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As a massive Halo fan I feel like sharing my experience with the game to whomever is interested.
Ten years ago on this day the game that changed my life came out. Halo: Combat Evolved.
My story starts when I was 11 years old. I have an uncle and aunt who enjoyed gaming.
They used to have a Nintendo which my brother and me enjoyed playing on.
When they got a Nintendo 64 they gave the old Nintendo away to two of there other nephews/nieces.
Then when they got an Xbox they gave there N64 away aswell to another set of nephews/nieces.
My brother and me where the only nephews left at this point who hadn't recieved a console from them yet.
We were at a party one day and they told us that they wanted to give us a console aswell so we wouldn't feel left out. But they were still using there Xbox because it had only been brought out for about 2 weeks. So they decided to buy a new one for us.
Naturally my brother and me where super excited.
The very next day our aunt went with us to a store to buy the Xbox.
She told us we could pick three games we wanted. So my brother and me both got to pick one game we wanted and had to decide together on the third game. My brother quickly picked his game while I was pondering on what to get.
While I was still deciding my brother kept telling me to pick the game Halo. Because it was supposed to be a good game. I was not really sure about it.
After a few minutes of being undecidable my brother told me that if I picked Halo as my game I would be the first one to play with the Xbox.
This is what pushed me to pick it eventhough i was still unsure about the game.
When we were at home I remember looking at the cover of the game and thinking to myself,
"What the hell is this guy supposed to be?". Little did I know then that this "guy" the Master Chief would be a one of the most epic game personalities ever, in my opinion ofcourse.
The Xbox was finally hooked up to our tv and we started it up.
The first thing I thought while looking at the main menu with that epic music gave me a shiver down my spine. The feel of the game already felt good eventhough I hadn't even actually started up the campaign yet.
Being only 11 and having never played a shooter on a console yet (the only shooter I played at that point was Unreal Tournament) I decided to play on easy.
The opening scene started and I couldn't take my eyes of the screen. I was mesmerized.
It took me forever to get the to point where you first get a gun. About 15 minutes I think because I got lost. I laugh my ass off thinking about how bad I was back then.
The first level was really good and I enjoyed it a lot. But when I was the second level I just didnt know what to think anymore.
The big open level really blew my mind. I continued playing for aslong as I could.
It took me quite a while to finish the game and it was one of the best campaigns i've ever played.
Still to this day I consider the campaign one of the best ever.
Most of my time was spent playing the campaign over and over. And playing lan games versus my brother and a friend of mine because we didn't have internet for the Xbox. I have no idea how much time I actually put into the game but it was enough for me to be able to practically walk through most of the the levels blind.
Then finally came the day that Halo 2 arrived and I was really pumped up to continue on with the story of Master Chief. Bungie had done it again and made another superb game which increased the grasp Halo over me even more.
Most of my Halo 2 time was spend just like my time with the first Halo.
Then on one day I became friends with another Halo player. Unlike me he could play online.
I went to his house and played Halo 2 online for the first time. I was SHOCKED at how awesome it was. I still dont know how I was able to survive without online play for so long.
My summer vacation of that year was spend for about 70% at my friends house playing Halo online. It was so addictive I couldn't stay away for more then 2 days.
My friends parents were starting to joke that I never even went home when I left in the evening. But rather went into there shed and slept with there birds, Because I was back the next morning.
Days were ticking by and the release date of Halo 3 was getting closer.
I was getting into trouble at this point. Halo 3 would be coming out for the Xbox 360.
Without money to buy the new Xbox I was forced to play Halo 3 at friends houses.
I asked the friend whom I had played so much Halo 2 with if I could come by and play the campaign when he was done with it.
So a few days after the release I went to his house and finished the campaign in a 9 hour sitting.
The next few months I played loads of doubles with my friend and thanks to Halo 2 my skills really improved and we were dominating the doubles playlist. A highest skill 47 Brigadier and a guest beating double Generals with ease.
Then after finally getting a job during the vacation I had made enough money to buy myself a 360 with Halo 3.
In the coming years I played an infinite amount of Halo, getting all the new Halo games on pre-orders. I also bought 3 of the Halo books which I really enjoyed and I spend countless hours on Halo Wikia to kill time at school.
Its been 10 years now since I first started playing Halo and I'm still as much into the game as I was back then. Even now when I play certain parts of any of the games I still get that shiver down my spine I had when I first saw the game.
Everytime I play a different shooter I compare it with my experiences from Halo and I will continue to do so for many more years.
If there is someone who hasn't played Halo yet I strongly recommend you try it out just ones and maybe you'll get hooked to the game aswell.
Happy 10th birthday Halo, may you bring us many more glorious games!
 
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I remember playing halo at a friends place coop split screen, a lot of fun. Perhaps even more distinctly I remember seeing the first halo 2 game play footage, it was about 7mins long. I was 14-15 and we were at a friends play for a birthday party and he was the only one of us with broadband Internet at the time. It was at least 2am and we just stumbled upon the video, we were all so excited. and probably watched the video 10 times that night alone.
