Over the years I’ve come to love the original Halo CE on the original Xbox the best. Unfortunately, almost no one can play it that way today. Anyway, nice video.
They need to bring you back Marty! And give you full control. To see a composer care this deeply about a franchise they worked on all these years laters is rare and says a lot. 343 needs to take a hint already!
CE best Halo game. Infinite isn't really a game, it's a subscription, but I enjoyed the campaign as much as I possibly could. Felt like I was lost on Installation 04 a few times. That's magic
CE is the best that Halo has ever been from a campaign perspective. Newer games have added more to the formula but none have so perfectly nailed the sheer symphony of combat bliss as the original.
CE will always hold a special place in my heart as one of my first true gaming experiences. The sheer scale, wonder, and mystery of the halo ring seriously worked well with a child like wonder and imagination, everything about the game still holds up pretty well to this day.
Halo CE revolutionized console FPS games and really proved that they were actually viable. It is still my favorite game to this day. It never gets old and the combat still feels great.
@carringtondale if gamers wanted to have health packs and a weapon wheel then devs would make games like that. I will admit I love me some Doom but honestly there is a reason most arena shooters like that went the way of the Dodo. If you always have every weapon on you, you never have to have forethought about what combat scenarios you see yourself in. The 2 weapon system is great and no one forced devs to use it, they just used it because it was more appealing and encourages more predictive thoughts while playing a game.
It's like you said, this game is perfect on its own. The story, gameplay and atmosphere all work together to create one of the greatest gaming experiences in history. While Halo 2 is my personal favorite, Halo CE works perfectly on its own but also has more unique and interesting layers added to it as each game has released. Great video.👍
I still remember revisiting CE when I was hit with COVID earlier this year. The atmosphere of coming across Installation 04 and finding out about the Covenant's plans, the Flood's threat, and 343 Guilty Spark's attempted omnicide adds to the journey in the single player. I also love the Multiplayer but I HATE how broken the spawns are in MCC. If only I could try it in the form of Local Multiplayer...
So glad I found your channel. Been checking out your vids over the last few days and absolutely LOVE the content! Love the jokes. Love the insight. A fresh perspective on a 20+ year old franchise. Keep up the awesome work. Ribbit 🙂
In all seriousness, we wouldn’t have most of the FPS juggernauts if it wasn’t for CE. CE’s AI outdoes most games in today’s era somehow. This game shows how stagnant the FPS genre has become.
A lot of what made these older games great was the mystery, the adventure, the unknown, the exploration. When you "bring home" a new game today, the first thing everyone does is google the wiki to get details on all the weapons, enemies, weak spots, optimal strategies, collectible locations etc. Then it just becomes a "chore" to complete that list of tasks and/or jump into multiplayer. You don't play the game to learn the game, you just google the optimal ways to beat it and then follow the steps. Back in the day before the rise of the internet and online FAQs etc, the only way to learn about the game was to play the game. You explored, tested things out, learned from experience, discovered new routes or easier ways to complete objectives. Things like getting vehicles out of the map in multiplayer, or launching the warthog with nades. You played the game and discovered things organically. Halo CE had this in spades. As the video says, the opening cutscenes tell you how the Covenant have better technology and are more powerful than humans. They set you up to fear them, and then play an opening level where the regular humans are helpless and get massacred by the Covenant while you struggle to get through on your own. You get out of the escape pod on Halo, with all the dead marines around and are treated to the majestic Halo ring. The beautiful landscape (for the time) was a sight to behold, and as the video mentions you were free to explore. The campaign isn't linear and doesn't force you to progress in certain ways. But despite how beautiful it is and all the lush vegetation, something doesn't feel right. There's no wildlife or other aliens - the ring is completely devoid of life except you and Covenant chasing you. You start getting into the mystery of "what happened here", and then into the Forerunner structures and wondering where they went. Intrigue, suspense, discovery. Then you the plot twist as you stumble across the found footage and the game turns into a horror survival game. Do plot twists even happen anymore in games? Everything is spoiled before you even get the game because streamers review games and start providing strategies on how to best play the game. Halo CE checked all the boxes. The gunplay was also superb, the sniper and magnum are legendary, the n00b combo helping to tackle Covenant. The vehicle sections aren't just on-rails shoot-em-ups, but allow you even more freedom to both explore the environment and tackle objectives. As mentioned the AI is very good for it's time but also has several qualities in how enemies react during combat that make them feel like real people. And lastly, it is a testament to a time when devs made games with great single-player modes because that was what drove player retention. Multiplayer was great in CE, but not the main focus like it is for today's games. It was something you did via LAN with friends at sleepovers with pizza and mountain dew. Nowadays you get games with skeleton campaigns that are only included to "check the box" while creating a multiplayer hamster wheel battle pass system to drive monetization is the primary focus. Anyways, rant over. Love this game too. 90s kid who grew up playing mainly Mario games on Super Nintendo, then of course Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. But Halo CE changed everything and remains one of my favorite games of all time.
Excellent video Frog. I'm such a massive CE fan myself and I think you nailed all of its qualities. I also enjoy hearing your experiences with CE (and the other Halos as well) as a kid playing with your dad. For me, I'm 20 years older than you so I was done with video games after getting annoyed with several PS1 games the last being Final Fantasy VIII. One of my younger friends convinced me to try Halo and I was hooked! I bought an original Xbox just so I could play Halo CE and then Halo 2 and after getting back into games as a much older adult thanks to the mini console revolution I eventually bought an Xbox S just so I could get back to Halo. I'm so glad I did because in addition to CE being a masterpiece it finally gave me the opportunity to play through all of Halo 3 and to get to experience ODST, Reach along with Halo 4 (all through MCC of course). What an unbelievable series! One last point on CE. I do agree the Library is too long but I'm glad you make it clear it's not the major problem others make it out to be. For me personally, I think Cortana in Halo 3 is a much, much worse level.
