Halo 1 series#

From the interplay between UNSC and Covenant weaponry, the two-gun limit, projectile-based enemy attacks and the sandbox nature of most encounters, there is so much room for strategy and multifaceted skirmishes. Of course, the gunplay is equally nuanced without feeling over-encumbered.

RELATED: Xbox's E3 Showcase Was About the Platform, Not the Games The looped structure to the adventure solidifies the cleverness behind every decision Bungie made and nicely tracks alongside the physical structure of the ringworld itself. From there, the player works back through major locations in reverse, further highlighting the meticulous nature with which every square inch of the game was designed. It starts and ends at the Pillar of Autumn, sending the player on a narrative that reaches its inflection point around the mission Two Betrayals. Nowhere is this intentionality more clear than the overarching journey that Master Chief takes over the ten campaign missions and its geography.

The slower the player moves through the world, the more they'll appreciate how deliberately it was constructed. The richness and clarity of the world is due to the degree to which the experience unfolds precisely as Bungie choreographed it. Like most elements of the game, these strokes are effective irrespective of the player noticing them. RELATED: It's Time to Embrace Xbox's Vision for Gaming's Future Combat ebbs and flows in a way that incentivizes the player to head in the correct direction. Enemies are placed in ways that guide the player, undercutting the potential for confusion due to the objectively drab corridors and rooms that make up a portion of the campaign. However, reductive criticisms about repeated interiors are made less offensive when Bungie's careful signposting is considered.

Halo 1 series#

These moments and musical cues are peppered throughout all ten of Combat Evolved's missions and become the springboard for a series with lore that only becomes richer with each successive entry.Įfficiency is the concept that underscores the level design also, which again appears too simple at first. Of course, the incredible and endlessly iconic soundtrack does an equal amount of heavy lifting too, offering a direct augmentation to every sequence that it sets the tone for. These sorts of environmental details and gameplay vignettes illustrate the efficient way that Bungie tells its story.

RELATED: Why the Arbiter Is Such a BELOVED Halo Character Equally important is the way that the Covenant are totally obliterated by Flood in live gameplay if the player stands to the side and lets the mayhem unfold. Perhaps the most overt but easily ignored is the UNSC soldier who, in a paranoid fit, fires at Chief while begging for his life. As the threat of the Flood approaches, Bungie precipitates the overwhelming terror of the parasites through environmental detail. Perhaps the clearest example is found in the mission 343 Guilty Spark. The material is elevated, though, by Bungie's meticulous world design that peppers the campaign with missable but enriching texture for those who look. The narrative beats are definitely straightforward. And, this facet of the title best exemplifies the way in which surface-level design simplicity belies a much more complex and engaging creation. While Halo: Combat Evolved is easily renowned and remembered for its gameplay, the narrative is equally important. RELATED: Halo Infinite: Trailer, Plot, Release Date & News to Know However, these offer just the veneer of simplicity, when in actuality Combat Evolved's systems interlock in minute ways that elevate the game, both on the whole and in the moment-to-moment experience. In broad strokes, the game features seemingly standard mechanics and ideas. The success of Halo: Combat Evolved lies within the subtlety of its design. Even today, the game is an essential FPS adventure. Yet, even though the original Halo has been succeeded by arguably better shooters, it hasn't been superannuated by them. However, it has also been followed by a series of Bungie shooters that almost objectively build upon Combat Evolved's foundation to produce stronger experiences. Beyond its industry influence, the title sculpted a new and compelling universe. Combat Evolved was a sprawling, forward-thinking FPS that precipitated many modern trends by establishing them outright. When it was released twenty years ago, Halo: Combat Evolved completely revolutionized its genre.