Excuse the slow start today, but like so many of you, we've been engulfed in one of the biggest gaming moments in history. As of 11:00 AM, I find myself resurfacing from a grueling bout that took me well into the sunrise. I began my journey with the campaign (Heroic, I might add—Legendary will have to wait). After a slow, 10-minute introduction intertwined with basic orientation, the action kicked off, and too my surprise, was just as cramped and somewhat uninspired as the first level of the original.
And that?s when I realized that I had indeed succumb to the hype-machine, and that Halo 2 was not the be all, end
all of gaming. Now, I know that my aging 27-inch Philips does not do justice to the visuals, but the
game seemed so familiar to me, that I started to think, ?expansion pack?? So I bumbled along, awkwardly
toying with the new dual-wielding function, mowing down small packs of Covenant here and there, marveling at how much
smarter my Marine sidekicks seemed to appear, and that?s when it hit me? I became engaged in a frustratingly,
humbling battle that lasted well over 30 minutes. During each failed attempt after failed
attempt of said section, the small tweaks that Bungie has implemented started to become
apparent, and I began to have some inkling as to what it was that was going to make this game truly shine in my
eyes.
Bungie has stuck to the age old motto: If it ain?t broke, don?t fix it. They discovered a way to balance both AI
and player enhancements, leaving success in the hands of the wielder. It?s too early to make a final
judgment, but we will be sure to bring you our daily impressions, and please, share your own. As for my
own journey, mid-way through the second level?s opening scene a friend invite flashed in the lower left-hand corner,
and that, inevitably, was the start of something big, really big?