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Netherlands45349 Posts
The Pistol from Halo 1 is the best thing(and most ridicilous thing) in the entire Halo Series.
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The first Halo was amazing, both on the xbox and on the PC. Sadly, the series didn't quite live up to it afterwards in my opinion.
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@NoobStyles
I know exactly how what you mean. Thats basicly what I do with ever new footage from Halo games =)
@Kipsate
Yea, the pistol was insane. If you have Halo: reach you should try the "no bloom" playlist. The pistol is just is sick in there as it was in Halo CE.
Edit:
@Gillon
The first one defonantly was the best storywise. But i'd have to say that overall Halo 2 was the best game out of the trilogie.
And Reach was a good campaign but by Halo standards it wasn't that good.
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Halo:CE was amazing indeed. The Halo games have been getting gradually worse and Reach is not even worth playing. I used to be pretty good at H3, won a tournament with the best Swedish players in it for example. Level 50 in every playlist. But Reach was so bad I switched completely to PC gaming and SC2.
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Wow, 10 years...
I can remember inviting my buddies from high school over and hooking up multiple boxes for massive Blood Gulch CTF sprees.
And I can remember playing Halo tourneys in my first year of college.
And now 10 years later, its still a great franchise.
I really wish the PC shooter market had a title as consistently awesome as Halo.
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nicely written, it reminds me of my old times with quake 3 : ), i felt similar like this
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I remember my uncle got me Halo for PC. Oh god the fun i had with that, never ending CTF
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Germany449 Posts
whats about the pistol? :O
and: wtf? 10 years? ...seems like yesterday sometimes.
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Man I remembered setting up huge lan parties at my friend's house.
so fucking epic we had 3 xbox and 3 tv's we played til the next dayy lol
Halo 1 and 2 is my favorite, not too much of a fan of the new gen.
Halo 3 is decent tho 
Battle Rifle in Halo 2 <33333
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haha 10 years...makes me feel old
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I remember having what we called "Halo Fests" with my cousins and their friends whenever we visited. Some of my best memories were playing huge system-link games on Blood Gulch and Hang 'Em High. Halo 2 just added to it.
So much nostalgia...
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I remember playing 9 hours of halo 2 straight on my xbox and burning it out...those were the days
I must say, starcraft is a better game, but halo was always easier to play with other people so halo lans were the most fun I ever had playing a multiplayer game.
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I still listen to the Halo soundtracks on a daily basis. Halo 2 is possibly one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. The campaign is engaging and practically flawless, and I can remember it literally moment-for-moment. Every movement in Martin O'Donnel's soundtrack has a feeling I associate with it.
Best Moment:
After battling non-stop for hours as the Arbiter, and then fighting though the endless halls of High Charity as Master Chief, you come out into the open and gaze out upon the vast expanse that is High Charity. You stand on the very perimeter looking over the very heart of the Covenant, and this incredibly calming music washes over you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfWenY1fea8
Then, when you confront the doomed Prophet of Mercy, you are presented with Master Chief's final goal: the Pursuit of Truth. The coolest music ever for battling the Flood through a doomed mega-city.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZP-tDsblgM&
THAT is what you call and engaging experience, Dustin.
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Haha, lan parties were indeed the best.
I've only had two Halo lans in my life though. Both of which were at my place with 4 xbox's and 8 people.
One of those lans I stayed awake for 64 hours. That was one of the best weekends I've ever had.
On November 15 2011 05:17 TheGiz wrote:
I still listen to the Halo soundtracks on a daily basis. Halo 2 is possibly one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. The campaign is engaging and practically flawless, and I can remember it literally moment-for-moment. Every movement in Martin O'Donnel's soundtrack has a feeling I associate with it.
Best Moment:
After battling non-stop for hours as the Arbiter, and then fighting though the endless halls of High Charity as Master Chief, you come out into the open and gaze out upon the vast expanse that is High Charity. You stand on the very perimeter looking over the very heart of the Covenant, and this incredibly calming music washes over you.
Then, when you confront the doomed Prophet of Mercy, you are presented with Master Chief's final goal: the Pursuit of Truth. The coolest music ever for battling the Flood through a doomed mega-city.
THAT is what you call and engaging experience, Dustin.
I also still listen to the soundtracks every now and then. But I thought the best moment was when your playing as the Master Chief and you enter the mausoleum of the arbiter. When Breaking Benjamin - Blow Me Away starts playing I just crap pants.
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Man....this takes me wayyyy back. I miss LAN parties =(
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I had some awesome times with Halo 1-3. If the new Halo games manage to be like the old ones (i.e. not reach and odst) I'll be extremely happy
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Yea, lets hope 343 Industries will do a good job on the new trilogie. But first we get to play Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary ^^
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It seems like the further back in time you go, Bungie (or any studio) games get very good.
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EPT
