Has it really been 5-6 years since I got this? *possible spoilers*
Story:
Halo starts off with what can be considered the greatest level in FPS history and has its ups and downs from there. The Pillar of Autumn is the perfect balance of action and stealth, with plenty of options to outflank enemies or avoid them entirely. To appreciate what this game has to offer, you must play it on Legendary. At the time, the A.I. in this difficulty setting was considered the best to ever grace a console game, and after a few years, it is still good. From the first level, things calm down a bit, there are more breaks in between the action but thankfully not too much. The Covenant seem to be everywhere, and you are the only capable killer. The game features an extremely well done plot twist around the middle that switches your focus almost entirely. The difficulty also picks up here. The Flood on Legendary is a force to be reckoned with. 343 Guilty Spark's apparent disregard for all sentient life gives the story a bit of humor. The Library finds you battling thousands upon thousands of Flood, clinging to any thread of life you can find, all the while listening to the little blue ball up in the air humming and calling himself a genius. Hell, he even takes time to insult your choice of weaponry.
The story of Halo is arguably the best in the series so far. Just good enough of an ending to satisfy yet let you know that a sequel is on the way. Gameplay:
One of the crowning achievements of this game is its gameplay. The weapons are balanced, although not in the traditional way. Take for instance the pistol. Godly against 3-4 opponents in the Covenant. You can simply head shot from a short distance thanks to the 2x zoom, and this seemingly overpowered weapon works wonders. Take that same logic against a group of flood, and you will be overwhelmed in seconds. The rate of fire is what balances the pistol. It cannot handle groups. The same with the Sniper Rifle, against 3-4 Covenant it is the best weapon out there. However, most of your favorite weapons will do little to nothing against the hordes and hordes of undead you will face. Liked sniping Covenant from a distance in the early parts? Forget it, empty 3-4 clips into one Flood and learn the meaning of frustration. However, if you pull out a shotgun, entire legions can be wiped out with a few well placed shots. I often find myself playing other FPS (Doom 3 in particular) and wishing it controlled more like Halo. Everything is sharp, the movements are crisp and fast, battles can get hectic and things just feel fluid. I can't give it a perfect score however because some of the levels do get repetitive. Around the middle of the game you will see the same hallway at least 10 times.
I am not a big fan of split-screen multi-player but it is serviceable in this game. Everything works just as it does in the normal game. I did not find myself using Multi-Player that much though. It just wasn't my thing at the time.
Sound:
Another high point. All of the weapons sound like you would expect them too. Explosions could be meatier, but if you watch war movies meant to be realistic you will hear a resemblance. The assault rifle sounds meaty and powerful. It is by far my most used weapon, and oddly enough, for a starter weapon it never left my inventory. The voice acting is hilarious, the sarge an the marines offer great commentary. The Covenant voices fit just right. Some bits of English can be discerned from the rest, but most is limited to grunts in a weird alien tongue.
Overall:
Halo is a masterpiece, that much we know. If you haven't played it yet you owe it to yourself to rent/buy and give it a try. Love it or hate it, take pride in knowing you've played one of the greatest games in the history of gaming.