I played through Halo CE for the first time this year. Hadn’t had much experience with Halo asides from a bit of 3 and Reach when I was kid so it was an interesting experience. Loved what I played though and can’t wait to start Halo 2 sometime soon CE really is a masterclass in first person shooters and a brilliant introduction to the series.
I pretty much agree with most of what you've said, but I'd like to add one more thing: I think one thing the first Halo does incredibly well is it really does make you feel like you're a struggling band of humans surrounded by enemies, outmatched and a million miles from home. That feeling of isolation and desperation really comes across to me and it makes the final triumph, despite the huge cost of basically everyone on the Pillar of Autumn, feel so much sweeter.
The adrenaline rush 12 year old me got when echo-419 got shot down and Cortana says there’s one last ship in the hanger with the clock ticking down and the classic music kicking in… jeez P.s. Michael Salvatori is still killing it with the destiny soundtrack
I just finished playing CE for the first time in about 10-15 years. And it still has so much fun. Reminds me of being 10 years old and playing it on co op with a friend and both just being blown away by it. And the music, it just gets me so hyped 😂
I’ve played halo since about 2 to 3 years old and your videos have taught me so much when it comes to speed running tricks, and everything. Now I’m still rather new obviously but this game and doing tricks like that has reinvigorated a love in it for me that I never knew, I still had.
5:18 One of my favorite little tidbits is related to this point. I forget which game/level it happens in, but you're meant to wait and get a warthog, but you can just walk away and Cortana says "Okay? I guess we'll leave it for the marines." 6:10 "After Truth & Reconciliation, you get The SIlent Cartographer which is THE Halo level. This is the one I'd show to a friend who's never played the game before." You're not alone, because there was a free demo version of Halo CE which featured this level (as well as Blood Gulch for multiplayer)
Great video....literally have the same video idea in my content list, but you beat me to it! Probs will do it anyways because Halo CE deserves all the love in the world.
I'm weird, but I like repeated rooms in video games. Like I know it can get old, but I dont know it gives all a uniform look which helps make it more real to me, I mean I've been a lot of office buildings that look the same, stores that look the same, even neighborhoods that look the same, reused assests are just part of life, so seeing it in game makes it more real to me..
Anyone else love the explosion and muzzle flash effects in this game? They are so satisfying. I also love tossing a nade into a doorway, hopping out of the way, and seeing grunts come flying out the door. I also love how the guns move a little differently in your hands compared to modern shooters. A little bit of sway, and the magnum is closer to the center of the screen which I love. Anyone who's ever held a pistol knows its not gonna be in the bottom right of your visual field.
I think the halo CE banshee controls the best in the series. I really miss being able to let off the throttle and drop out of the sky when I'm playing any other halo.
Perfect description of the game, I agree with most of what is said. Only thing I don’t like is just personal favorite levels and those are literally just personal preference so it doesn’t matter. Great video Frog!
A man of quality I see. I’ve played this game since I was 4 years old, and 22 years later I’m still playing it. Just remember that this cave is not a natural formation.
I distinctly remember going round my friends house and playing CE on their xbox (I had a PS2 at the time) and just being blown away by it. Got to play both silent cartographer and the first flood level that day and it was just 3x better than anything I had ever played till then.
I'll never forget my first blind playthrough of Halo CE on the OG Xbox as a kid. Encountering the Flood for the first time is definitely one of the highlights of my gaming career.
Your mention of "patterns" kinda got me thinking about how truly impressive the dev team was. With the limited hardware and software, they packed in enough AI behavioral patterns so that even now, you're likely to see something for the first time every few play throughs.
Hello mate I just want to say thank you for the video, for me Halo CE is a masterpiece. Everything from the music, the characters, the tone of the game, the Covenant and the Flood. It was where Halo began and I've been a massive Halo fan since I was a kid. I love the lore, the different factions and the music by Marty O'Donnell is phenomenal.
Halo: Combat Evolved is simply magical. I love this game so much. Had it on PC growing up. The campaign is so great, I still feel the sense of adventure like it was yesterday. the multiplayer was a blast. I will always remember it fondly. Truly a life changing game, and one that has set my standards for any video game experience. I put it on a pedestal along with Diablo 2 and super smash bros melee as GOAT
I think people saying chief isn't much of a character isn't giving him credit. He doesn't talk a lot but he has a lot of personality in his animations, him catching the falling marine on 343 guilty spark, to him putting the recording in his helmet, he goes from startled, to alert and defensive, then in the next room delicately putting down the dead marine, even though he's dead, he is gentle and respectful, then he gets low and moves in to check the room for threats, stopping when he sees the remains of the carnage, he slowly lets his guard down, putting his weapon down, because he has found something that affects him. He holds the helmet up lingering on it, then shaking his head. Its not said outright, he has no one to talk to, he just lingers, contemplates its meaning, and shakes his head for a brief moment of sadness. Its subtle but you get a good sense of how he feels in the moment. And they did it all without him saying a word, and with his helmet on. AMAZON. Another example is him grabbing the broken panicking marine on the end of Pillar of Autumn, he doesn't have to save him, but he stops specifically to grab him, throw him in and then back in covering them, before turning around and standing, holding a handle for balance instead of sitting.
