Halo: Combat Evolved (NT)

Halo: Combat Evolved (also referred to as New Halo: CE, Halo 1, or simply Halo) is a 2011 military science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The first game of the Halo Franchise, it was released on November 15, 2011, as an exclusive launch title for the Xbox 360 gaming system.
Announced at E3 2009, the game received great amount of attention for it's stunning graphics, voice acting and gameplay. Following the positive feedback at the panel, 343 Industries, alongside renewed author Timothy Zahn eventually published a book set in the game's universe, named Halo: Reach, passing three months before the events depicted in the game. The game narrative follows SPARTAN soldier John-117, after the fall of the planet Reach, as he arrives alongside his crew to an ancient ringworld called Halo. There, he discovers not only that the ring is an object of religious importance to humanity's enemies, the Covenant, but is faced with an mortal threat when an ancient evil awakens.
The game features graphics by Unreal Engine and has it's cutscenes based on the graphical technology of Blur Studios, a longtime sister-enterprise of 343 Industries. The game is rated M for Mature in most parts of the world, while in South America it is rated T for Teen. Just after it's release, Halo: Combat Evolved was met with critical-acclaim by game critics, whom compared the game to the old films of science fiction. Following the both critical and commercial success, Frank O'Connor, president and creative developer of 343 informed that a sequel was already in the works, as well as several additions to the game, such as the DLC's and bonus content.
== Campaign ==
Halo: Combat Evolved allows direct two-player in split screen, with the second player controlling character Dane Brenson, a marine (which features several advantages and disadvantages compared to Chief). The game features 11 missions in total, with one being a tutorial, and another a DLC, set between levels 6-7. Themes appearing in Combat Evolved includes science fiction, religion and both historical thriller.
In the course of the game, players can find objects known as "Terminals". Once accessing a terminal, the player will discover much about the history of the Forerunners, the ancient beings whom built Halo and their importance in the universe, while also exploring more of 343 Guilty Spark's side-story and the Forerunner-Flood War.
=== Levels ===
*Prepare to Fight (Tutorial)
*The Pillar of Autumm
*Exploration
*Truth and Reconciliation
*Breaking Rules
*Cold Blood
*Awake
*Spark
*The Reveal
*Infection
*In the Belly of the Beast
*The Last Voyage of the Infinity Succor (DLC only)
== Plot ==
The game begins by flashbacks:
2160-2200: This is a period of brutal unrest in Human history in which National governments and break-off factions fight for control of Earth and its colonies.
As overpopulation and unrest mounted on Earth, a number of new political movements were formed including the neo-communist Koslovics, led by Vladimir Koslov, and the neo-fascist Frieden based on the Jovian Moons, which attacked the UN Colonial Advisers on one of the moons. UN-sponsored military forces began a pattern of massive build-ups which culminated in the Jovian Moons campaign, the Rain Forest Wars and the first Interplanetary War. After the successful Marine attack on Mars, recruitment drives and propaganda tactics strongly bolstered UNSC forces. They defeated the Koslovics and the Frieden on Earth and crushed their remnants throughout the Solar System. Both factions were defeated in the face of massive, unified UN military.
In the year 2291, the UNSC successfully developed humanity's first Slipspace drive, the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine. For the first time in history, the rapid colonization of other worlds was made possible. By 2390, 210 worlds had been occupied by humans, and were being actively terraformed to suit man's needs. These worlds were to become known as the Inner colonies. By 2490, the UNSC's fledgling interstellar empire had expanded to over 800 planets throughout the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy. During this period, the planet Reach became the headquarters of the UNSC military, and was destined to become the most heavily fortified world under human control.
After first contact with the Covenant was made on the colony of Harvest in 2525, a series of brutal engagements followed. Admiral Preston Cole's fleet managed a victory at Harvest, but at a high cost - two thirds of his ships were destroyed. Despite significant tactical brilliance on the part of Human commanders, Covenant technology guaranteed a four to one kill/loss ratio in most space battles. One by one, the Outer Colonies fell below the onslaught, and by 2535, virtually all had been destroyed.
In 2517, several years before contact with the Covenant, the UNSC military embarked on a secret project to create a group of elite soldiers that would deal with occasional unrest in the Colonies. Codenamed SPARTANs, these genetically enhanced troops were trained from the age of 6 into a life of battle, and became a great asset against the Covenant. While humans suffered defeat after defeat in space, they could almost always prevail with the help of the SPARTANs in ground engagements. The main character of Halo's gameplay, John-117, is a veteran SPARTAN of the SPARTAN II project after an unfortunate failure of the first SPARTAN program (code name Orion). All SPARTANS II were given special armor designated MJOLNIR, which can increase their strength and speed. They were the only ones who could wear it as those without physical augmentation would not be able to withstand the reaction times of the armor and die.
After first contact with the Covenant was made on the colony of Harvest in 2525, a series of brutal engagements followed. Admiral Preston Cole's fleet managed a victory at Harvest, but at a high cost - two thirds of his ships were destroyed. Despite significant tactical brilliance on the part of Human commanders, Covenant technology guaranteed a four to one kill/loss ratio in most space battles. One by one, the Outer Colonies fell below the onslaught, and by 2535, virtually all had been destroyed.
