*Minuscule Spoilers*
Storyline - A fantastic piece of work by Joe Staten. Although at times it is a quite over-zealous plot, Staten works with it well so that you don't feel too alienated from the original. I have no grudge against the ending; it's an intentional cliché and leaves it on a nice cliff-hanger.
Graphics - Very Good. You don't really need to ask for more. Half Life 2 does beat Halo 2 hands down in the graphics department but unfortunately is just short of or on par with Halo 2 in every other aspect.
Game Audio - The guns sound excellent, it stays true to the original and when you melee something, it sounds good. From the reloading of the SMG to the crackling of the Energy Sword, it's very well done.
Game Audio Score - Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori have produced yet another masterpiece of gaming music and the music can only matched by the original Halo. The soundtrack was probably one of the most commonly seen stocking fillers this Christmas. It's epic at the right times, slow and quiet when the mayhem has froze over and when the mood of the music changes; you know if you are approaching a highly populated area of enemies or an abandoned area devoid of any life. You also don't pay attention to the music first time around, basically what every musical score should aim to achieve.
Voice Acting - Some of the best of the year. Because everyone else who reviewed the game has talked about the graphics and storyline, I will go into detail with the voice acting. The standout is without a doubt Keith David in his role. I can't say much about it, but due to his trademark deep voice, it'll be hard not to guess who he plays. Again, I don't think I could mark down the amount of superlatives I have for him after this role. Steve Downes is back as the Master Chief. This time Downes, plays the Chief with a little more attitude and maintains the steely voice which made him a recognizable and legendary character first time around.
The stunning Julie Benz captures the 'Keyes' attitude - without ruining anything - very well indeed. Tim Dadabo is back in marine form as the hilarious Coporal Perez who you will enjoy listening to as he takes the rip out of the covenant in Tony Montana style. He also brilliantly plays the returning little lightbulb 343 Guilty Spark.
Hard man Robert Davi is also in there playing a character simply named the 'Spec Ops Leader' and puts on a pretty noticeable role for what should have been a minor cinematic character. Another film baddie, Miguel Ferrer, puts on a more evil display as the Heretic Leader. Ron Pearlman is also in there in his role as Lord Hood, a role which he fits into very nicely.
David Scully is once again brilliant as the hilarious Sergeant Johnston, producing some of the most memorable lines of the game alongside Keith David. Try dying beside the Sarge and you'll be rewarded with some great lines. Jen Taylor is back, sassier than ever, as AI construct Cortana while Michael Wincott (intense voice as always - suits his character very well), Hamilton Camp (excellent acting as the Prophet of Mercy) and Robin Atkin Downes (video game voice over veteran delivers well) feature as the prophets.
Kevin Michael Richardson puts in a great performance as Tartarus while John Michael Higgins guest stars as 2401 Penitent Tangent (who I am sure we will see more of in the next instalment if there is one) and the ever versatile Dee Bradley Baker plays another character who I shouldn't say much about, but certainly does deliver his lines with reassurance.
There's also some great voice acting from the AI actors. David Cross stands out like a sore thumb and the constant pronunciation of 'Pinhead' from his Marine is quite funny during a battle. Orlando Jones makes a guest appearance as Sgt. Banks while Pete Stacker, Sgt. Stacker from the original and originally penned to play Sgt. Banks, is reduced to an AI sergeant yet Stacker really suited the role as seen in the E3 2003 demo of the game but still is easily recognizable to fans of the game.
Comedy fool John Kassir delivers some funny AI lines while mad Aussie Andrew McKaige returns even more trash-talkative than ever. To go with all of that, you have the seductive movie villain in the form of Michelle Rodriguez who plays one of the female marine models with a bit of attitude. Add to that the lovely Laura Prepon and you have one heck of an AI actor line-up. Also, the video game voice-over talents of Ken Boynton and Chris Edgerly as the Brutes, cinematic director Joe Staten again returning as one of the Grunt models serving up some hilarious lines alongside Brian Posehn. Finally, David Scully returns to voice some of the elites again accompanied by Norm Woodel who serves up some darn good enemy AI talk that'll leave you laughing as it reminds you so much of Arnie. You know this is a star-studded line up across the board when you even have John Hurt starring in the I Love Bees saga.
Multiplayer: If you have Xbox Live, why are you reading this?? One of the best online experiences, if not thee best. Even on system link and with LAN parties it's great. This game also MUST be played on co-op, it's a fantastic experience.
Conclusion: Although a lot could have been improved to make this game live up to the hype, it certainly doesn't buckle under the pressure. The original was evolutionary while this title is more revolutionary. Still, the game offers some of the best audio on the market with the acting standing out above everything else. This game is a must have for xbox owners. 9.5/10.