Absolutely the Best game ever made. There is so many great things in this game it's unreal it still holds. One of the greatest part is the absolutely amazing soundtrack, for Marty is our god and saviour, and the perfect balance of difficulty is something new games lacks of. I do understand why it is your favourite game, i just played first 4 missions (on Legendary) with friend, maybe like 900 th time. Finished Reach, then CE etc....Rince and repeat.
Great video! I do however have to disagree about the needler being worthless, though I may be a bit biased since it's my favorite weapon in the franchise. It's a very niche weapon, more so than any other since it's usefulness varies a lot depending on the situation. To start with, it is literally useless against hunters and jackals as the projectiles just deflect off their shields. It's pretty good against grunts and sentinels, more so if you know the right amount of needles to shoot into each one to trigger the explosion. Against flood it's somewhat of a high risk, high reward situation, as when they clump up they take more damage from the supercombine. But when they charge you, you'll take some damage from the pink mist if they get too close. It's best used as a counter to the elites as a full clip is enough to take out even the toughest ones. On legendary it can get pretty tricky to actually get the homing needles to stick to them since they move so frantically, but that's when the skill comes as you have to lead you shots. Anyways, it's the unorthodox design philosophy of the needler that makes me love it so much, so I felt like I had to defend it.
This a great video well done mate. I personally love The Library. It’s mostly because of its significance in the lore of showing you just how massive the forerunners structures were and just how dangerous of a threat the flood is with it leaving the question of? Why did the forerunners feel the need to make the Library have no physical entrance, and how did the flood manage to infest the Library this drastically in a short span of time? When I was a kid I used to dread playing this mission, and I think that’s honestly the best selling point of it. This mission made you fear it/loathe it and it is repetitive, but it’s done that way as some trial in my eyes. The 3 floors to me being like a transitionary period in some of test of resilience for masterchief and the player
This video deserves so much more views This lowkey should explode soon I hope it does, this is really fantastix Retrospective Halo 2 and Doom Eternal when Frog?
Damn, actually praising a Halo game without shitting on another? I didn't think that was possible. You're the first Bungie stan I'm going to subscribe to (I mean that in a lighthearted way :) )
I just played all of Bungie's Halo Games again and I rediscovered why CE is by far the best game in the entire series. Its mechanics, presentation and story telling just work so much better than in the games that followed.
As someone who’s first game was CE back in 2001 at the age of 3, I’m in the same boat. I love learning to speedrun the game because it really does open a new way to play the game.
Halo ce is still my favorite halo. The flood reveal is perfect and the library isn't that bad of a mission. It does exactly what it was supposed to do. Tho it could do with less of those wait for spark to unlock the door sequences
IMO it's THE BEST HALO game. I love library level and how it feels like a maze and how it's hard to went trough it when Flood going from all sides and the last ride to the only working ship was phenomenal. This game was hard and fun at the same time, which not a lot of games can do.
7:58 Yea, its still objectively not a good level, but with the right mindset the library is alright I played it again recently and at the end I thought : "yea it was alr"
Oddly enough I think Halo CE is so memorable to me because it's plot plays out like 80s-90s scifi film. At least that's a reason I can give it over the sequels. It feels charming in that way. Simple and sweet and not too overly grandiose. Oh yeah it's still a fun kickass videogame.
I love this game the most, i know everyone loves 2 and 3 but this was the one that i enjoyed the most its just so nostalgic even though i never played it until the remaster in 2011. Now years later if i play it, i only play it on “old” graphics cos damn it still looks so good
As someone who's first game ever at 6 yrs of age was CE, and is using this vid as my excuse to replay it for the, I don't even remember anymoreth time. CE a good video game.
I grew up with Halo since 2003. Got gifted an Xbox with CE, but I didn't love it, but liked it enough to beg for Halo 2 when that dropped. The series' current state makes me sad, but it made me sad enough to back to the old Halos and attempt LASO for them. Doing LASO for CE forced me to learn its mechanics, all its funny little quirks, find all the nooks and crannies - and I came away loving it more than I did as a kid. I can safely say in terms of single player, I now much prefer CE to Halo 2.
Doom is and probably always will by my favorite FPS series, but I can certainly respect and enjoy Halo. I do feel the need to point out that Doom tends to incentivize offense as well despite no regenerating shields, just in a different way. Basically Doom weapons are heavily geared towards close range so sniping is usually really inefficient, enemies are often set up so you’ll be surrounded and overwhelmed if you are too passive, and the slowish projectiles combined with the absurd movement speed let you dodge pretty consistently.
CE is still my favorite Halo game and top 3 games of all time. I've been binging your videos and agree with many of your opinions, even the controversial ones. Also, it's not just nostalgia, the game is just good, even today, if a bit slow for many people.
I spent most of my life barely touching FPS games, instead spending most of my childhood and adolescence playing mostly platformers. I only got into FPS games as an adult. The first FPS game I ever got into was Ultrakill, then Doom 2016, then Neon White. Ultrakill and Neon White are genuinely one of the best games I've ever played in my life, they're extremely intense, fast, and have such a delightful focus on movement and style. So when I tried Halo 1 through the Master Chief Collection, I couldn't help but think it was way too simple and slow compared to these two FPS games I mentioned before. I started playing it around June, got around halfway through the game and just didn't feel like playing it anymore and haven't touched it since July. I actually agree with most of the points you make in this video, I just can't really bring myself to like this game. I don't even know if I'll ever try out the other Halo games.