By 2552, the Covenant had destroyed many of Humanity's Inner colonies. In a move of desperation, UNSC orders a secret plan to capture a Covenant ship using a SPARTAN task force and find the coordinates of their home planet. All of the Spartans except three are chosen for this mission, and, led by John-117, board a specially outfitted ship known as the Pillar of Autumn, under the command of Captain Jacob Keyes (voiced by Kevin Conroy). This plan, however, is interrupted when the Covenant launch a surprise attack on the fortress world of Reach.
During this battle, Reach is overrun and the human fleet is obliterated. Worse still, John-117 (voiced by Steve Downes), discovers that all of the SPARTANs but himself are killed on the surface of the planet. The last remaining Spartan, John-117, escapes with the Pillar of Autumn. In accordance with the Cole Protocol, the Autumn makes a blind Slipspace jump, and emerges in the vicinity of an unexplored and remarkable world.
The Autumn finds a huge ring — a "Halo" floating in space. John-117, is now aboard the Pillar of Autumn when the ship comes under attack by the Covenant. John-117 evacuates the doomed ship for the surface of Halo to protect the Autumn's artificial intelligence, Cortana (Jen Taylor). She carries highly sensitive military information, which would prove disastrous if she were captured by the Covenant. With the UNSC Marines by his side, Cortana providing direction, and his assault rifle ready and loaded, John-117 sets to finding out the mysteries of Halo and defeating the Covenant.
After meeting up with surviving UNSC forces under Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson (voiced by Alex Desert), John-117 participates in a mission to rescue Captain Jacob Keyes from the Covenant cruiser Truth and Reconciliation. After rescuing the Captain, Cortana learns that Halo appears to be a weapon that holds great religious significance to the Covenant. Realizing that the Covenant cannot be allowed to control Halo, Keyes dispatches John-117 to secure Halo's control room while he leaves with Johnson to secure a Covenant weapons cache.
With UNSC Marines as support, John-117 leads an assault on the Silent Cartographer, a map room which holds information on every location on the ring, including the control room. Heading to the ring's control room, Cortana is inserted into the ring's computer system and learns that Halo was made by the Forerunners, an ancient alien race that the Covenant worship as gods. However, Cortana soon learns that there is something else on Halo, something that terrifies the Covenant. Frightened, she says that John has to stop Keyes from accessing the "weapons cache" before it is too late. John-117 leaves for the last spot where Captain Keyes and Sergeant Johnson's squad were seen, an underground facility in a swamp. He finds evidence of battle all over the facility, and soon finds a recording of one Marine, which details Keyes' squad encountering a new threat: the Flood.
The Flood is a parasitic species which received their name due to the way they assimilate all resistance with overwhelming numbers. Free for the first time in a hundred thousand years, the Flood sweeps across Halo, devastating Human and Covenant forces alike. The release of the Flood prompts 343 Guilty Spark (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), the AI Monitor of the ring, to activate Halo's defense systems. The AI instructs John to activate Halo by obtaining the Activation Index from the Installation's Library. John does so, battling hordes of Flood along the way, and returns to the control room. Before Halo initiates its systems, Cortana intervenes and tells John the truth about the Forerunner structure and its purpose- Halo was designed to eliminate the Flood threat by starving the Flood of any life source large enough to sustain them; when fired, it would essentially wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy. Realizing the threat of Halo, Cortana instructs John-117 to detonate the Autumn's fusion reactor. This detonation would result in the destruction of Halo, which was against 343 Guilty Spark's protocol.
Before doing so, the two sabotage three generators needed to power Halo, which buys them enough time to locate Captain Keyes, now succumbed to the Flood, and steal his neural implants to operate the Autumn. After battling his way through scattered and disorganized Covenant forces, the spreading Flood, and the Sentinels under direct command of 343 Guilty Spark, John-117 successfully overloads the ship's engine, and he and Cortana evacuate from Halo in a Longsword before the Autumn's engine detonates and destroys Halo. The pair appear to be the only survivors, and John-117 realizes that they are simply beginning a harrowing battle.
== Enemies ==
*The Covenant: The Covenant, whose Fleet of Particular Justice was led by the Supreme Commander, Thel 'Vadamee, is an alliance of different species. This includes the cowardly Grunts, the Jackals with their portable Energy Shields, their "brothers" the Skirmishers, a variation of quick and tactician Jackals, the Elites, master tacticians with their body-covering Energy Shields, the huge, metal Hunters with remarkably strong armor composed of some unknown alloy, the Drones, insect-like aliens whom are flying shooters and are controlled by a queen and the Engineers, artificial floating beings who generate Energy Shields (for both enemies and the player). The Covenant troops mostly carry plasma weapons of various power. They also make extensive use of vehicles such as Ghosts, Wraiths, Shades, and Banshees.
*The Flood: The parasitic Flood are encountered in three forms. The Infection Forms themselves, which usually die from a single shot or John-117's energy shield. Exploding Carrier Forms, which cause major splash damage and release Infection Forms. Not forgetting the Combat Forms of former Humans, Unggoy, Kig-Yar or Sangheili whose nervous systems have been taken over by the parasite. Combat forms are the main and toughest of the three types. They often carry a Human or Covenant weapon.
*Sentinels: These ancient robotic constructs are controlled by the Forerunner AI Monitor of Installation 04, 343 Guilty Spark. He is tasked with the defense of the ring against possible threats and to control the Flood infestations. Sentinels fire an orange colored beam that can strip hostiles of their Energy Shields. This weapon is designed to burn the Flood and has proven effective against many other enemies.
Category:Halo Series (NT)
Category:Games