Editing Halo: Combat Evolved

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{{Game Infobox

|image= [[File:Halo_Combat_Evolved_(Xbox)_Platinum_Hits_box_art.JPG|250px]]

|developer= [[Bungie Studios]]

|publisher= [[Microsoft Game Studios]]

|platform= [[Xbox]]<BR>[[Halo PC|PC]], [[Halo Mac|Mac]]

|releasedate= '''US''': November 15, 2001<br />

'''UK''': March 14, 2002<br />

'''PC''': September 30, 2003

|modes= [[Campaign]], [[multiplayer]]

|rating= Mature for Blood, Gore, and Violence (M)

{{Quote|Halo: Combat Evolved! Buy one! Heck, buy two! That's an order, soldier!|[[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] upon completion of the [[Halo Trial|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' demo]]}}

'''''Halo: Combat Evolved''''' is a [[First Person Shooter|first person shooter]] science-fiction video game created by [[Bungie Studios]], which was a subsidiary of [[Microsoft Game Studios]] at that time. It was released for the original [[Xbox]] game console on November 15, 2001, and is backwards compatible with the [[Xbox 360]] by downloading a free code patch on [[Xbox Live]]. It was also released for PC and Mac and it is one of the most popular video games for the Xbox with eight million copies sold. Its sales are rivaled only by its sequels, ''[[Halo 2]]'' and ''[[Halo 3]]''. This game is considered a classic even though it was released in 2001.  

''Halo: Combat Evolved'' has been made available as an Xbox Original game title for Xbox 360 since December 4, 2007 for download on [[Xbox Live|Xbox Live Marketplace]] for 1200 Microsoft Points.<ref>[http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024d53084c/ '''Xbox Marketplace''': ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']</ref>

==Synopsis==

===Character and settings===

''Halo''<nowiki />'s storyline is linear; there is a single ending in contrast to other first person shooters such as ''[[wikipedia:Deus Ex|Deus Ex]]'' that could have several different endings. It is presented to the player through an instruction manual, scripted events and conversations during the game, and a number of cut-scenes rendered using the game's graphics engine. This method of storyline delivery is common among modern video games. The Xbox version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' allows one player to play the campaign alone, as well as allowing two players to play through the campaign in split screen. The [[Halo PC|PC version of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']] allows only one player to play through the campaign.

 

''Halo: Combat Evolved'' begins with the {{UNSCship|Pillar of Autumn}} emerging out of [[slipspace]] after the [[Fall of Reach]], only find a huge ring world—a "[[Halo Array|Halo]]"—floating in space. [[Master Chief Petty Officer]] [[John-117]], a [[SPARTAN-II]], is aboard the ''Autumn'' when the ship comes under attack by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], a religious alliance of aliens and the arch-enemy of humanity.

John-117 evacuates the doomed ship for the surface of Halo to protect the ''Autumn's'' artificial intelligence, [[Cortana]]. She carries highly sensitive information about the [[United Nations Space Command]], including the location of [[Earth]], which would prove disastrous if captured by the Covenant. With the UNSC Marines by his side, Cortana providing direction, and his assault rifle ready and loaded, John-117 sets out to uncover the mysteries of Halo and fight the Covenant.

After meeting up with surviving UNSC forces under [[Staff Sergeant]] [[Avery Junior Johnson]], John-117 participates in a mission to rescue [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Jacob Keyes]], the commander of the ''Autumn'', from the Covenant cruiser ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''. After rescuing the Captain, Cortana learns that [[Installation 04|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 [[Forerunner]]s, 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 [[Wallace A. Jenkins|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 swarm over all resistance. Free for the first time in thousands of years, the Flood sweeps across Halo, devastating Human and Covenant forces alike. The release of the Flood prompts [[343 Guilty Spark (Construct)|343 Guilty Spark]], the eccentric AI [[Monitor]] of the ring, to activate Halo's defense systems. The AI instructs the SPARTAN-II to activate Halo by obtaining the activation index from the Installation's [[Library]]. The Chief 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. Realising the threat of Halo, Cortana instructs John-117 to detonate the ''Autumn''<nowiki />'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''<nowiki />'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.

==Gameplay==

* '''Storyline Execution:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s gameplay and storyline are tightly interwoven, delivered in a convincing manner consistent with the flow of the game.

* '''Vehicular Incorporation:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s includes the option for players to control multiple land and air based vehicles in third-person view. This vantage brings a welcomed sense of immersion and enhances specific points of gameplay, again setting Halo apart from contemporary first person shooters.

* '''Weapons System:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s new weapons system is unique in two major respects. The first is only allowing players to carry two weapons at a time, thus forcing the player to make trade-offs as they progress throughout the game. The second is a single, separate button for throwing grenades, making them much more significant in both campaign and multiplayer games.

* '''Artificial Intelligence:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s AI is quite sophisticated for its era. With a brand new advanced AI system, actions performed by the AI such as panicking after the death of a superior, diving out of the way of an oncoming vehicle, or taking cover from explosives and suppressive fire, helped ''Halo'' stand out from the rest of the first-person shooters being released at the time.

