Forum > Gaming Discussion > Playing Halo: Combat Evolved in preparation for Reach.
Playing Halo: Combat Evolved in preparation for Reach.
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Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:40:56
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That's right, I started playing this last night...getting myself pumped up for Reach & the beauty it will bring. I figured since Reach is a prequel, it only makes sense to replay the game that started it all, right? And BTW, I'm doing it the right way. On one of THESE:

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And using one of THESE:

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And man, its really brought back some great memories of my first time playing this game. I'm playing on Legendary, and just as I remembered, Legendary Difficulty feels a LOT more natural and skill based in Halo 1 than it did in ANY of the other games. It feels fair, and never cheap. I like that. I'm not far in, but already I am reminded of how much more raw and exciting Combat Evolved's combat was compared to the other games. There was just something about this first game....the way you can seemingly avoid certain death by just inches so often. and the way enemies and friends alike react, that just feels flat out BETTER than any other game in the series. Also worth noting; How fun it is getting into a large frenetic firefight and getting the "domino effect" going with the grenade blasts. cool

Another thing that makes this game so great, and really the only game in the series that's delivered in this way, is the huge scale open firefights, and the way they seem so random in their brilliance.

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Other games in the series just seemed very stilted and scripted in their larger battles, but this game....each time you play it its truly different, the way battles pan out. One last thing to mention, the increase in quality from the Pillar of Autumn Level to the next Level, both in terms of gameplay as well as graphically, is still striking to this day. I remember the first time I played Halo thinking to myself on that first level, "...yeah its good and all, but I don't see why its getting perfect ratings." Then that 2nd mission hits, just you in that open world gazing upon a beautiful alien vista, and the game INSTANTLY gets 10 times better.

I better watch out. This may end up more enjoyable than Reach...lol

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Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:04:38
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I remember not liking when you had to backtrack for the final portions of the game. The best moments for me were the vehicle bits, running over grunts in my jeep.

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Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:39:12
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I'd play co-op with you, but Bungie dropped the ball on the whole Xbox Live thing. I don't think there are original Xbox servers up anyway. Maybe some Halo 3 when you're done?

Yodariquo is a tank camping prick.

Edited: Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:39:59
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Listen to Iced Earth and play Doom

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Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:59:11
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edgecrusher said:

And using one of THESE:

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Nobody should be subjected to the horror of the "Duke" controller. My hands still shudder in fear at the thought of every using that beast again.

I replayed Halo:CE last Spring. It's easily the best in the Halo series so far.

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Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:13:37
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I liked the first time you went up against those really big guys.

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Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:07:34
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"the huge scale open firefights"

That is the first thing I think of in Halo.  I beat Halo again this year(?) maybe last year, and I appreciate it more and more each time.  I then re-played H2 and though my memory of that game was completely screwed up and wrong, it still compares so unfavorably to the first one.

It was lightning in a bottle.

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Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:11:05
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I remember being blown away when I played Halo for the first time. I played Goldeye and Perfect Dark on the N64, but Halo was definitely a step forward in the genre and FPSs became one of my favorite genres afterward. It made me interested in other FPSs like Republic Commando, Call of Duty, and Half-Life 2.

What I loved the most in Halo was the banter between the soldiers and the aliens. I felt more immersed in the game because of that.

Edited: Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:12:09

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Now Playing: Golden Sun Dark Dawn, God of War Ghost of Sparta, and DKC Returns

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Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:43:07
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I liked Halo 2 more. Halo had a lot of really exceptional moments, but a lot of it was really boring too. Halo 2 was without as many epic moments, but the overall experience was smoother.

One thing I'll say, though, is that Halo 2's multiplayer lacked unlimited grenades which automatically made it the inferior game. Sad

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Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:59:19
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Halo 1 campaign was incredible. I remember playing Halo 2's campaign and thinking what the hell happened. Halo 1 was very special, the battles felt like actual huge battles. It didn't feel like it was this super scripted linear game. I don't know how Halo 3 but I hope its a lot more like Halo 1 than Halo 2.

That said Halo 2's online was incredible so it made up for it.

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Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:52:02
+1

You know the biggest bug bear I have with Halo's 2-3 is the standard machine gun. Halo 2 had this limited spurt fire and the third game underpowered the machine gun. In Halo 1 it's just RIGHT.