I don't mind Truth and Reconciliation, but liking Silent Cartographer is madness. Without fail, I always get a migraine from the claustrophobic, repetitive hallways with hostile blue lighting. Same with Assault On the Control Room. I basically only re-played the level Halo, but in HALO 2 I replayed the entire game straight through multiple times a week for _years_ as a kid, even after HALO 3 came out because I never got as invested in the story. HALO is great but 2 is a massively superior campaign experience.
All 3 games of the OG trilogy are perfect imo. Sure the vehicles aren't as good in CE and 2 has bullshit snipers, but the games are so well made and just fun to play. Co-op is a blast and will always have a place in my heart (especially 3)
The needler is actually really good at taking out elites that are strafing at a distance due to needles tracking. Or baiting an elites into a melee, dodging backwards and loading them up for a supercombine that way. Even crowds of grunts can be wiped out quickly as they react to getting stuck by needles by fleeing and causing chain reaction explosions from dropped plasma grenades. I will agree that the weapon sucks against jackels due to their shields
This was the beginning of The Golden Age of gaming, to which nearly all of the big franchises started. From early to later 2000s saw the most innovative and creative games that had really magic. So much of what came after is just a soulless cashgrabbing derivative.
I feel like I’m in the minority in loving THE LIBRARY. It scared me so bad as a kid, but it really cemented my appreciation for the shotgun and my hate for guilty spark.
Playing through MCC for the first time rn and I LOVE the mission design of Halo CE. At first I hated it because my tik tok fried brain was so used to being walked through every game I’ve played but I like being forced to think about where I take my squad and having to uncover things as I go. This game is truly timeless and was ahead of its time💪
Played this at 3 with my older sister. CE is my fav overall out of the first 3. However I love 3’s campaign and 2’s multiplayer more.I maxed out reach too. I think I’ve returned to CE, 2 and reach the most story wise. All a bit contradictory but I’m happy
I enjoy all of them actually but Halo CE is just on a different page. A fluke of sorts possibly by a very talented team that shaped something exceptional that they couldn't manage to replicate in the sequels. I play them all quite regularly but Halo CE is my most adored in terms of how real it feels to me but also how it actually plays in combat terms
I didn't play CE until well into my adulthood, but I still hold it in a unique place above the rest of the trilogy. Aside from games like Deus Ex, Halo CE is chronologically, mechanically, and aesthetically the midway point between shooters of the 90s and shooters of the 2000s. Yeah, the weapon sandbox left something to be desired, but more of the guns feel usable unless it's the Needler. And for as copy/paste-y as the level design gets, I feel it does a lot more with that level design than either of its immediate successors did.
As a kid, I wasn’t allowed to play halo but I could watch my brother play. Now I’m an adult and I appreciate every little thing bungie put into halo ce. Such a beautiful masterpiece. Your video was a great positive review and I can agree with just about everything you said. But I am curious, do people hate on the tv series?
Been saying that CE’s story is everything it needed to be to make for a great game, but people try to tell me “There basically is no story” and I’m just like “uhh… wut?”
CE has the most easygoing and fun multiplayer. I wish every halo took after its party game vibe. Even my PlayStation childhood friends can pick up CE Multiplayer and just fucking have fun.
Over the years I’ve come to love the original Halo CE on the original Xbox the best.
Unfortunately, almost no one can play it that way today.
Anyway, nice video.
Thanks Marty
Hey Marty, big fan of your work on Halo, Perilous Journey has always been my favorite song from the series.
your awesome. I have an og Xbox so I can play it like that and that might be even awesome than you. I like system link it’s kick ass
GOAT
They need to bring you back Marty! And give you full control. To see a composer care this deeply about a franchise they worked on all these years laters is rare and says a lot. 343 needs to take a hint already!
Another Frog certified classic
CE best Halo game.
Infinite isn't really a game, it's a subscription, but I enjoyed the campaign as much as I possibly could. Felt like I was lost on Installation 04 a few times. That's magic
Hello Blitz!
Frogs are evolving fast. Now they’re able to play video games and make reviews about it. Incredible
That's probably y his fav game is halo combat EVOLVED
The frog brother, it has EVOLVED!
Before too long, he'll be EVOLVED for COMBAT
When they finally evolve into crabs we're screwed lol
CE is the best that Halo has ever been from a campaign perspective. Newer games have added more to the formula but none have so perfectly nailed the sheer symphony of combat bliss as the original.
Agree!
3 has the best campaign
Can’t really disagree with any of that. Well thought out and explained. CE IS my all time favorite game
🪦🪦🪦
6:20 Also, the fact that the silent cartographer is the level you got to play on the halo ce demo says a lot
True. That free trial with Silent Cartographer was my first ever Halo level.
CE will always hold a special place in my heart as one of my first true gaming experiences. The sheer scale, wonder, and mystery of the halo ring seriously worked well with a child like wonder and imagination, everything about the game still holds up pretty well to this day.
Halo CE revolutionized console FPS games and really proved that they were actually viable.
It is still my favorite game to this day. It never gets old and the combat still feels great.
@carringtondale if gamers wanted to have health packs and a weapon wheel then devs would make games like that. I will admit I love me some Doom but honestly there is a reason most arena shooters like that went the way of the Dodo.
If you always have every weapon on you, you never have to have forethought about what combat scenarios you see yourself in.