Movement in ''Halo'' is similar to other first-person shooters, allowing the player to move forwards, backwards, and strafe left and right (including diagonally) independently of their aim. On the Xbox, moving and aiming are normally separated between the two analogue sticks, and on the [[Halo PC|PC]], between the keyboard and the mouse. ''Halo'' also allows the player to crouch and jump, although jumping from a high ledge will often result in death, or at least major fall damage. Damage from falling can be reduced or negated entirely with a well-timed crouch right as one lands. Additionally, if the player [[Crouch Jump|crouches at the peak of his jump]], he will be able to land on something slightly taller than if he were to jump without crouching. Also, if the player is jumping from a cliff he can make sure he is touching the wall periodically while he is falling. This will count as if he is touching floor, and every time the player touches the wall, the damage counter goes to zero (there is no visible damage counter during gameplay).

''Halo: Combat Evolved'' features a wide variety of environments including human and Covenant star ships, ancient buildings on [[Installation 04|Halo]] itself, and expansive outdoor climates. The first level, ''Pillar of Autumn'', is fought entirely on the human star ship of the same name. The next level, ''Halo'', takes place in a temperate highland climate with open-air Forerunner structures scattered about. This level also contains the famous "Blue Beam Towers". ''Truth and Reconciliation'' begins in a rocky desert, but the setting changes to the titular Covenant cruiser about one-third of the way through. ''The Silent Cartographer'' occurs on a tropical island, with substantial combat both outdoors and inside futuristic Forerunner installations. ''Assault on the Control Room'' takes place in a snowy, icy area of towering cliffs and underground tunnels as well as high-tech suspension bridges and oft-repeated Forerunner structures built into and through cliff walls.

''343 Guilty Spark'' is a significant departure from these majestic environments, with combat in gloomy, exotic swamps and equally gloomy underground complexes that host the player's introduction to the Flood. The player is then teleported to the second of three entirely indoor levels, ''The Library'', encountering repetitive, forbidding hallways and massive elevators. Master Chief returns to the snowy climate of Assault on the Control Room for ''Two Betrayals'', visiting almost no new areas but, interestingly, traveling in the opposite direction. ''Keyes'' occurs in the same rocky deserts and the same Covenant ship from Truth and Reconciliation, albeit now heavily damaged, but this time the Flood are present in huge numbers. Finally, ''The Maw'' is set on the Pillar of Autumn with three major differences: the presence of the Flood, the heavy structural damage, and access to the Engineering section and service corridors of the ship, which were previously off-limits. In total, six of the ten levels feature a substantial amount of combat outdoors.

===Player damage system===

In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the player has a limited, non-regenerating [[health]], which can be fully restored by picking up [[health pack]]s. Running completely out of health will result in death, but having lower health does not impede player actions.  A player's health can be reduced only if his shields have been depleted. If the player's health is at minimal levels they will faintly hear John-117's heartbeat. This aspect of the game was changed in ''[[Halo 2]]'', but returned in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' and ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.

Serving as the second layer of protection is the shielding system specially built for the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR Mk. V armor]]. The shield will decrease in strength every time it is hit by a weapon and will fail after taking too many hits. The amount of shield drain depends on the attacker's weapon but will quickly regenerate if it is not hit for a brief period of time. The shield represents a marked departure from most first-person shooters, in which one's health bar is basically augmented by picking up "armor".

===Campaign===

The campaign in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' consists of ten levels;

#[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]] - "Escape intact as Covenant forces board your ship."

#[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved Level)|Halo]] - "Seek out surviving Marines and help them fight the Covenant."

#[[The Silent Cartographer]] - "Search for the map room that will lead you to the secrets of Halo."

#[[The Library]] - "Fight your way through an ancient security facility in search of the Index."

#[[Two Betrayals]] - "Re-activate the weapon at the heart of Halo... and learn the truth."

#[[The Maw]] - "Destroy Halo before Halo destroys all life in the galaxy."

===Multiplayer===

A total of thirteen multiplayer maps is available in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', with six exclusive maps for the [[Halo PC|PC/Mac version]].

*[[Blood Gulch (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Blood Gulch]]

==Features==

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{{col-2}}

===Main characters===

*[[John-117]] {{1st}}

*[[Cortana]] {{1st}}

*[[Jacob Keyes]] {{1st}}

*[[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]] {{1st}}

*[[Avery Junior Johnson]] {{1st}}

*[[Wallace A. Jenkins]] {{1st}}

*[[M. Fitzgerald]] {{1st}}

*[[Hosky]] {{1st}}

*[[Kappus]] {{1st}}

*[[Lovik]] {{1st}}

*[[O'Brien]] {{1st}}

*[[Carol "Foehammer" Rawley]] {{1st}}

*[[Flood]]

*[[Human]]

*[[Kig-yar]]

*[[Mgalekgolo]]

*[[Sangheili]]

*[[Unggoy]]

**''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]''

*[[Dropship 77-Troop Carrier]]

**{{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}

*[[M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle]]

*[[M12A1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle]]

*[[M808B Main Battle Tank]]

*[[Type-25 Assault Gun Carriage]]

*[[Type-28 Troop Carrier]]

*[[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft]]

*[[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle]]

*[[MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System]]

*[[Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword]]

===Equipment===

*[[Active Camouflage]]

*[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V]]

*[[Overshield]]

{{col-end}}

The music in this game was composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori. It includes many tracks like the Halo theme.