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Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:59:11
Dvader said:

Halo 1 campaign was incredible. I remember playing Halo 2's campaign and thinking what the hell happened. Halo 1 was very special, the battles felt like actual huge battles. It didn't feel like it was this super scripted linear game. I don't know how Halo 3 but I hope its a lot more like Halo 1 than Halo 2.

That said Halo 2's online was incredible so it made up for it.

Exactly man, Halo: CE just felt so natural and everything just clicked. Like Aspro said, Lightning In A Bottle. Halo 2 was still a good game, but compared to CE it just didn't make the cut. And after a 3 year wait, I expected CE times 10, not minus 10. IMO Halo 2 is the worst game in the series. Halo 3 is much like Halo 2 in delivery and atmosphere yet they they got more RIGHT, and its not as flawed....it flows better and is much more polished. ODST is much closer to CE in atmosphere and combat and is imo the best game since CE.

gamingeek said:

You know the biggest bug bear I have with Halo's 2-3 is the standard machine gun. Halo 2 had this limited spurt fire and the third game underpowered the machine gun. In Halo 1 it's just RIGHT.

In CE everything is just RIGHT...that's what made it such an incredible game. All the weapons were fun to use and perfect, and the AI and difficulty levels were the best in the series. Another thing that blew me away in CE and still is better than most other games is the quality of the music. That part in the middle of the game when you walk into that building with all the sleeping grunts, and that tribal drum starts playing? I fucking LOVE that. I used to play up to that part and then just sit there and blast my stereo listening to it.

One thing that also bothered me in later games is how the aliens now speak English and the grunts have those stupid Jar-Jarish voices. IMO it took a lot of the tenstion and eeriness out of the games that CE had and made it more of a comedy blockbuster type thing. I prefered the aliens speaking some alien gibberish...and I wish they gave you the option to use that instead of the English talking.

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Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:11:21
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edgecrusher said:

One thing that also bothered me in later games is how the aliens now speak English and the grunts have those stupid Jar-Jarish voices. IMO it took a lot of the tenstion and eeriness out of the games that CE had and made it more of a comedy blockbuster type thing. I prefered the aliens speaking some alien gibberish...and I wish they gave you the option to use that instead of the English talking.

LOL Not only that, in some parts of H3 the grunts fool around pulling pranks on each other like some stupid ewok scene. I call it the George Lucas Effect. (TM)

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Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:32:14
SteelAttack said:
edgecrusher said:

One thing that also bothered me in later games is how the aliens now speak English and the grunts have those stupid Jar-Jarish voices. IMO it took a lot of the tenstion and eeriness out of the games that CE had and made it more of a comedy blockbuster type thing. I prefered the aliens speaking some alien gibberish...and I wish they gave you the option to use that instead of the English talking.

LOL Not only that, in some parts of H3 the grunts fool around pulling pranks on each other like some stupid ewok scene. I call it the George Lucas Effect. (TM)

lol Exactly! I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this shit.

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Sat, 11 Sep 2010 02:08:34

Ewoks ftw!

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Sat, 11 Sep 2010 08:37:15
edgecrusher said:
SteelAttack said:
edgecrusher said:

One thing that also bothered me in later games is how the aliens now speak English and the grunts have those stupid Jar-Jarish voices. IMO it took a lot of the tenstion and eeriness out of the games that CE had and made it more of a comedy blockbuster type thing. I prefered the aliens speaking some alien gibberish...and I wish they gave you the option to use that instead of the English talking.

LOL Not only that, in some parts of H3 the grunts fool around pulling pranks on each other like some stupid ewok scene. I call it the George Lucas Effect. (TM)

lol Exactly! I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this shit.

What didVader call ROTJ? Muppet Luau?

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Sat, 11 Sep 2010 10:22:09

But Vader loves ROTJ, doesn't he?

Then again a muppet lauu sounds awesome.

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Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:11:04

My favourite part of Halo was going around that circular room with the sleeping grunts and basing them to death with my elbow.

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Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:51:31
gamingeek said:

I remember not liking when you had to backtrack for the final portions of the game. The best moments for me were the vehicle bits, running over grunts in my jeep.

gamingeek said:

My favourite part of Halo was going around that circular room with the sleeping grunts and basing them to death with my elbow.

I'm going to have to ask you to fuckin' pick one. lol

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Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:06:46

LOL

My favorite Halo CE part was The Silent Cartographer, hands down. Still one of the best levels in any Halo game.

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Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:42:02

My favorite part in Halo CE is level two. I must have played through that level a two dozen times. Warthog, FTW.

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