The 2 weapon system is great and no one forced devs to use it, they just used it because it was more appealing and encourages more predictive thoughts while playing a game.
CE is king. Hard to believe it’s been nearly 22 years. 🎉
It's like you said, this game is perfect on its own. The story, gameplay and atmosphere all work together to create one of the greatest gaming experiences in history. While Halo 2 is my personal favorite, Halo CE works perfectly on its own but also has more unique and interesting layers added to it as each game has released. Great video.👍
I still remember revisiting CE when I was hit with COVID earlier this year. The atmosphere of coming across Installation 04 and finding out about the Covenant's plans, the Flood's threat, and 343 Guilty Spark's attempted omnicide adds to the journey in the single player.
I also love the Multiplayer but I HATE how broken the spawns are in MCC. If only I could try it in the form of Local Multiplayer...
So glad I found your channel. Been checking out your vids over the last few days and absolutely LOVE the content! Love the jokes. Love the insight. A fresh perspective on a 20+ year old franchise. Keep up the awesome work. Ribbit 🙂
In all seriousness, we wouldn’t have most of the FPS juggernauts if it wasn’t for CE. CE’s AI outdoes most games in today’s era somehow. This game shows how stagnant the FPS genre has become.
When I skimmed over your comment and saw "Juggernauts", I initially thought you were talking about the unused enemy from Halo 2.
FPS ai peaked in FEAR and Halo lol
@@Kostraproductions 😭😭 i couldn’t blame you
@@MILDMONSTER1234 as of now, yeah
A lot of what made these older games great was the mystery, the adventure, the unknown, the exploration.
When you "bring home" a new game today, the first thing everyone does is google the wiki to get details on all the weapons, enemies, weak spots, optimal strategies, collectible locations etc. Then it just becomes a "chore" to complete that list of tasks and/or jump into multiplayer. You don't play the game to learn the game, you just google the optimal ways to beat it and then follow the steps.
Back in the day before the rise of the internet and online FAQs etc, the only way to learn about the game was to play the game. You explored, tested things out, learned from experience, discovered new routes or easier ways to complete objectives. Things like getting vehicles out of the map in multiplayer, or launching the warthog with nades. You played the game and discovered things organically.
Halo CE had this in spades. As the video says, the opening cutscenes tell you how the Covenant have better technology and are more powerful than humans. They set you up to fear them, and then play an opening level where the regular humans are helpless and get massacred by the Covenant while you struggle to get through on your own. You get out of the escape pod on Halo, with all the dead marines around and are treated to the majestic Halo ring. The beautiful landscape (for the time) was a sight to behold, and as the video mentions you were free to explore. The campaign isn't linear and doesn't force you to progress in certain ways.
But despite how beautiful it is and all the lush vegetation, something doesn't feel right. There's no wildlife or other aliens - the ring is completely devoid of life except you and Covenant chasing you. You start getting into the mystery of "what happened here", and then into the Forerunner structures and wondering where they went. Intrigue, suspense, discovery.
Then you the plot twist as you stumble across the found footage and the game turns into a horror survival game. Do plot twists even happen anymore in games? Everything is spoiled before you even get the game because streamers review games and start providing strategies on how to best play the game.
Halo CE checked all the boxes. The gunplay was also superb, the sniper and magnum are legendary, the n00b combo helping to tackle Covenant. The vehicle sections aren't just on-rails shoot-em-ups, but allow you even more freedom to both explore the environment and tackle objectives. As mentioned the AI is very good for it's time but also has several qualities in how enemies react during combat that make them feel like real people.
And lastly, it is a testament to a time when devs made games with great single-player modes because that was what drove player retention. Multiplayer was great in CE, but not the main focus like it is for today's games. It was something you did via LAN with friends at sleepovers with pizza and mountain dew. Nowadays you get games with skeleton campaigns that are only included to "check the box" while creating a multiplayer hamster wheel battle pass system to drive monetization is the primary focus.
Anyways, rant over. Love this game too. 90s kid who grew up playing mainly Mario games on Super Nintendo, then of course Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. But Halo CE changed everything and remains one of my favorite games of all time.
Excellent video Frog. I'm such a massive CE fan myself and I think you nailed all of its qualities. I also enjoy hearing your experiences with CE (and the other Halos as well) as a kid playing with your dad. For me, I'm 20 years older than you so I was done with video games after getting annoyed with several PS1 games the last being Final Fantasy VIII. One of my younger friends convinced me to try Halo and I was hooked! I bought an original Xbox just so I could play Halo CE and then Halo 2 and after getting back into games as a much older adult thanks to the mini console revolution I eventually bought an Xbox S just so I could get back to Halo. I'm so glad I did because in addition to CE being a masterpiece it finally gave me the opportunity to play through all of Halo 3 and to get to experience ODST, Reach along with Halo 4 (all through MCC of course). What an unbelievable series!
One last point on CE. I do agree the Library is too long but I'm glad you make it clear it's not the major problem others make it out to be. For me personally, I think Cortana in Halo 3 is a much, much worse level.
I played through Halo CE for the first time this year. Hadn’t had much experience with Halo asides from a bit of 3 and Reach when I was kid so it was an interesting experience. Loved what I played though and can’t wait to start Halo 2 sometime soon CE really is a masterclass in first person shooters and a brilliant introduction to the series.
I pretty much agree with most of what you've said, but I'd like to add one more thing: I think one thing the first Halo does incredibly well is it really does make you feel like you're a struggling band of humans surrounded by enemies, outmatched and a million miles from home. That feeling of isolation and desperation really comes across to me and it makes the final triumph, despite the huge cost of basically everyone on the Pillar of Autumn, feel so much sweeter.
