I really, really tried to like Halo CE and Halo 2.

[bagofbeef]

I got my 360 last May. Prior to that, the last console I owned was the Sega Genesis. So I'd been out of the scene for a bit. The first couple of games I played on the 360 were Gears of War and Crackdown. Loved them. LOVED. I then moved on to a bunch of XBLA titles, which were also good, and most recently, the Orange Box. *More Love*

I knew that at some point, I wanted to go back and check out Halo and Halo 2. The plan was to get caught up with the franchise before diving into Halo 3. So I borrowed both games from my brother-in-law, and I gotta say... meh.

I'm not really liking either game, and I'm trying to figure out why. It's not entirely because of the original XBOX graphics, but I think that plays a part. Perhaps it's because I just finished Half-Life 2. The physics puzzles in that game were extremely satisfying. In the Halos, I feel like I'm just running around shooting aliens. There doesn't seem to be much more to it than that. and the story, compared to Half-Life, seems lofty and... heavy-handed, or something. I'm not identifying with Master Chief in the least, and playing as the Arbitor in Halo 2 just ramps up the confusion for me. I never really knew who was an enemy. Unfortunately, the highlight of both games to this point has been the voice work of David Cross.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I guess it's just not my cup of tea.

Anyone else? Has there been a game that, despite the praise it's been given, you haven't enjoyed like you thought you would?

I stopped playing Halo 2. I doubt that I'll get Halo 3 -- my gaming time is somewhat limited, and I'll probably tackle COD4 next, and then wait for Force Unleashed. Hopefully those will live up to my preconceived notions. :D

[vahnx]

I only liked Halo 2 back in '04 '05 when we used to play it at games club after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I find single player boring. It's only fun when your sitting with a few system linked Xbox's on a few TVs versus people you know in real life.

Halo 1 was fun online, but not as fun as Halo 2 LAN. And as for Halo 3, I just didn't like it.

[damnedeyez]

Gears of War (Mind, I have it for PC since I don't own a 360)
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (I enjoyed Episode 1 a ton more...it comes down to playstyle and preferences I guess)


I'm sure there are others.

[deegraww]

I for some reason own all three halos. never played the single player of any of them. Halo one I got when I bought my x-box (Special Halo edition) Halo two I bought because my roommate and I used to link x-boxs and play all hours of the night. Halo 3 I got to do the same thing at are respective new places. But I enjoy all the other games you mentioned (Minus gears since i've never played it) much more.

[tsmith15]

I didn't like Gears of War beyond my first play through co-op.

[geeksunny]

This sounds exactly like another thread around here... http://revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15693

But anyway, I really liked (and still do) the original Halo. I have fond memories of 6-12 people get togethers playing it on system-link, even though I was always probably the worst person there. Halo 2 wasn't as fun, probably due to Bungie making it more "noob-friendly." Halo 3 I'm liking, though. Feels more natural to me. I really hope they remake more maps from the first game for Halo 3... but that might just be for the nostalgia more than anything.

The story mode was really fun with co-op on all three games. Single player was usually hit-or-miss (and Halo 2 was a pretty big "miss.")

[bobafettjm]

I have never really been all that into the Halo games either. While I do like them, they really don't seem that special to me. I did have quite a bit of fun in the first Halo playing with other people in the room.

[aerodash84]

I played parts of Halo 1 and 2, and they were alright. I only played 2 at my friend's house so didn't get far. 3 I just can't get through without someone else playing. I don't care much for online multiplayer. Prefer to play in a room with some friends which I really enjoyed about 2.

[autodas]

Halo was an innovator in having coop play in the single player campaign. The campaign is not bad or good.

But Halo: CE is really fun when you play in multiplayer. Get 4,8,12,or 16 people together and play.

I agree that Halo2 sucks. I much prefer the Halo physics over the Unreal Tournament style gameplay in Halo2.

[decepticon]

I LOVED Halo: CE back in the day...amazing single player, co-op was a blad, and amazing multiplayer when you're buddies are over.

Halo 2 I thought sucked single player wise, but the multiplayer was great again, when a group of friends were over.

Halo 3 I thought was lame all around. Lame single player, TERRIBLE multiplayer that doesn't hold a candle to COD4, or even say, Gears of War. It can be fun, but there are so many complete tools on XBL that seem to be attracted to Halo 3 that unless you have a premade going it's practically impossible to play with team chat enabled. Way too many kids that don't know when to keep their traps shut.

Overall, the series seems pretty overhyped now, but I'll admit back when Halo: CE came out it was an INCREDIBLE experience, so obviously I was incredibly excited for Halo 2. After that minor disappointment, I was still really pumped for Halo 3. I thought they could redeem themselves there, but they just dug themselves deeper. Needless to say I won't make the mistake of forking out extra $$ for a Collector's Edition of Halo 4 :p

[hepcat]

I can see your point on single player bagobeef, but the real draw is the co-op and multiplayer. get on there with some friends and you will have a better experience.