MY VIEW
Games: "Halo: Combat Evolved"

Editor's note: We went to the vault for this one, asking game reviewer Julius Pecson to choose a game that has withstood the test of time. His pick: "Halo: Combat Evolved," released Nov. 15, 2001, for Xbox.

Developer/publisher: Bungie Studios/Microsoft.
Genre: First-person shooter; action.
Number of players: 1-4 (1-16 network).
ESRB Rating: Mature, for blood and violence.

By Julius Pecson
Special to The Advertiser

The Verdict: THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely play it. 3 — Good: Worth playing despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the license or series, don't bother. 1 — Poor: You'd have more fun playing Pong.

Gameplay: Divided into 10 episodes, with each episode further split into subchapters, the game's narrative is as cinematic as it is interactive. "Halo" combines pre-scripted events with real-time simulation gameplay to bring you into a dynamic world focused purely on intense action.

The good/bad: Although "Halo" didn't do anything revolutionary for the FPS genre, its engaging gameplay, slick presentation, tight controls, and quality soundtrack put it in the upper echelon of first-person shooters. Earning multiple Game of the Year awards in 2001, the game's most compelling feature would probably be the devious complexity of the enemy A.I., which constantly reacts to your every move. If you're up for a challenge, take on the Legendary difficulty (and co-op with a friend) for the ultimate experience. And while four-player split screen never gets old, multiplayer takes on a whole new meaning when you've hooked up four TVs, four Xboxes, and 16 controllers for an all-out "Halo" frag-fest. Some minor complaints involve the repetitive level designs of the indoor areas, unbalanced weapons, sparse multiplayer maps, and the occasional slowdowns when the action gets too chaotic.

Tips: The gold Covenant Elites can be a real hassle to fight. Backing away and planting a plasma grenade is a good strategy, and suppression fire with the assault rifle is great for slowing them down enough to stay out of range of their energy sword. Since you'll most likely encounter them in confined quarters, try bouncing frag grenades off the wall when they don't see you for a free hit before moving in with heavier weapons.For more tips, check out halosm.bungie.org/tipsntricks/tips/index.html.

My take: To this day, almost three years after its release, gamers are still coming together to play "Halo" ritually. Its addictive gameplay and multiplayer secured its place in the game industry as one of the best games in recent times, on any console, bar none. And until the sequel arrives this November, "Halo" will still be the No. 1 reason to own an Xbox.

Julius Pecson, a student at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and a longtime gamer, reviews games on various consoles, including Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance, for The Advertiser.

Have a game or CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.