The adrenaline rush 12 year old me got when echo-419 got shot down and Cortana says there’s one last ship in the hanger with the clock ticking down and the classic music kicking in… jeez
P.s. Michael Salvatori is still killing it with the destiny soundtrack
I just finished playing CE for the first time in about 10-15 years.
And it still has so much fun. Reminds me of being 10 years old and playing it on co op with a friend and both just being blown away by it. And the music, it just gets me so hyped 😂
I’ve played halo since about 2 to 3 years old and your videos have taught me so much when it comes to speed running tricks, and everything. Now I’m still rather new obviously but this game and doing tricks like that has reinvigorated a love in it for me that I never knew, I still had.
5:18
One of my favorite little tidbits is related to this point. I forget which game/level it happens in, but you're meant to wait and get a warthog, but you can just walk away and Cortana says "Okay? I guess we'll leave it for the marines."
6:10
"After Truth & Reconciliation, you get The SIlent Cartographer which is THE Halo level. This is the one I'd show to a friend who's never played the game before."
You're not alone, because there was a free demo version of Halo CE which featured this level (as well as Blood Gulch for multiplayer)
Great video....literally have the same video idea in my content list, but you beat me to it! Probs will do it anyways because Halo CE deserves all the love in the world.
I'm weird, but I like repeated rooms in video games. Like I know it can get old, but I dont know it gives all a uniform look which helps make it more real to me, I mean I've been a lot of office buildings that look the same, stores that look the same, even neighborhoods that look the same, reused assests are just part of life, so seeing it in game makes it more real to me..
Back in the day, playing Halo with friends on system link was the best thing ever
i dont miss the massive TVs and having to have a router
A core memory for me.
Anyone else love the explosion and muzzle flash effects in this game? They are so satisfying. I also love tossing a nade into a doorway, hopping out of the way, and seeing grunts come flying out the door. I also love how the guns move a little differently in your hands compared to modern shooters. A little bit of sway, and the magnum is closer to the center of the screen which I love. Anyone who's ever held a pistol knows its not gonna be in the bottom right of your visual field.
hands down my favourite halo game it's a masterpiece💯
I think the halo CE banshee controls the best in the series. I really miss being able to let off the throttle and drop out of the sky when I'm playing any other halo.
11:03
I choked on my lunch when you said, "Naturally formed caves"
Keep it up, froggy. You deserve more subs
Perfect description of the game, I agree with most of what is said. Only thing I don’t like is just personal favorite levels and those are literally just personal preference so it doesn’t matter. Great video Frog!
A man of quality I see. I’ve played this game since I was 4 years old, and 22 years later I’m still playing it. Just remember that this cave is not a natural formation.
I distinctly remember going round my friends house and playing CE on their xbox (I had a PS2 at the time) and just being blown away by it. Got to play both silent cartographer and the first flood level that day and it was just 3x better than anything I had ever played till then.
Halo 2 was my first Halo game, but I also love Halo CE. I think it aged so well, and it still has way more depth than most FPS games.
I'll never forget my first blind playthrough of Halo CE on the OG Xbox as a kid. Encountering the Flood for the first time is definitely one of the highlights of my gaming career.
It’s just fantastic. Genius game design.
I honestly love halo ce multiplayer
Probably the best Halo UA-camr to come about in recent years 🐸
wow what a nice comment from one of the best halo CE runners to come about in recent years
Your mention of "patterns" kinda got me thinking about how truly impressive the dev team was. With the limited hardware and software, they packed in enough AI behavioral patterns so that even now, you're likely to see something for the first time every few play throughs.
Worth mentioning that the best “characters” in the game are the marines with their dialogue. Chips is the GOAT.
CE well forever be my favorite game of all time nothing will ever beat it
Halo CE and Oblivion are my favorite games of ever and all time!
Great video as always!
Edit:
Halo CE Shotgun > Halo Rings firing > everything else
Hello mate I just want to say thank you for the video, for me Halo CE is a masterpiece. Everything from the music, the characters, the tone of the game, the Covenant and the Flood. It was where Halo began and I've been a massive Halo fan since I was a kid. I love the lore, the different factions and the music by Marty O'Donnell is phenomenal.
Halo: Combat Evolved is simply magical. I love this game so much. Had it on PC growing up. The campaign is so great, I still feel the sense of adventure like it was yesterday. the multiplayer was a blast. I will always remember it fondly. Truly a life changing game, and one that has set my standards for any video game experience. I put it on a pedestal along with Diablo 2 and super smash bros melee as GOAT
I think people saying chief isn't much of a character isn't giving him credit. He doesn't talk a lot but he has a lot of personality in his animations, him catching the falling marine on 343 guilty spark, to him putting the recording in his helmet, he goes from startled, to alert and defensive, then in the next room delicately putting down the dead marine, even though he's dead, he is gentle and respectful, then he gets low and moves in to check the room for threats, stopping when he sees the remains of the carnage, he slowly lets his guard down, putting his weapon down, because he has found something that affects him. He holds the helmet up lingering on it, then shaking his head. Its not said outright, he has no one to talk to, he just lingers, contemplates its meaning, and shakes his head for a brief moment of sadness.
Its subtle but you get a good sense of how he feels in the moment. And they did it all without him saying a word, and with his helmet on. AMAZON.
