For my first post, I think I'll go back in time a little bit and review one of the Forerunners of first-person console shooters. That's right, I'm beginning my blog with the game that began modern gaming: Halo: Combat Evolved. Now, I'm not talking about the 343 Industries remake of the game (even though it's amazing). I'm talking about the old, September 15, 2001 game by Bungie Studios.
This game, as I said, was what started it for me. The graphics were way before the time and, honestly, still could be considered of okay merit today. The blends of colors and exotic types of scenery made by Bungie created an entirely new landscape with beautiful plants and majestic structures. From the tropical beach on The Silent Cartographer to the harsh, snowy tundra of Assault on the Control Room, and even the darkly lit machine structure found in The Library, the artistic talent that went into creating Halo was tremendous and deserves recognition even today.
In addition to the artistic talents of Bungie, their story editors are some of the best in the universe. The narrative that is started in the first Halo is arguably the best in the universe. It has launched a franchise that consists of seven games (including a remastered version of the first game) and 12 novels to supplement gameplay, with more novels set to be released in the future. The epic story of a hero trying to survive a vicious, genocidal Covenant while simultaneously contending with both the Flood and the annoying installation monitor, 343 Guilty Spark, remains one of the most well configured plots in gaming history. This is proven by the continuity of the gaming franchise. The subtle allusions to the Bible and other various religions enhance the gameplay and add an incentive for players who have literary prowess. (However, I won't talk much about the plot because I'm working on a literary analysis English paper in which I will discuss this. I'll post about it later.)
Anyways, the game itself could be considered by today's standards to be "dated", but it still remains one of the best games in history. Like always, please leave your comments and I hope you enjoyed! And remember, Keep your friends close, keep your enemies in your crosshairs.