Storyline - A fantastic piece of work by Joe Staten. Although at times it is a quite over-zealous plot, Staten works with it well so that you don't feel too alienated from the original. I have no grudge against the ending; it's an intentional cliché and leaves it on a nice cliff-hanger.
Graphics - Very Good. You don't really need to ask for more. Half Life 2 does beat Halo 2 hands down in the graphics department but unfortunately is just short of or on par with Halo 2 in every other aspect.
Game Audio - The guns sound excellent, it stays true to the original and when you melee something, it sounds good. From the reloading of the SMG to the crackling of the Energy Sword, it's very well done.
Game Audio Score - Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori have produced yet another masterpiece of gaming music and the music can only matched by the original Halo. The soundtrack was probably one of the most commonly seen stocking fillers this Christmas. It's epic at the right times, slow and quiet when the mayhem has froze over and when the mood of the music changes; you know if you are approaching a highly populated area of enemies or an abandoned area devoid of any life. You also don't pay attention to the music first time around, basically what every musical score should aim to achieve.
Voice Acting - Some of the best of the year. Because everyone else who reviewed the game has talked about the graphics and storyline, I will go into detail with the voice acting. The standout is without a doubt Keith David in his role. I can't say much about it, but due to his trademark deep voice, it'll be hard not to guess who he plays. Again, I don't think I could mark down the amount of superlatives I have for him after this role. Steve Downes is back as the Master Chief. This time Downes, plays the Chief with a little more attitude and maintains the steely voice which made him a recognizable and legendary character first time around.
The stunning Julie Benz captures the 'Keyes' attitude - without ruining anything - very well indeed. Tim Dadabo is back in marine form as the hilarious Coporal Perez who you will enjoy listening to as he takes the rip out of the covenant in Tony Montana style. He also brilliantly plays the returning little lightbulb 343 Guilty Spark.
Hard man Robert Davi is also in there playing a character simply named the 'Spec Ops Leader' and puts on a pretty noticeable role for what should have been a minor cinematic character. Another film baddie, Miguel Ferrer, puts on a more evil display as the Heretic Leader. Ron Pearlman is also in there in his role as Lord Hood, a role which he fits into very nicely.
David Scully is once again brilliant as the hilarious Sergeant Johnston, producing some of the most memorable lines of the game alongside Keith David. Try dying beside the Sarge and you'll be rewarded with some great lines. Jen Taylor is back, sassier than ever, as AI construct Cortana while Michael Wincott (intense voice as always - suits his character very well), Hamilton Camp (excellent acting as the Prophet of Mercy) and Robin Atkin Downes (video game voice over veteran delivers well) feature as the prophets.
Kevin Michael Richardson puts in a great performance as Tartarus while John Michael Higgins guest stars as 2401 Penitent Tangent (who I am sure we will see more of in the next instalment if there is one) and the ever versatile Dee Bradley Baker plays another character who I shouldn't say much about, but certainly does deliver his lines with reassurance.
There's also some great voice acting from the AI actors. David Cross stands out like a sore thumb and the constant pronunciation of 'Pinhead' from his Marine is quite funny during a battle. Orlando Jones makes a guest appearance as Sgt. Banks while Pete Stacker, Sgt. Stacker from the original and originally penned to play Sgt. Banks, is reduced to an AI sergeant yet Stacker really suited the role as seen in the E3 2003 demo of the game but still is easily recognizable to fans of the game.
Comedy fool John Kassir delivers some funny AI lines while mad Aussie Andrew McKaige returns even more trash-talkative than ever. To go with all of that, you have the seductive movie villain in the form of Michelle Rodriguez who plays one of the female marine models with a bit of attitude. Add to that the lovely Laura Prepon and you have one heck of an AI actor line-up. Also, the video game voice-over talents of Ken Boynton and Chris Edgerly as the Brutes, cinematic director Joe Staten again returning as one of the Grunt models serving up some hilarious lines alongside Brian Posehn. Finally, David Scully returns to voice some of the elites again accompanied by Norm Woodel who serves up some darn good enemy AI talk that'll leave you laughing as it reminds you so much of Arnie. You know this is a star-studded line up across the board when you even have John Hurt starring in the I Love Bees saga.
Multiplayer: If you have Xbox Live, why are you reading this?? One of the best online experiences, if not thee best. Even on system link and with LAN parties it's great. This game also MUST be played on co-op, it's a fantastic experience.
Conclusion: Although a lot could have been improved to make this game live up to the hype, it certainly doesn't buckle under the pressure. The original was evolutionary while this title is more revolutionary. Still, the game offers some of the best audio on the market with the acting standing out above everything else. This game is a must have for xbox owners. 9.5/10.