SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

must have it. now. will quit my job to play.

You know, I've been playing video games since Pac-Man came out. I've played them all, or at least as many as I could get my hands on, and I've played every kind of game, from puzzle games to MMORPGs. I've even written mods for first-person shooters whose source code is still in use today.

But I've never played Halo, and apparently that makes me completely lame by all the standards of modern video gaming. I have two co-workers who can't stop talking about Halo, and they regard me as a total gimp because I've played (and mastered) almost everything else.

What is it about the game that's so great? Apparently it appeals even to people who can't stand any other video game on the face of the planet.

ok, I've been playing vid games since pong delux (1977) :). Anyway...

As someone who's been playing shooters for awhile, here's what I found outstanding about halo:

* Superb AI. Little guys run like hell until there's a bunch of them, then they'll turn and attack. Big guys dodge around and are impossible to hit, and use cover effectively. Conversely, bad guys that are supposed to be dumb are really stupid, doing the same thing over and over again. With the possible exception of Half-life, it's the best AI I've ever seen.

* Giant, well-thought-out levels that include both indoor and outdoor settings. Sometimes both on a single level.

* Vehicles. Oh, those lovely vehicles. They aren't just things you shoot, or things that shoot at you, they're an integral part of the game and you get to control them. Nothing like seeing a bigNasty and just squashing him flat as a bug as you roll on by, or swiping one of their flyers when they aren't looking and then wailing on them from on-high.

* Story. Easily one of the best video game stories I've encountered. Probably in the top three (the other two being Half Life and Homeworld).

* A comparative lack of "bosses". I hate bosses, I think they're a PITA and detract from most games. I'd much rather have clever level design, puzzles, and smart "regular" bad guys to deal with. This is, however, a personal preference, YMMV. The boss-less final level is, however, one of the cleverest climaxes I've ever seen in a shooter.

The graphics are pretty too, but if you're used to PC games the limitations of TV consoles will leave you going, "meh."

It's available for PC now, so if you do a lot of PC gaming I'd highly recommend it. Is it worth dropping $150 just to play a single game? IMO probably not. But x-box does have an awful lot of other good games out there, and The Borg is doing its characteristic "catch up, extend, crush" routine on Sony and Nintendo. If the other two don't watch their step or slow down one bit, there will probably only be one console manufacturer five years from now.

Well, I haven't played vids all of my life. In fact, I got to play Halo last year around July and it was so good that I bought the x-box and game just so I could play that. Unfortunately, since I haven't been playing that much, my skills aren't that great. However, being able to play this in multi-player online mode will be fabulous.

Hmm... I actually rather enjoy boss fights. At least, as long as they actually ARE boss fights, and not just another monster that happens to have more armor and stronger weapons than the regular enemies players have been fighting. They help break up the boredom of ordinary enemy encounters, by forcing players to use new strategies to defeat them... again, if they're well-designed bosses, and not just enemies with bigger guns.

My favorite "boss fight" of all time is still the tentacle in the blast pit in Half Life 2. Good lord, I came to hate that thing, and there was nothing more satisfying than finally hearing the bastard scream in agony as you fried it.

Argh... Half Life, not Half Life 2. (I have HL2 on the brain.)

Dude!!!!! YESSSSSS THIS WILL BE THE BEST GAME IN HISTORY until Halo 3 and 4 when sargeant johnson "gets his woman" BUT UNTIL THEN THIS WILL BE THE VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY BEST GAME EVER!!!!!!!!!! dude ron dont quit your job just play AT your job.

whoops i spelt sergeant wrong... and maybe I went a little over board with the "very"s sorry...i have been shamed...but, i'll still snipe you all you stinking reds!!!!(www.redvsblue.com)

BIG BOY TOYS!