Another example is him grabbing the broken panicking marine on the end of Pillar of Autumn, he doesn't have to save him, but he stops specifically to grab him, throw him in and then back in covering them, before turning around and standing, holding a handle for balance instead of sitting.
Seeing Frog upload makes me happy
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
I fucking love this Frog 😂
The jackal take is some truth. When I played LASO I knew I could figure out a way to kill an elite. But jackals, jackals I feared.
Halo: Combat Evolved and the first Dead Space game are my favorite games of all time!!!! CE is just special
Absolutely the Best game ever made. There is so many great things in this game it's unreal it still holds. One of the greatest part is the absolutely amazing soundtrack, for Marty is our god and saviour, and the perfect balance of difficulty is something new games lacks of. I do understand why it is your favourite game, i just played first 4 missions (on Legendary) with friend, maybe like 900 th time. Finished Reach, then CE etc....Rince and repeat.
Great video! I do however have to disagree about the needler being worthless, though I may be a bit biased since it's my favorite weapon in the franchise. It's a very niche weapon, more so than any other since it's usefulness varies a lot depending on the situation.
To start with, it is literally useless against hunters and jackals as the projectiles just deflect off their shields. It's pretty good against grunts and sentinels, more so if you know the right amount of needles to shoot into each one to trigger the explosion. Against flood it's somewhat of a high risk, high reward situation, as when they clump up they take more damage from the supercombine. But when they charge you, you'll take some damage from the pink mist if they get too close. It's best used as a counter to the elites as a full clip is enough to take out even the toughest ones. On legendary it can get pretty tricky to actually get the homing needles to stick to them since they move so frantically, but that's when the skill comes as you have to lead you shots.
Anyways, it's the unorthodox design philosophy of the needler that makes me love it so much, so I felt like I had to defend it.
This a great video well done mate. I personally love The Library. It’s mostly because of its significance in the lore of showing you just how massive the forerunners structures were and just how dangerous of a threat the flood is with it leaving the question of? Why did the forerunners feel the need to make the Library have no physical entrance, and how did the flood manage to infest the Library this drastically in a short span of time? When I was a kid I used to dread playing this mission, and I think that’s honestly the best selling point of it. This mission made you fear it/loathe it and it is repetitive, but it’s done that way as some trial in my eyes. The 3 floors to me being like a transitionary period in some of test of resilience for masterchief and the player
This video deserves so much more views
This lowkey should explode soon
I hope it does, this is really fantastix
Retrospective Halo 2 and Doom Eternal when Frog?
Spot on about CE’s multiplayer 👏
“Hey everybody, I’m a frog” might be the most unexpected starting line of a video I’ve ever heard 😂
Frogachrist is are lord and savior, we praise him and we love what he gives us
Damn, actually praising a Halo game without shitting on another? I didn't think that was possible. You're the first Bungie stan I'm going to subscribe to (I mean that in a lighthearted way :) )
my favorite console shooter and my fourth favorite fps of all time, simply untouchable
I just played all of Bungie's Halo Games again and I rediscovered why CE is by far the best game in the entire series. Its mechanics, presentation and story telling just work so much better than in the games that followed.
As someone who’s first game was CE back in 2001 at the age of 3, I’m in the same boat. I love learning to speedrun the game because it really does open a new way to play the game.
Halo ce is still my favorite halo. The flood reveal is perfect and the library isn't that bad of a mission. It does exactly what it was supposed to do. Tho it could do with less of those wait for spark to unlock the door sequences
IMO it's THE BEST HALO game. I love library level and how it feels like a maze and how it's hard to went trough it when Flood going from all sides and the last ride to the only working ship was phenomenal. This game was hard and fun at the same time, which not a lot of games can do.
7:58 Yea, its still objectively not a good level, but with the right mindset the library is alright
I played it again recently and at the end I thought : "yea it was alr"
You are fighting the boys unknown for funniest halo UA-camr
Oddly enough I think Halo CE is so memorable to me because it's plot plays out like 80s-90s scifi film. At least that's a reason I can give it over the sequels. It feels charming in that way. Simple and sweet and not too overly grandiose. Oh yeah it's still a fun kickass videogame.
I love this game the most, i know everyone loves 2 and 3 but this was the one that i enjoyed the most its just so nostalgic even though i never played it until the remaster in 2011. Now years later if i play it, i only play it on “old” graphics cos damn it still looks so good
As someone who's first game ever at 6 yrs of age was CE, and is using this vid as my excuse to replay it for the, I don't even remember anymoreth time. CE a good video game.
I have some fond memories playing this at my dads house on the original Xbox. Played it on a projector projected on a large wall with sound system.
I grew up with Halo since 2003. Got gifted an Xbox with CE, but I didn't love it, but liked it enough to beg for Halo 2 when that dropped. The series' current state makes me sad, but it made me sad enough to back to the old Halos and attempt LASO for them. Doing LASO for CE forced me to learn its mechanics, all its funny little quirks, find all the nooks and crannies - and I came away loving it more than I did as a kid. I can safely say in terms of single player, I now much prefer CE to Halo 2.
Nah man the invincible tank will never get old 😌
"Let's hop in." spoken like a frog.
BABEEEEE, FROG JUST DROPPED HIS CE RETROSPECTIVE!!! COME WATCH IT WITH ME PLEASEEEE 🙏🙏🙏
Doom is and probably always will by my favorite FPS series, but I can certainly respect and enjoy Halo.
