Figure 1: Cover art for Halo: Combat Evolved

[1] http://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/large/1006320047-00.jpg

 Figure 2: It is up to you to save the galaxy!

[2] http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/20/8/80/s20880_pc_2.jpg

Very rarely does a game release that not only receives the level of detail that Hollywood Blockbusters are known for, but also has the lasting value to warrant and justify the purchase of a brand new console. Film has what it calls “Blockbusters,” and similarly, games have “Killer Apps.”  Nintendo splashed into the gaming industry with a short, plump, red-capped plumber who single handedly became the face of videogames and even went the distance to become more recognizable than Disney’s Mickey Mouse. Sega and Sony followed suit with their own respective mascots: Sonic and Crash Bandicoot. Each of these characters contributed to the phenomenal success of their respective consoles, garnering the undying love and support from fans insofar as “making” their consoles. With the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox in 2001, what game would “make” the console?

Halo: Combat Evolved was the number one reason (and arguably the only reason) to buy Microsoft’s Xbox console. It had all the components of a great game. The game showed off the sheer power of the Xbox displaying high-res textures, dynamic gameplay, cunning A.I., and a strong sci-fi story line to top it all off. Never before had the gaming industry witnessed a game that meshed all these elements into one cohesive package that would remain an unforgettable experience in the hearts of millions of gamers. Halo was truly a unique experience because most Killer Apps in the past (Mario, Sonic, etc.) relied only on great gameplay and simple storylines due to the limited graphical capacity of their respective consoles. With Microsoft’s Xbox, the developers of Halo had much more technological flexibility that allowed the game designers to close the gap between the game and film industry.  As a result, Halo became a game that resembled a Hollywood Blockbuster more than anything else.

The film industry relies on strong narratives and a believable diegetic world to achieve success. Halo’s narrative was so deep and so intricate that it spawned countless best-selling novels of the same name and even a contract to a new movie coming out in 2008. The story is something like this: you play as Master Chief, a Spartan warrior in a cyber-galactic setting who is at the brink of universal destruction. The Covenant, an extremist religious group of aliens are set out to destroy the galaxy by activating Halo (the ring planet that the game is named after) in order to achieve salvation. As Master Chief, it is your job to stop them with the help of your human allies. Part of Halo’s charm is the all too familiar conflict between good vs. evil, but with a sci-fi twist. 

By playing as Master Chief, the player is immersed into the diegetic world by interacting in the first person point of view, which effectively creates the illusion that you are inside Master Chief’s helmet.  Thus, the rules are simple: you are Master Chief and, with assault rifle in hand, it is your job to fight the covenant, command your allies, and ultimately save mankind.  Unlike films where you feel sympathy for the characters on-screen, in Halo, you feel sympathy for yourself, as you know that you are man’s only hope for survival. This personal and intellectual level of emotion is what makes Halo one of the most visceral experiences in gaming history. In the end, the valued outcome is that you do save the galaxy from mass destruction by destroying Halo before it is activated, but only to find out that there are many more of such planets in the universe.