==Multiplayer==

Up to four players can play together using the same-console split screen mode. It is also possible for up to 16 players to play together in one ''Halo'' game over a [[wikipedia:LAN|local area network]], using Xbox and/or Xbox 360 consoles that have been connected through an [[wikipedia:ethernet|ethernet]] hub, or via Xbox Connect. The game's seamless support for this type of play, and a few large maps that can accommodate up to 16 combatants, is a first for console games. Since the game was released before the launch of Xbox Live, mainstream online play was not available for this title.

==Marketing promotions and release ==

===Demonstration===

===Viral campaign===

===Reception===

''Halo'' was the main launch title for Xbox and is said to be the game that made the Xbox what it is today. It is widely renowned for saving the fledgling Xbox platform, as the Xbox lacked any titles to compete with Sony's PlayStation 2 or Nintendo's GameCube. ''Halo'' became an overnight success and managed to drive the platform from the brink of an early death. It went on to sell 8 million copies, in other words, 33% of all Xbox owners also owned ''Halo''. It was also critically acclaimed. IGN gave the game a 9.7 out of 10 and stated it to be the best Xbox game of all time. X-Play gave it a perfect 5 out of 5. The game got a perfect ten from EGM, and was 2002 Game of the Year for IGN, EGM, OXM, and AIAS. It also got a 9.5 out of 10 from Game Informer, and an average meta-score of 97 out of 100, making it the most highly rated Xbox game of all time. It was also called the game that reinvented a genre. OXM rated ''Halo: CE'' Number 1 in a list of the 100 best games of recent memory, saying "''The Xbox did not create Halo, Halo made the Xbox''".

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:Alexander Seropia

==Trivia==

*''Halo'' was originally being developed for the Mac and PC as a Real Time Strategy-based game, and was later changed to a third person shooter, before Microsoft took interest in its development and purchased Bungie Studios, thereby owning a promising video game to use exclusively with Xbox.

*As a literary side note, the ring, "Halo", borrows heavily from the [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld]] of [[wikipedia:Larry Niven|Larry Niven]] and the [[wikipedia:Culture Orbital|Culture Orbitals]] of [[wikipedia:Iain M. Banks|Iain M. Banks]].

*The ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' box art shows the Banshees in the background in their pilotless stance, yet they are still flying. Similarly, they are shown firing thin laser beams, rather than the plasma orbs that they actually fire in-game.

*Bungie mentioned that none of the characters in the E3 video for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' had AI. In fact, all of the movement was actually scripted. This, however, was proven to be partly false. The AI will move to what are called "firing positions", which are not only places that the AI fire from, but places which the AI will not stop moving unless already in one, save for scripted command lists, although the AI will usually attempt to move to a firing position.

*In the ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' handbook, the [[Plasma Rifle]]'s "blueprint" is an overlap of a [[Needler]] underneath and the rifle on top.

*''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was originally planned to have a changing weather system which was mentioned in the August 2000 issue of ''PC Gamer'' magazine.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=pcgamer.0800 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''PC Gamer August 2000'']</ref>

*''Halo: Combat Evolved'' was not the original title made by Bungie; the original title of the game had always been intended to be simply "Halo". The term ''"Combat Evolved"'' was suggested by Microsoft Game Studios during the Halo's development phase in order to deter name confusion on the part of the Japanese market.<ref>[http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=249196 '''ComputerAndVideoGame''': ''Microsoft forced Bungie to accept 'Combat Evolved' name'']</ref>

<gallery widths="150" orientation="landscape">

File:Halo-combat-evolved.jpg|Cover art for the game.

File:halo_ce_huge.jpg|Title art.

File:4wiki.jpg|This image shows vehicle-on-vehicle combat a tactic that is repeated throughout the game.

File:Halo Combat Evolved box art (PC).jpg|The box art for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' on PC.

<references/>

==Links==

===Internal===

*[[Halo: Combat Evolved Credits]]

*[[Halo PC]]

*[[Halo Cache Editor 0.7]]

*[[Halo: Combat Evolved (PC) patches]]

*[[Halomaps.org]]

===External===

*[http://www.bungie.net/Projects/Halo/default.aspx Official site]

*[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us//games/halocombatevolved#video_1 Official Xbox.com site]

*[http://halo.bungie.org Halo.Bungie.Org] ''Halo'' fansite and resource center

*[http://www.subnova.com/halopc/ Subnova.com] ''Halo'' Information & FAQs

*[http://www.apple.com/games/articles/2003/11/halo/ ''Halo'' for Mac OS X]

[[Category:Games|Halo 1]]