Damn Fine Vidya Games: Halo: Combat Evolved

Hello nerd boys and girls,

I'm willing to bet that everyone who has played video games in the last 15 years has heard of the Halo series.  I’m also willing to bet that a significant portion of gamers haven’t played the original Halo game: Combat Evolved.  Halo is the defining game of the Xbox generation of games and deserves a large place in video game history.

First and foremost: I do not play many first person shooter (FPS) games.  I do not play Call of Duty, or Half-Life, or Battlefield.  I’m sure those are probably good games (they are certainly popular), but I don't generally like that style of gaming with the one large exception being Halo.
“But why?”
“Isn’t Halo just another FPS?”
No way!

Halo was, in my opinion, a revolutionary game and it all started with Combat Evolved.  Initially, the multiplayer is what drew me in.  A friend called “Come over and play Halo.  We’ll link up systems”.  I was skeptical and declined but, after weeks of pestering, I gave into my friends and joined them for a Halo LAN party.  Halo: CE was released before Xbox Live existed, so if you wanted more than four players, LAN parties became life.  Nothing quite like the thrill of yelling “go fuck yourself” across a room as you stuck a grenade to someone’s face. 

Halo: Combat Evolved was released for the original Xbox in 2001 as a launch title which meant everyone owned it.  The story revolves around Master Chief (you) and your artificial intelligence guide (Cortana) responding to an attack by the Covenant who are a species of alien bound together by their religion.  During a battle with the Covenant your ship is damaged and you crash land on Halo.  The rest of the game is spent learning what exactly Halo is while trying to survive an onslaught of aliens.  Halo is so well written and so compelling that the player ends up feeling like a large part of the game and story.  In fact, Halo players have felt such a deep connection to Master Chief and Cortana that the series has spawned multiple games, a book series, a comic series, a web series, and a full length movie. 

Since it’s inception Halo: CE has been repackaged twice, once as a high-def anniversary remake for the Xbox 360 and as part of the Master Chief Collection for the Xbox One.  I recommend picking up the anniversary edition (still easy to find) and playing through the game twice.  This edition allows the player to seamlessly change between the HD and original versions.  My suggestion is to first play through the original on "easy" and then play the HD version on whatever difficulty you like.  If you like FPS games, you'll be a natural.  If you’re like me, and FPS games aren't your favorite,  I implore you to try Halo: Combat Evolved on for size.  It’s a great game and should be played at least once by casual and pro gamers alike.