Exploring Halo

Game: Halo Combat Evolved
Company: Bungie
Published by: Microsoft
Developed by: Bungie Software
Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox
Genre: First person Shooter
Number of Players: 1-2 (co op);
1-16(system link)
Premise: The premise in "Halo: Combat Evolved" is that you play as a super soldier called "Master Chief" who is given the mission to save earth and stop the alien alliance known as the covenant from destroying humanity.
Player interaction patterns: Single Player versus Game
Story: You are apart of an elite unit of super soldiers called Spartans that's duty is the protection and safety of earth. After your ship comes under attack by the covenant you crash land on an ancient ring called halo that’s sole purpose is to destroy humanity. It is up to you and the rest of the UNSC to stop the covenant from destroying all sentinel life. The story unravels throughout fourteen different missions that range from ground combat to mowing down covenant grunts with tanks. It is up to you along with a little help from artificial intelligence called Cortana to stop the covenant from destroying earth.
Invitation to play: Although Halo may use a regular controller the game immerses you into the world with fluent controls and solid gameplay that has you feeling like the nine foot soldier.
Dilemma: The game's dilemma is the choice of how to handle each objective such as weather to go running and gunning or take out aliens stealthily in order to preserve health.
Boundaries: The boundaries surrounding halo range from the mountains on the "Halo" plateau all the way to walls of the covenant ship. The boundaries do a amazing job on of making you feel enclosed in the environment along with helping you feel as though you really are there.
Player: You play as Master Chief throughout the games levels.
Inventory: Your inventory includes, frag grenades, plasma grenades, assault rifles, and pistol. As you encounter the covenant you could receive different guns such as the plasma pistol and needler.
Character: In halo you play as a soldier called "Master Chief" although his origins are a little shaky you find out that he is the last of Spartan out there. Throughout the main mission you are aided by Cortana (artificial intelligence) that aids you by giving you information on the enemy presence along with giving you little back-story of the halo lore. Although master chief may be a bit far from human, you begin to feel the loneliness that he is faced with along with the decisions and choices that he has to make in order to finsh the mission.
Conflict: The conflict in halo is that the covenant is trying to destroy humanity and it’s up to you to stop them from doing it.
Challenge: Throughout the games levels you are given different objectives that range from saving captive soldiers to capturing and destroying covenant ships and weapons. As the game continues you face different kinds of aliens such as the usual grunts to the cloaked elites set on ripping you to shreds. The player is given an array of weapons ranging from the usual assault rifle all the way to more complex weapons like the alien needler. Although it may sound like it had been done before when you are faced with a large number of enemies the weapons work well with the combat allowing you to take on large numbers with little to no help from your allies.
Obstacles: The Obstacles in Halo range from the usual squads of grunts and elites to more complex enemies and vehicles such as the flood and banshees. Throughout the game their is always something in your way of completing you objective weather its other objectives interfering with yours (example-saving marines) or a ambush by covenant soldiers.
Play: The games pacing ranges from fighting through hordes of covenant grunts and elites to storm the battlefield with vehicles such as tanks and the infamous warthog. (I found the driving instances to be the hardest of the instances due to the increased enemy presence and the low amount of health that your vehicle has.) The game has a large open environment that encourages you to explore every aspect and tackle each objective that is laid before you.
Engagement: The game immerses you into the sci-fi world that “Bungie” has created. The game shows you the darkness surround the war along with making you feel as if you’re the giant super soldier. Although at points it lacks a human touch you are still immersed in the long and engaging story of a soldier faced with a great mission. You are the last of your kind and each step that you take could lead to your victory or your extinction.