Monday 14 January, 2008

(entry #2)
GAMEPLAY
My second round at playing Halo 3 was just as fruitless as the first. This time, I played with my friend, so it had the element of teamwork with a person that was sitting two feet away from me. I tried to invert the controls of the character but it did not seem to help. Either, it is my lack of experience playing video games or that Halo is a tough game to understand. I still believe that it is a “point-and-shoot” game, and after talking it over with a couple of friends, they agreed with me that Halo 3 is not as appealing to people who just start playing the game, but rather, its geared more towards gamers who have played this game since the first one and are more addicted to the story of the game than the actual enjoyment of playing it.

Although I enjoyed playing Halo 3, I don’t think that I would play it again for fun. Because I started at the 3rd game in the series, I lack the information and knowledge that is associated with the game that was given in the beginning, thus not interesting me as a player of the game.

DESIGN
Other than my lack of experience and interest in the game, I must admit, the graphics of this game was very impressive. Many of the levels have computer-generated obstacles (other than the aliens) that created another element to overcome in the game. I really liked how the competitive and cooperative aspect of this game is able to work without flukes. I think this is a big attraction for Halo fans, and just regular people such as myself, seeing that technology has come this far to connect us and allow us to play real-time games with people on the other side of the world, which is one of the reasons why I think it keeps players coming back for more.

The tone of the gameworld is desolate and dreary, which is expected with the takeover of aliens. The aliens, being monstrous and ugly and huge, reflect the world as well. This was enhanced through the cut scenes, which not only helped explain the back story, but also gave insight on what was about to happen. The fluidity of the story is an indication of how popular the game and the idea of aliens are to the gaming society. Aliens are always a popular element presented in video games, and Halo 3 does not disappoint the alien-killer gamer at heart.


I think if I started playing this game from the beginning, the original Halo, I would be more interested in the game and also have learned which weapons are stronger, etc. etc. Halo 3 is a quality game but only for those who have played the previous ones.

What's nice about your entry is it's rare to read about Halo 3 from someone who hasn't played the other games in the series, so it provides a new perspective. That said, although you talk extensively about the look and feel of the game and its multiplayer mode, you don't talk about any core game mechanics, and how they affect the game, and even the genre as a whole.


- David Seagal (Grader)