blake johnson

Reader caution: the following review contains spoilers of in-game content.

As I near the end of the single-player campaign in Halo 3, some thoughts have been emerging that I feel I should write down. First of all, this game is epic. The developers build incredible momentum as you progress through the levels. At the beginning of the game I felt like, "ah, this is familiar. I am running around sticking grenades to my enemies and melee-ing anything I can." Then, suddenly, I have to take down a scarab-- and the level doesn't end there! Mind you, taking down a scarab was the entire purpose of a level in Halo 2. Now, it is just a point in a sequence of increasingly epic battles. The first Halo achieved similar pacing. I have to say that the final level of the original where one has to pilot a warthog out of the ship before it blows up was incredible. I remember it taking quite a few tries before I finally got it, but the feeling of triumph upon completing it was unlike anything I had experienced before in a game. It was, consequently, with great delight that I found a warthog waiting for me in the final level of Halo 3.

Secondly, I think the developers do an excellent job with immersing the player in the story. Ok, so... it is not like the "lone hero saves the world"-story is particularly new. But, the appearance of Sgt. Johnson and Commander Keyes at crucial moments makes it feel like you, the player, are actually fighting for something. The religious overtones to the story are also intriguing. Consider that "the Arc" is a place where all life can be saved or destroyed and that you battle a "flood" on one side, and on the other a cult that is trying to bring about a millennial era. I am not sure what kind of statement, if any, the developers are trying to make about religion. Yet, the inclusion of religion involving something other than the occult is new territory for video games. It serves this game well because it gives a believable motive to the villains of the story.

And then we have Cortana. The first few times that she flashed up onto the screen to taunt me caused me to jump a bit. I thought it odd that the developers would interrupt the flow of the game that way. However, as you progress through the game, Cortana's appearances increase in frequency, making you feel like you are getting closer to her (which, in fact, you are). This turns into a fantastic hook for pulling the player toward the climax of the story.

The preponderance of easter eggs and special goodies littered throughout the game world will keep me coming back to replay the single-player campaign even as I venture into the multi-player component. Xbox owners, do yourselves a favor and pick up this game, ASAP.

Article in the NYTimes yesterday about churches using Halo to get teens involved in the community. I must say that I find it odd to have Halo events at church, but I don't necessarily have a problem with it. My local parish had a Superbowl event last year and I didn't think anything of it. I suppose I could see more of a problem with a game like Gears of War which is overflowing with graphical violence. I am not entirely sure why Halo has a "M" rating, for that matter. There is no blood. It is somewhat cartoon-ish. In fact, I think it is hardly more violent than Star Wars.

Still, it would be weird to play Halo at church.

I am in the middle of updating my theme. I am doing it "live", so it is very much a work in progress and many things might be broken or look funny. I am liking the black and white look, though.

I just upgraded this morning. Of course this means that my theme is broken, so I am leaving with the k2 default in order to motivate me to do something about it

Two new games arrived within the last week: Halo 3 and Team Fortress 2. I've been bouncing back and forth between the two. I'm about half way through the campaign in Halo 3 and so far it is a lot of fun. The game play is the same fast-paced action that fans of the series are used to. But, I really can't complain about more of the same when it is more of a good thing. The production values are also obviously very high. Phyllis pointed out that the leaves on the trees are incredible. I have already encountered some fantastic moments, so I am very eager to see how the rest plays out.

Team Fortress 2 is the reason I have not yet finished the single player campaign in Halo 3. I can't get enough of this game. The multitude of classes makes for very different game play experiences. So, even when your teammates are not very good, you can entertain yourself in many ways by trying different tactics and classes to attack your superior opponents.

I have to admit that I am obsessed with checking my Team Fortress 2 stats page. This is a great new feature. For the life of me I cannot figure out why I have not completed the "world traveler" achievement. I am positive that I have played every map, multiple times. If I could just figure out what map it thinks I haven't played...

My favorite class to play keeps changing, but I recently discovered the joys of the engineer. Simply put, a well-placed sentry gun can rack up a ton of kills.