Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

A game that built a wild fan following, Halo: Combat Evolved, is the first game that hit the Halo series, and it was only one out of two games ever released on the PC. Despite its age, the developers designed the game so that its popularity rages on. In the game, you have a first-person shooter that takes place in a world of science fiction. You have a wild and interesting solo campaign with a great story line. You also have fast and furious multiplayer battles that have made the game famous.

First released in 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved looks great for its age, and you have an art style that suited that technology of the time. While the single player demo game lets you experience the dynamic combat system, what most players will come back for is likely the multiplayer gaming. Anyone who has played first-person shooting games will be familiar with Halo, and they will pick up the game modes fast. It is a game that has been designed around simplicity for easier gaming.

With the multiplayer demo, you will have access to just one of the maps, but it can be a lot of fun to play, and you have no problem with finding other people to play with. The game has a rich selection of vehicles and weapons, and Halo runs smooth with almost all of today's PCs. You do not have to worry that your computer hardware will not be able to handle this game because technology has outpaced this game.

As a classic shooter, online play has always been the highlighted point and reason that most people like Halo. The company itself has earned an excellent reputation for creating FPS at a staggering level of quality. While the combat of Halo does offer a challenge, it never gets repetitive or old. You have good enemy AI in the solo campaigns, and your enemies will react in many ways based on the situation. For example, if you have a cannon vehicle in the area, they might hop into it and blast glass shards at them. In a way, Halo feels a lot like the 3D version of Ikari Warriors or Contra. It has that feel that you are a single man in an army and ready to fight. Halo gives you an almost perfect level of difficulty without throwing your computer at the fireplace in frustration.

What makes Halo great is also what it avoids. For example, you do not have boss battles or platform jumping that plagued games like Red Faction and Half-Life. Instead, the game focuses on the story and the action. Even with the single-level demo, the advantage of Halo games is how huge the levels are.

Pros

• Huge maps
• Diverse selection of weapons
• Fun and entertaining game
• Different from other FPS games of the time

Cons

• A single demo map that can feel limiting
• The game continuously loads new sections of the map