Halo multiplayer and can barely get enough of it. The singleplayer however I struggle to get enthused about. Theres no particular reason why I don't really like it, but for some reason I can't get excited about the singleplayer no matter what I do.

I'll still probably buy Halo 2, but mainly more for the multiplayer. In fact solely for the multiplayer...

I found the plasma rifle to be the best weapon to use when playing on legendary. Fully automatic, drains elites shields super fast, rarely fun out of ammo due to them being dropped all the time, excellent melee. Just watch out for overheating and you'll be fine. However, this weapons only weakness is against the flood, the shotgun works wonders on the flood.

Remember...

Learn to use cover. A lot.
Grenades are a valuable resource.
Expect a lot more and a lot smarter enemies.
Prioritize targets.

Yeh, the best pointer for playing Halo on legendary would be to utilise cover as much as possible, and see if you can find those sweet spots; where you can hit them, but they can't hit you.

If you are playing co-op, the ONLY way to play is on legendary, me and my mate played it constanty through the holidays and we had a blast.

Got to this site for some really cool, but dirty, very, very dirty Halo multiplayer tricks.

_Metallix_ you are right. they are very dirty tricks.

I can't wait for my next system link session :D

Not sure as I'm still yet to play it, however, this fellow reviewer (not me) had some interesting things to say about it....

click here for the bestest review ever!

And how's this for a statement?

:lol:

^^^ I thought that was a crap review.

Yeah Halo still is the best console first person shooter in my opinion. It took me a while to get into the multi player - too much goldern eye - but the whole game rocks.

For completing the game in Legendary - the needler should not be over estimated - and the plasma pistol with charged shots. I used the melee a lot too! And grenades, and the only thing to use against the flood is the shotgun.

Also don't feel a need to kill everything - just run past battles if possible makes the game much easier.

Me too. Too many comparisons between Halo and Unreal.

I loved Halo, even the Library. On Legendary it's not so repetitive because there's so many bad guys and different battles. My favourite moment was finally managing to nab one of those Banshees in Assault on the Control Room, and finding the "food nipple" grunt. Grunty big thirst, how comical :lol:

me three. didn't u pick up the sarcasm? :huh:

I thought that the grunt who says that is during the countdown timer section in the maw, not AotCT?

Sar-cas-m? :huh:

MetalliX is right, it's The Maw.
I can't believe that review, who ever wrote it obviously has no idea what good AI is. :P As that is what makes the game, not the level design or graphics (which are damn fine, not sub-standard as the reviewer makes out).

I'm of the same opinion as ElPres with this game. I think its single player (haven't played Far Cry yet) is the best FPS experience you can get. And I wouldn't brush away my opinion as newbie-ish or whatever: first person shooters are probably my most-played genre, going way back to when I brought down Hitler in Wolfenstein 3D in early '93. Halo's just got so much substance, so much life poured into the game that you're just immersed into this whole universe. The story's nothing special, but damn, Master Chief is easily my favourite FPS character. You love to love him!