I do feel the need to point out that Doom tends to incentivize offense as well despite no regenerating shields, just in a different way. Basically Doom weapons are heavily geared towards close range so sniping is usually really inefficient, enemies are often set up so you’ll be surrounded and overwhelmed if you are too passive, and the slowish projectiles combined with the absurd movement speed let you dodge pretty consistently.
Halo CE flood was easily the most fun to fight. You don’t see the same kind of hordes like you see in CE and they feel fair to fight
I can't express enough how much I looooveeee CE. and hate it when people start on infinite CE is one of the best video games known to man
CE is still my favorite Halo game and top 3 games of all time. I've been binging your videos and agree with many of your opinions, even the controversial ones. Also, it's not just nostalgia, the game is just good, even today, if a bit slow for many people.
I spent most of my life barely touching FPS games, instead spending most of my childhood and adolescence playing mostly platformers. I only got into FPS games as an adult.
The first FPS game I ever got into was Ultrakill, then Doom 2016, then Neon White. Ultrakill and Neon White are genuinely one of the best games I've ever played in my life, they're extremely intense, fast, and have such a delightful focus on movement and style.
So when I tried Halo 1 through the Master Chief Collection, I couldn't help but think it was way too simple and slow compared to these two FPS games I mentioned before. I started playing it around June, got around halfway through the game and just didn't feel like playing it anymore and haven't touched it since July.
I actually agree with most of the points you make in this video, I just can't really bring myself to like this game. I don't even know if I'll ever try out the other Halo games.
The game is basically Aliens: the video game. Which is perfect because Aliens is a perfect space-marine horror action experience.
I don't mind Truth and Reconciliation, but liking Silent Cartographer is madness. Without fail, I always get a migraine from the claustrophobic, repetitive hallways with hostile blue lighting. Same with Assault On the Control Room. I basically only re-played the level Halo, but in HALO 2 I replayed the entire game straight through multiple times a week for _years_ as a kid, even after HALO 3 came out because I never got as invested in the story. HALO is great but 2 is a massively superior campaign experience.
this dude is spitting fax 🗿🗿 added to favorites.
All 3 games of the OG trilogy are perfect imo. Sure the vehicles aren't as good in CE and 2 has bullshit snipers, but the games are so well made and just fun to play. Co-op is a blast and will always have a place in my heart (especially 3)
The needler is actually really good at taking out elites that are strafing at a distance due to needles tracking. Or baiting an elites into a melee, dodging backwards and loading them up for a supercombine that way. Even crowds of grunts can be wiped out quickly as they react to getting stuck by needles by fleeing and causing chain reaction explosions from dropped plasma grenades. I will agree that the weapon sucks against jackels due to their shields
If Halo ce and halo 2 were one game my life would be complete
I can't hate on the vehicles, when this game came out that was revolutionary tech so I will always love them.
Best ending to a video🤣
This was the beginning of The Golden Age of gaming, to which nearly all of the big franchises started. From early to later 2000s saw the most innovative and creative games that had really magic. So much of what came after is just a soulless cashgrabbing derivative.
I feel like I’m in the minority in loving THE LIBRARY. It scared me so bad as a kid, but it really cemented my appreciation for the shotgun and my hate for guilty spark.
Keyes is probly my least fav level. Difficult, repetitive, and disturbing lol
Playing through MCC for the first time rn and I LOVE the mission design of Halo CE. At first I hated it because my tik tok fried brain was so used to being walked through every game I’ve played but I like being forced to think about where I take my squad and having to uncover things as I go. This game is truly timeless and was ahead of its time💪
Played this at 3 with my older sister.
CE is my fav overall out of the first 3.
However I love 3’s campaign and 2’s multiplayer more.I maxed out reach too.
I think I’ve returned to CE, 2 and reach the most story wise. All a bit contradictory but I’m happy
I enjoy all of them actually but Halo CE is just on a different page. A fluke of sorts possibly by a very talented team that shaped something exceptional that they couldn't manage to replicate in the sequels. I play them all quite regularly but Halo CE is my most adored in terms of how real it feels to me but also how it actually plays in combat terms
Imo CE has the best flood
Halo 3 would've been good too but then the pure ranged form exists
I didn't play CE until well into my adulthood, but I still hold it in a unique place above the rest of the trilogy. Aside from games like Deus Ex, Halo CE is chronologically, mechanically, and aesthetically the midway point between shooters of the 90s and shooters of the 2000s. Yeah, the weapon sandbox left something to be desired, but more of the guns feel usable unless it's the Needler. And for as copy/paste-y as the level design gets, I feel it does a lot more with that level design than either of its immediate successors did.
Wouldnt be a gamer without ce.
Halo ce is my favorite as well i played it so much with my dad when i was a kid
As a kid, I wasn’t allowed to play halo but I could watch my brother play. Now I’m an adult and I appreciate every little thing bungie put into halo ce. Such a beautiful masterpiece. Your video was a great positive review and I can agree with just about everything you said. But I am curious, do people hate on the tv series?
That rip sam part made me die lol 😂😂
I think the best loadout for flood is shotgun & AR because you can use the AR for the infection forms and shotgun for combat forms
Master Chief is a Frog all this time..... He is green after all :D
Love it❤
Been saying that CE’s story is everything it needed to be to make for a great game, but people try to tell me “There basically is no story” and I’m just like “uhh… wut?”
CE has the most easygoing and fun multiplayer.
I wish every halo took after its party game vibe.
Even my PlayStation childhood friends can pick up CE Multiplayer and just fucking have fun.
Ah I enjoyed Halo CE multiplayer quite a bit back in the day.